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.

On 21.02.2010 the Premier of New South Wales, Australia introduced the Metropolitan Transport Plan: Connecting the City of Cities. It includes a 25-year strategy for land use planning for Sydney, and a 10-year fully funded package of transport infrastructure for the Sydney metropolitan area. As part of this plan, construction of the Sydney Metro Network Stage 1 (Rozelle to Central) and Stage 2 (Central to Westmead) has been stopped, and resources and funding have been reallocated to a range of other projects over the next 10 years. Click au/31. Visit www.nsw.gov.au/shapeyourstate.

French-based international rail and urban transport engineering company SYSTRA has been awarded ISO 14001 environmental certification effective 10.02.2010 for all of its sites and consulting and engineering businesses. This achievement is the culmination of a major internal programme conducted by the company to integrate environmental aspects into their ISO 9001 certified management systems. The award is fully consistent with the company's long-term strategy of promoting sustainable mobility by way of design and engineering expertise. Click for a copy of the SYSTRA ISO certificate or, for some background to company operations, visit www.systra.com.

The Tunnel Design & Construction Asia conference will bring together international industry experts to speak on the most relevant issues related to regional tunnel design and construction. The technical conference will cover tunnelling for industries such as utilities, cabling, consumer and transportation. It will provide a networking platform, and will create opportunities for Government departments to meet with construction and engineering contractors, plus design consultants, to discuss the best working practices for ensuring safe, efficient and cost effective tunnelling projects. Further information from www.tunneldesignconstruction.com. Click here. 09/10.

Installation of 178 sheet piles has been completed between Girona I tunnel and adjacent buildings to consolidate the structures before the Gerunda TBM passage. The works are part of the EUR278.6 million contract awarded to FCC (40%), Dragados (30%), Copisa (20%) and Tecsa (10%) on the Madrid-Barcelona-French border high-speed line 3,640 m Girona section. Two TBM tunnels of 1,297 m and 1,564 m, and the first phase of the station, are included. Click es/20. Visit www.adif.es.

On 15.02.2010, excavation of the 1,288 m-long, 86 sq m twin-track Elche tunnel started on the El Carrús-Elche section of the Madrid-Castilla La Mancha-Comunidad Valenciana-Murcia high-speed line in Alicante province. Some 255 m of the tunnel is in cut/cover, and the remainder will be mined using NATM techniques. For project history visit tunnelbuilder archive es/95 and www.fomento.es.

On 25.02.2010 excavation of the 725 m-long, 110 sq m twin-track Ardilleiro tunnel was completed, including two cut/cover sections. Ardilleiro tunnel is on the Silleda, Dornelas to Vedra-Boqueixón section of the high-speed line from Ourense to Santiago and it was the last of the thirty tunnels on the axis to be bored. NATM techniques were used. For ten years of contract history and over 100 reports of this major project, visit tunnelbuilder archive es/45. For client background visit www.adif.es. 09/10.

Refurbishment works in the 1,357 m Landy road tunnel on the A1 in Ile de France will be completed by summer, 2012 as part of the programme to update 22 road tunnels in the district. Ten security exits, 81 CCTV cameras, a new ventilation system to improve smoke evacuation in case of fire, fire-retardant walls to strength the structure, and three remote closing barriers are being installed. Click fr/89 for information.

The Intertunnel-Expoferroviaria will take place in Turin at the Lingotto Fiere exhibition centre June 8-10, 2010. For Intertunnel, more than 60 exhibitors from 11 countries had registered by end-February, including tunnelbuilder advertisers BASF, Mapei, Palazzoli, Raet, Robbins, Seli and Thermostick. The conference will be considering many issues, with an emphasis on safety, and the need to integrate transport infrastructure and security engineering. For further information visit www.intertunnel.com. 09/10.

Atlas Copco will develop one of two rapid tunnelling concepts for Rio Tinto, which will enable fast and cost-effective construction of mine roadways. Using knowledge gained 20 years ago from its Mobile Miner experience, Atlas Copco has designed its new Modular Mining Machine as a mechanical rock excavation system that will double the traditional expectations of face advance. Read the full press release and visit Atlas Copco for more.

On 04.02.2010 excavation of the 790 m-long, 110 sq m twin-track Reboredo tunnel was completed, including two cut/cover sections. Reboredo tunnel is on the Silleda, Dornelas to Vedra-Boqueix�n section of the high-speed line from Ourense to Santiago, Spain. NATM techniques were used. For more on this project visit tunnelbuilder archive es/45 and www.adif.es. 08/10.

On 02.02.2010, the ceremony to mark the assembly of three Robbins EPBs was held in Corpus Christi, Texas, US. The machines are headed to Mexico City's Emisor Oriente project, a 62 km-long wastewater tunnel to increase capacity and prevent flooding. They will be shipped via freighter to Veracruz, then by truck to three different shaft-launching sites in spring, 2010. Contractor CARSO Infraestructura y Construcción, S.A. de C.V. will utilize the TBMs on lots 3, 4, and 5, respectively 9.6 km, 9.7 km and 9.5 km in length. Completion is scheduled for 2012. For more click here and here. Visit www.robbinstbm.com. 07/10.

Only one tunnelling website on earth updates every day of the week, including weekends! Whenever there is important news for our readers, it is uploaded at tunnelbuilder.com, regardless of the hour or day of the week. Currently, you can view full details of 43 latest bids and awards from 14 countries on our front page! You can also read 32 news stories from 17 countries. Live bids are listed, and adtracker gives up-to-the-minute details of advertisement performance. Our Spanish and Italian websites offer additional specific updates and, if you need more, visit our archive of 6,000 detailed reports. Instant, accurate and appropriate coverage! The reason why tunnelbuilder readership is so high, and why tunnelbuilder advertisers are so loyal. More about sales and marketing opportunities from sam@tunnelbuilder.com or visit our sales page. 08/10.

Gilgel-Gibe hydroelectric power plant is located in the Great African Rift Valley region of Ethiopia. It’s 26 km-long headrace tunnel cuts through heterogeneous and complex geological formations. It required the highest construction standards, and is an outstanding engineering achievement.

Work on the Pedemontana Lombarda officially started on 06.02.2010. The Pedemontana will link the five provinces of Bergamo, Monza & Brianza, Milan, Como and Varese with 157 km of new two- or three-lane roads, including 60 km in tunnel or trench. Total investment is EUR5 billion. Inauguration is scheduled for 2015, to coincide with Expo. For more click it/128 and visit www.pedemontana.com. 07/10.

On 24.11.2009 the 7 km Hanesund-Sande section on road Rv 465 opened, including the 3.3 km-long Ravnehei tunnel between Kjorrefjord and Ulland in Farsund municipality. For project history visit tunnelbuilder archive no/77 . 07/10