The consortium Spie Sud Est/Yvroud Europeenne des Fluides, Feyzin secured the EUR7.6 million contract for equipment maintenance in the Grand Lyon tunnels, the most important of which are Fourviere (1,850 m), Croix-Rousse (1,750 m), Brotteaux-Servient and Vivier-Merle (336 m). For more, contact Communaute Urbaine de Lyon, fax +33 478 957097, or visit http://marches.grandlyon.com. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=058386-2010. 11/10...

Gähler und Partner AG of Ennetbaden have secured the EUR2.28 million contract for PM designer for safety refurbishment in 1.14 km-long Mosi tunnel on A4, near Brunnen. Contact OFROU, Zofingen, tel +41 6274575-11, fax -90, e-mail beschaffung.zofingen@astra.admin.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062920-2010. 11/10...

IG BP2, c/o Bänziger Partner AG of Zurich, secured the EUR2.63 million contract from BAMO for 5.7 km-long N3 Kerenzer tunnel. Contact OFROU, Winterthour, tel +41 522344-711, fax -790, e-mail winterthur@astra.admin.ch. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=062921-2010. 11/10..

Construction contract for Kuechelberg tunnel awarded to PAC SpA consortium, value EUR34,695,272 excluding VAT. More from PAC in Capo di Ponte, tel +39 0364331037, fax +39 036442303, e-mail info@pacspa.it and client APB in Bozen, tel +39 04714125-14, fax –39, e-mail gare-11.5@provincia.bz.it Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=071475-2010. 11/10...

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 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

More than ten major tunnelling projects in Norway are benefiting from the use of Barchip structural synthetic fibre to reinforce their shotcrete linings. Barchip, a product of the Elasto Plastic Concrete group, is designed to replace steel mesh and steel fibres in reinforced shotcrete, which may be subject to corrosion in harsh environments, particularly in subsea drives such as the recently opened Atlantic tunnel. Read the company's press release, and follow the links from the tunnelbuilder report.06/10.

The 29th Bauma takes place in three months time at Neue Muenchen Messe, from 19-25 April. The exhibition is sold out, with around 3,000 firms showing their goods. Some exciting new developments are taking place with respect to the mining and tunnelling sections. Read all about it! 05/10.

On 26.01.2010 excavation of the 4,068 m-long, 85 sq m twin-track Burata tunnel was completed. Burata is on the 6.4 km Ourense to Amoeiro section of the high-speed line from Ourense to Santiago, Spain. The parallel 4,048 m safety and rescue tunnel, with 15 interconnecting passages every 250 m, has a 13.9 sq m section. NATM techniques were used. For more on this project visit tunnelbuilder archive es/45 and www.adif.es. 05/10.

The new Director, Tunnelling and Special Projects at Normet International is Odd-Bjorn Kleven, who will work out of the company's offices in Baar, Switzerland and Norway. Read the full press release. 06/10.

On 19.12.2009, the 5.37 km-long Atlantic Ocean tunnel between Kristiansund and Bremnes on National Road 64 was opened. For construction history visit tunnelbuilder archive no/76. For details of the construction work and opening visit www.mesta.no and www.vegvesen.no/Vegprosjekter/atlanterhavstunnelen/Nyhetsarkiv/113784.cms 06/10.

The fifth symposium on tunnels entitled Security for tunnels in the 21st century will be held in Bilbao, Spain later this month from 24.02.2010 to 26.02.2010 at the Palacio del congresos. More from www.congresosatcpiarc.es. 06/10.

Spanish IT firm Telvent will install a tunnel management system on the El Morro Alto tunnels in Brazil to enhance safety and reduce accidents. Under the EUR14.5m deal with Brazilian Transportation and Infrastructures Authority (DNIT), the company will provide its Telvent SmartMobility tunnel solution. This is based on Telvent's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition technology, which allows tunnel infrastructure and management to be centrally controlled, including emergency signalling system, CCTV surveillance, emergency intercom, variable message systems, lighting, ventilation, and communications network. This helps DNIT operators’ awareness of real-time situations inside the tunnel for quick and efficient response to emergencies. For more visit www.telvent.com. 05/10.

When TBMs of sizes greater than 9 m-diameter complete more than a kilometre in a month, the talk turns to records. NFM Technologies already held the Spanish record of 1,012 m with a ten year-old machine, La Adelantada, at Madrid Metro in 2006. Last year, at Sotiello tunnel, part of the Pajares complex in northern Spain, 1,140 m was achieved by another of their TBMs in one month, rewriting the record books. A veteran machine that had already completed more than 10 km of tunnel broke the record, and went on to complete 5.9 km at Sotiello in less than eight months. These are magnificent performances over long periods, and emphasise the quality of design and manufacture achieved by NFM Technologies' engineers. The company has published its January 2010 Newsletter at http://www.nfm-technologies.com/newsletter/english/newsletter4-eng.pdf. 04/10

On 28.01.2010, Anas approved the executive design and the start of work on the third mega lot, third part of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway A3 in Cosenza province. The section, from km173.900 to km185.000, includes five bored tunnels and one cut & cover tunnel. Investment is more than EUR226 million. The design contract was awarded in November, 2008 to JV Uniter Consorzio Stabile Arl and Cometal SpA. Click it/46. 05/10.