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.

DMT, a provider of technology services based in Essen, Germany is contributing to the feasibility study for a new hydroelectric plant near Vrelo in Bosnia Herzegovina to be funded by KfW, the German Reconstruction Bank. A two month-long GPS-supported geodetic survey of the site, 70 km northwest of Mostar, will be carried out by DMT, who will also supply local companies with geodetic and geophysical measurement instruments. For further information contact Dagmar Jilleck at DMT in Essen, Germany, e-mail dagmar.jilleck@dmt.de, tel +49 201 172-1544, fax –1700. 15/09.

On 21.05.2006 the people of Montenegro voted for independence from Serbia, and the country is now a sovereign state and member of the UN, with EU candidate status expected this year. Having spent most of the 20th century with a managed economy as part of Yugoslavia, much of Montenegro’s infrastructure is dilapidated and in need of urgent reconstruction.

During the last two years, Australia has grown into one of the key markets for VMT GmbH worldwide. Huge infrastructure projects, such as the North-South Bypass Tunnel or the Airport Link in Brisbane, have driven expansion of the VMT presence in Australia to provide local support for the entire product range. For the upcoming Airport Link project VMT will deliver a total of 18 guidance systems to equip TBMs, roadheaders and bolters

The next ITA World Tunnel Congress (WTC 09), entitled Underground Space and Tunnelling: Planning with Vision, will be organized by the Hungarian Tunnelling Association for Budapest from 23rd to 28th May, 2009.

Line 1 of Seville metro opened on 02.04.2009 with 17 of 22 stations operating, from Ciudad Expo in Mairena del Aljarafe to Condequinto station at Dos Hermanas. For background to this project visit tunnelbuilder archive es/82. Visit www.metrodesevilla.org. 15/09.

McConnell Dowell & Fletcher Construction JV has reported early completion of the 2,953 m-long TBM drive for the Orakei Main Sewer Hobson Diversion (OMSHD), some 17 days ahead of schedule. The mixed face EPB averaged 132 m/week of bored and lined tunnel, with 146 m in the best week, beneath water table of up to 50 m. For more project history visit tunnelbuilder archive, click nz/14. Visit www.macdow.com.au and www.fletcherconstruction.co.nz. 15/09.

International Economic Stimulus Packages were identified as creating unprecedented opportunities for the tunnelling profession.Professor Arnold Dix, addressing the 3rd International China Tunnelling Conference identified the challenges and opportunities for the tunnelling profession globally.

At Turin metro, during the period 07.10.2008 to 12.03.2009, TBM Caterina completed excavation of the tunnel from Marconi station to Nizza station, and the 500 m-long tunnel from Nizza to Dante station. Infiltration of groundwater caused a stoppage just 10 m from Dante station, incurring a delay for additional sealing. For more click it/26. Visit www.metrotorino.it. 14/09

On 11.03.2009, after meeting serious challenges during the construction phase, the Herrenknecht S-319 12,980 mm-diameter, 3,200 Kw single shield TBM Simone broke through at the 2.15 km-long Raingruben tunnel on the Vienna to St. Polten railway in Austria. Raingruben is the last in the Perschling chain, a 6.3 km-long section of the new two-track Westbahn, which includes the Stierschweiffeld (2.857 km) and Reiseberg (1.327 km) tunnels, where tunnelling started in December, 2005. Geology is marl, sandstone and siltstone. The client is the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the contractor is Strabag, and ILF is responsible for the tunnel design, construction management and geotechnical engineering on site. Click at/34. Visit www.ilf.com, www.strabag.com and www.herrenknecht.com. 14/09.

Kevin Browning, Managing Director of International Tunnelling Services, is attending the 27th annual International No-Dig Show at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 29th March to 3rd April, 2009, visit www.nodigshow.com. Kevin is available to meet anyone who may be in need of tunnelling specialists. International Tunnelling Services supplies personnel to projects on a worldwide basis. The International Tunnelling Services division is based at Rivium 2e straat 41b, 2909 LG Capelle aan den Ijssel, The Netherlands, tel +31 (0)10 266 94-44, fax -45. Kevin can be contacted on his mobile phone: +31 (0) 6 23 415 858 or by e-mail kbr@tunnelcrew.nl. 13/09

The New South Wales Government in Australia is undertaking electronic monitoring of the EUR1.2 billion Epping to Chatswood railway line after cracks appeared in the roof of its 13 km-long tunnel close to the launch pits for the TBMs.

Will be held on Tuesday 31st March 2009 at the Hotel Russell, London W1.The conference explores an expansive range of topics from design to procurement, construction to legacy, this the forum to gather essential information and build relationships to secure your role in the future supply chain.

tunnelbuilder has relaunched its tunneljobs.com website, accessible at www.tunneljobs.com. tunneljobs.com has been redesigned and developed with supporting input from both jobseekers and employers, so readers can either find a new job or contact new personnel. Register today, and your search can begin! tunneljobs.com is a totally new concept within the tunnelling industry, resulting from a unique collaboration between IPS Group, the tunnel personnel specialist and tunnelbuilder, the tunnelling news specialist. The working principle of tunneljobs.com is to match each jobseeker’s background to the best available job function and vice versa. Interested? Check www.tunneljobs.com or use the Jobs link on the front page of tunnelbuilder.com!

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Walter Wittke and Dr.-Ing. Bettina Wittke-Schmitt will host the 6th annual WBI-International short course from 26.11.2009 to 30.11.2009 at WBI head office in Aachen, Germany. This year additional subjects such as slopes have been included, and course length has been extended to five consecutive days, during which acknowledged experts in their field will share their knowledge. Subjects include the basics of rock mechanics, the application of the WBI-developed finite element computer codes for static and hydraulic analyses on the basis of case histories, and interesting case studies in tunnelling, slope design and construction in rock. Course language is English, and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. During the evening of 28.11.2009, course members can visit the famous, atmospheric Christmas market in the historic city of Aachen. Details of the programme and registration form can be obtained from WBI, Aachen, tel +49 241 88987-0, fax -33, e-mail wbi@wbionline.de 12/09

From ABC to ZED, more than 100 exhibitors are already signed up to RETC 2009, which takes place June 14-17 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. A fair proportion of tunnelbuilder readers will be attending the conference, and we will be keeping you up to date with developments. Because of the resilience of the tunnelling industry during the current recession, it is widely expected that RETC 2009 will break the 2007 record of 125 booths and 1,334 attendees.