Prior information notice of start of award procedures on 27.05.2010 for general safety upgrade and restoration of six road tunnels to RABT 2006 standard, value EUR26.5 million, commencing winter 2010 with Herkulestrasse, value EUR7.54 million. For further information contact Stadt Koeln, tel +49 221221-23647, fax –28715, e-mail zentrales-vergabeamt@stadt-koeln.de. For details of all tunnels involved in this project visit tunnelbuilder archive de/106. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062973-2010. 10/10...

Vicenzetto Srl of Villa Estense have secured the EUR587,987 contract for test drilling and boring work in Brenner Base tunnel. Contact Johann Hager at BBT SE in Innsbruck, tel +43 5124030, fax +43 5124030-110, e-mail ava@bbt-se.com. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062301-2010 and www.vicenzetto.it. ..

The CPV consortium, formed by CSC SA (Lugano) and Pizzarotti SA (Bellinzona), signed the EUR43 million contract for the construction of Lot 854 at Vezia, the main lot of Ceneri Base Tunnel, including the south portal, 200 m of cut-and-cover tunnel, as well as drilling, blasting and lining both tunnels along a length of 300 m. Works at Vezia will continue until 2016. Commercial operation of the Ceneri Base Tunnel with scheduled train services is planned to start at the end of 2019. Of the total of 40.19 km of the Ceneri Base Tunnel, at the end of February 2010, 7,673 m, or 19.1%, had been ..

Imtech Austria Anlagentechnik GmbH of Linz have secured the contract for supply, installation and commissioning of ventilation equipment for the tunnel section of the Harter Plateau tramway line. For more, contact Ing. Harald Grogger at Managementservice Linz GmbH in Linz, tel +43 7323400-7982, fax -157982, e-mail h.grogger @ linzag.at. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=059736-2010. 10/10...

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana SpA is inviting companies to prequalify for civil engineering work on railway tunnels in Italy. Further information and documents from Iacomino Raffaele at Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato in Milan, tel +39 02637 148-19, fax –20, e-mail dns-qs@rfi.it to whom requests to participate should be sent. Visit

Pre-feasibility study being undertaken by ILF Consulting Engineers for construction of single track railway line along the Karakorum highway between the end of the existing railway network in the south at Havelian and the border between Pakistan and China near the famous Khunjrab Pass in the north.

Prequalification underway by MTR for tender reference no 703 for West Island Line SHW to SYP tunnels value EUR30 million with a view to selective invitations to tender being issued in 4Q/2008 for contract award in 3Q/2009. Expressions of interest to Malcolm O’Neill, tel 3921 3383, e-mail moneill@mtr.com.hk Visit www.mtr.com.hk/eng/tenders/new_projects.html 45/08.

The Las Pedrizas toll highway AP-46 is intended to solve the saturated traffic situation on the main northern access to Malaga. The project has made a significant step forward further to the Ministry of development's decision to aprove 99% of the alignment presented by the concessionaire appointed for the construction and operation of the écheme. The concessionaire includes Itinere (70%), Sacyr (10%), respectively the infrastructure concession company and the construction firm of Sacyr Vallehermoso, and GEA 21 (20%).

Idom Internacional bagged a EUR2.4 million contract for site supervision and work inspection during construction of the east bypass railway for freight trains in Valladolid on the Madrid-Valladolid high speed line. The 17.5 km line includes a 2 km cut-and-cover tunnel. Visit www.idom.es 52/07-01/08.

Metro Warszawskie, the Warsaw metro company, selected a joint venture of Metroprojekt and Andrzej M. Cho?dzynski (AMC), an architectural office, for the conceptual design of the central section of Warsaw's second metro line from Daszynski roundabout to Wilenski railway station. This 6 km section includes a crossing of the Vistule river. More in E-News Weekly 50/2007. Visit www.metro.waw.pl, www.metroprojekt.pl and www.amcholdzynski.pl 52/07-01/08.

Pakistan's federal government approved the 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project at a cost of PKR128.4 billion in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The project will be built by a consortium consisting of China Gezhouba Group Corp. (CGGC) and CMEC China. The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) had already approved award of the contract to the CGGC-CMEC joint venture in March 2007 at the contract price of PKR90.9 billion.

National Thermal Power Corp (NTPC) has awarded Patel Engineering the construction contract for key civil works on the 520 MW Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower project. The value of the contract is INR4.3 billion, and the contract period is 48 months. The scope of the work includes construction of the surge shaft, pressure shaft, penstock, tailrace tunnel, switchyards and the power house. The plant will house four 130 MW units. The headrace tunnel was awarded last year to Larsen & Toubro and Alpine Mayreder. Click in/35. Visit www.patelengineering.com 52/07-01/08.

Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) has bagged a INR2.97 billion contract in joint venture with Alpine Mayreder from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). HCC has a 49% share of the value (INR1.45 billion). The contract covers the design and construction of a 2.6 km-long NATM tunnel between Talkatora Garden and Budha Jayanti Park stations, with a finished internal diameter of minimum 10 m for twin track railway, including access and ventilation shaft. It also includes external and temporary works for the metro rail transmission system link between Talkatora Garden and Budha Jayanti Park. This project is part of the Airport Metro Express Line and it has to be completed by 15th July, 2010. In September 2007, HCC in joint venture with Alpine Mayreder and Samsung Corporation had received a design and construction contract of two stations and a tunnel between New Delhi and Talkatora Garden stations. Click in/11. Visit www.hccindia.com and www.alpine.at 52/07-01/08.

Mecsek Autopalya, a consortium led by Strabag, scooped a HUF266.1 billion (EUR1,048 million) contract in a tender to build and operate a new section of motorway M6. Other members of the consortium are French firms Bouygues Travaux Publics and Colas, as well as John Laing Infrastructure of the UK and Hungary's Intertoll Europe. Strabag's share amounts to EUR460 million. The tender refers to a total 78 km motorway section, including the section of the M6 northsouth-bound motorway between Szekszard and Boly, as well as the M60 motorway branching off from Boly to connect with the city of Pecs. The contract value includes the building, financing, maintenance and operation of the motorway for a 30-year period, with the project to take the form of a public-private partnership (PPP). Work on the motorway is expected to start before the end of the year, with completion scheduled for the spring of 2010. The M6 motorway currently runs from Budapest to Dunaujvaros. It is part of the trans-European corridor Vc that links Budapest to Sarajevo. The section includes four tunnels (1,331 m, 399 m, 865 m and 418 m). Construction officially started in November for completion in spring 2010. Visit www.strabag.com, www.bouygues-construction.com, www.laing.com and www.intertoll.eu 52/07-01/08.

Duerr scooped a EUR5.3 million contract to supply and install the E&M equipment in the 1,080 m-long Leutenbach tunnel. Visit www.duerr-gruppe.de 52/07-01/08.

The Drainage Services Department has awarded on 4th December, 2007 the construction of the 5 km Tsuen Wan drainage tunnel in Kowloon to a group of companies formed by Maeda Corporation, China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) and SELI. The commencement date of the works of the contract will be on 28th December, 2007. The main tunnel is 5.13 km long and 6.5 m internal diameter and there will also be two adits, 45 m and 19 m in length and 4.6 m and 5.5 m internal diameter respectively, three intake structures and two intakes with drop shafts. The diameter of the shafts is 5 m and 5.5 m respectively. The tunnel will be driven mainly in hard rock by a TBM. Visit www.maeda.co.jp/english/outline_e.html, www.crecg.com and www.selitunnel.com or www.selitecnologie.com 52/07-01/08.

BGG Consult and ESW Consulting scooped a EUR241,400 contract for geology and soil mechanics for the west ring road A26 in Linz. The project begins at Bindermichl, then follows the west railway, runs in tunnel until the fourth Danube bridge, and continues, still in tunnel, on the opposite bank ending by a connection with the A7. Visit www.bgg.at and www.wruss.at 52/07-01/08.

NCC Construction has been commissioned to construct the Hyllie, Triangeln and Malmö C Nedre stations from client Citytunneln. The contract is worth approximately SEK450 million. The assignment comprises interior and supplementary structural works at the Triangeln and Hyllie stations and the Malmö C Nedre underground station. Of the three stations, Hyllie is the only one to be above ground. The works on the stations will commence during the first half of 2008. Read E-News Weekly 35/2007 & 22/2005. Visit www.ncc.info and www.citytunneln.com 50-51/07.

Concer & Partners signed a EUR2.4 million deal for on-site supervision and work management during construction of the 10.4 km pilot bore from Naz-Sciaves to chainage 10+400 in Bolzano province, the 1.8 km Mules access adit, a 400 m connecting tunnel between Aica and Riga valley, and preparation and management of excavated materials. Visit www.concerepartners.it 50-51/07.

Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) announced that its electronics arm, Singapore Technologies Electronics (ST Electronics), has won a contract worth about SGD36 million from Marubeni for Taipei's Songshan and Xinyi mass rapid transit (MRT) lines. ST Electronics will design, supply, install and commission the MRT's communications system and the train-borne communications system for the two lines. The new communications system for the two new lines will be integrated into the existing systems of the Red/Green line network at the existing Operation Control Center (OCC). These state-of-the-art systems will facilitate an efficient, reliable and safe mode of transportation in Taipei city. ST Electronics will begin work on the 6.4 km Xinyi line with its six underground stations and the 8.5 km Songshan line with eight underground stations, in the first quarter of 2008. Completion is expected to be in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Visit www.stee.stengg.com or www.stengg.com and www.marubeni.com 50-51/07.

FCC, Construcciones Olabarri, Guihor Estructuras de Hormigón, and Construcciones Donosti scooped a EUR50.5 million contract to construct the 2,859 m Ordizia-Itsasondo section in Gipuzkoa province. This section includes a 2.8 km tunnel (98% of the route). Time frame for construction is 27 months. Visit www.fcc.es, www.olabarri.com and www.codosa.com 50-51/07.

Getinsa scooped a EUR2.4 million contract for site supervision for the 4.7 km Aranjuez-Ontigola section, including a 2,437 m-long 85.7 sq m cross-sectional tunnel in El Regajal. Visit www.getinsa.es 50-51/07.