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.

Consortium ATB, whose members are Pizzarotti, Condotte, SELI, Collini, Bilfinger Berger, Alpine Bau and Jaeger, has been awarded the contract to build the Aica-Mules access adit to the Brenner base tunnel and commissioned its construction to SELI using a TBM. SELI will supply the TBM and ancillary equipment, bore the tunnel and install the support. The excavated diameter is 6.3 m (31 sq m) and the finished inner diameter is 5.6 m. The main underground structure is the Mules access adit, 35 sq m in cross-section, 10% gradient and length of 1,800 m. This first lot will mainly cross the Bressanone granite, a hard rock formation generally of good quality. The high cover and the presence of faults and fractured zones could make tunnelling critical at certain spots. The consortium already owns the TBM (a Wirth machine previously used for the San Francisco project in Ecuador by Odebrecht) and is modifying its diameter and revising it in its facilities. Click ec/18 and here. The supply includes the a double shield rock TBM with back-up and conveyor belt for rock haulage. It is planned to install both precast concrete segments and traditional supports (bolts, wire mesh, steel arches and shotcrete). The rock haulage will be performed by means of a new conveyor belt supplied by Marti Technik. Tunnelling is programmed to commence in April 2008. Visit www.selitunnel.com, www.wirth-europe.com and www.martitechnik.ch 46/07.

The Apion Kleos consortium, led by VINCI with 36%, signed in end July the contract with the Greek government for the Athens-Tsakona motorway, the country’s biggest motorway concession project. The contract has yet to be ratified by the Greek parliament. The expected start of the concession is April 2008. The other members of the consortium are Hochtief of Germany (25%) and three Greek companies, namely Elliniki Technodomiki-Aktor (18%), J&P-Avax (18%) and Athena (3%). The project calls for the financing, design, construction and/or repair of 365 km of toll motorway between Athens and Tsakona in the southwest of the Peloponnese, via Corinth and Patras. This breaks down into 82 km of existing motorway, 120 km to repair and widen, and 163 km to build. The project also calls for operating the motorway for 30 years.

Idom received a EUR180,000 contract for E&M equipment design for the third metro line of the Bilbao metro. The 5,750 line, of which 4,352 m in mined twin-track tunnel, 223 m in cut and cover and 487 m in open cut, includes four mined stations (Otxarkoaga, Txurdinaga, Zurbarranbarri, Uribarri) and two open cut stations (San Antonio de Etxebarri and Casco Viejo). Read E-News Weekly 37/2007 & 11/2005. Visit www.idom.es 45/07.

OHL (50%), Aldesa Construcciones (14%), Construcciones Sando (14%), Copasa (14%) and Tapusa (8%) landed a EUR60 million contract to equip the 9.4 km-long Colmejar Viejo-Soto del Real section, including all outfit (ventilation, fire extinguishing, civil protection and safety, and electrical equipment) in the 2 x 8,759 m-long San Pedro tunnels. Visit www.ohl.es, www.aldesaconstrucciones.es, www.sando.net, www.copasa.es and www.tapusa.es 45/07.

Enmacosa secured a EUR2 million contract for site supervision and work inspection during construction of the 6.2 km Cerponzons-Portela section on the Atlantic coast high speed line in Pontevedra province. This section includes the 1.3 km San Amaro tunnel. Visit www.enmacosa.com 45/07.

FCC (40%), Dragados (30%), Copisa (20%) and Tecsa (10%) bagged a EUR278.6 million contract to build the urban tunnels and first phase of the station in Girona. The 3.6 km section includes two TBM-built tunnels named Girona I and Girona II. The 1,564 m-long Girona II tunnel will connect with the next section, the 3,042 m-long Sarria tunnel, so that trains will travel through a 4,606 m-long tunnel altogether. The contract also includes the first phase of the new intermodal station. Visit www.fcc.es, www.dragados.com, www.copisa.com and www.tecsa.es 45/07. A joint venture formed by Sacyr, Cavosa and Scrinser pocketed a EUR77 million contract to construct the 7.5 km Borrassa-Figueres section in Girona province, including a 1,750 m tunnel. Construction will last 20 months. Visit www.gruposyv.com and www.cavosa.es 45/07.

ADIF has awarded the 4.6 km Durango-Amorebieta/Etxano section on the Vitoria-Bilbao-San Sebastian high speed line to a joint venture formed by Vías y Construcciones (75%) and Nortúnel (25%). The contract is worth EUR70 million and the time frame totals 30 months. The section includes several tunnels: San Andres (703 m), Urzelai (661 m), Olabarrie I and II (481 and 409 m respectively) and, between these two, the 172 m Olabarrie cut-and-cover tunnel. The cross-section is 100 sq m for the San Andres tunnel, 95 sq m for the Urzelai tunnel and 85 sq m for the Olabarrie tunnels. Visit www.vias.es and www.nortunel.com 44/07.

ADIF has delayed to November the contract award, initially scheduled for 26th October, 2007, for construction of the tunnel that will cross Barcelona between Sants and La Sagrera stations. The decision is the consequence of sinkholes affecting the L'Hospitalet-La Torrassa section. Local commuter services on three suburban lines operated by Renfe and one line operated by the Catalan railways have been interrupted since 20th October. A sixth sinkhole, appeared in Bellvitge station on 26th October, has led to halt work on that section. The

Avelino Farinha & Agrela (AFA), Tecnovia, Spie Batignolles Europe and Soares da Costa signed a EUR37.9 million contract to build the first phase of the Fajã da Ovelha-Ponta do Pargo expressway. This is a 5.7 km section, including four tunnels totalling 2,220 m. TPF Planege received a EUR795,200 contract for construction management.

Hindustan Construction Company has received a contract worth INR9.8 billion from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to construct two underground stations and a tunnel between New Delhi and Talkatora Garden stations on the Airport Metro Express Line project. Visit www.hccindia.com 44/07.

A joint venture of COWI, Arup and Systra won the engineering contract for the multi-disciplinary civil works (MCW) for the circle line in Copenhagen. A joint venture of Ramboll, Atkins Denmark and Atkins UK pocketed the engineering contract for multi-disciplinary transportation systems (MTS) for the same line. The total amount of these two contracts over a 10-year period is in the DKK400-600 million range. Read E-News Weekly 49/2004. Visit www.cowi.dk, www.arup.com, www.systra.com, www.ramboll.dk, www.atkinsglobal.com and www.m.dk 43/07.

A joint venture of LGAI, Inema and Intemac won a EUR1.8 million contract for quality control during construction of the Fontsanta-Trinidad section of the water line between the Llobregat and Ter potable water stations (packages 1 and 2), including extensive tunnelling. Visit www.lgai.es, www.intemac.es and www.inema.es 43/07.

The canton of Bern’s road office awarded in March the construction contract of the east branch of the A5 motorway bypass in Biel to a consortium of Walo Bertschinger, Specogna Bau and Porr Technobau und Umwelt. The east branch of Biel’s four-lane motorway bypass stretches for 4.9 km. It goes from the A5/A16 interchange in Champs-de-Boujean in the north and then takes the 2 x 1.5 km Büttenberg tunnel. After an open air section in Orpond, the motorway then runs though the 2 x 2.5 km Längholz tunnel. In Marais-de-Brügg in the south, an interchange will connect the east branch with the T6 semi-motorway to Lyss and Bern and with the future west branch, still under planning. Visit www.walo.ch, www.specogna.ch and www.ptu.at

Hifab concluded a NOK1.2 million deal for control engineering for the Wøyen-Bjørum section of the E16. The contract comprises construction of a 5 km four-lane road in Bærum municipality. Half of the section is in tunnel. The main assignment for the consultant is to follow-up contractors for road and tunnel works. Visit www.hifab.no 42/07.

Further to the competitive tendering for construction of the second, west bore of the Pfänder tunnel on the Rhine valley highway A14, the contract winner is FCC’s affiliate Alpine Mayreder with a EUR123 million bid. The existing Pfänder tunnel in the Rhine valley and Walgau is the most trafficked of Austria and long traffic queues bedevil the tunnel to the point that planners considered necessary to double it. Alpine will bore the 6.6 km west tube using the TBM and conveyor belts currently at work under the Mont Sion in France. Click here. The Pfänder tunnel will be the first TBM-driven road tunnel in Austria. Work is set to begin in October to end in the summer of 2012, which is when the existing tube will be refurbished. In summer 2013, the tunnel should be open in both directions. Read E-News Weekly 41/2002. Visit www.alpine.at 42/07.