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 08.11.2009 the 8.1 m-diameter SELI Double Shield/EPB Dual Mode TBM broke through the 12 km long Beles headrace tunnel in Ethiopia. The tunnel is part of the Beles II hydropower plant located in the northwest Amhara Region, and will channel water from Lake Tana Beles into the penstock of an underground powerhouse from which it will outfall into the Blue Nile.

Since the 1980s, Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas have experienced rapid economic growth. The area sources most of its water from a network of local rivers, and is forecast to run short of supplies in the near future. To address forecast needs, the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology, and Water has approved the 44.6 km-long Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Tunnel. The alignment will transfer water from the Semantan River in Pahang State to the Selangor/Kuala Lumpur region, passing up to 1,200 m beneath the Titiwangsa mountain range. Excavation is scheduled to begin in late 2010 using three Robbins Main Beam TBMs.

Detection of the numbers and frequencies of people already takes place in numerous public areas – for safety reasons as well as for economically efficient planning. How many persons are there at the airport or station? How efficient are the flows of football fans at the stadium? What is the relationship between the number of people in shopping centres and the number of completed sales or sums spent? When answering such questions, the innovative TVS100 3D people-counting system supplies the necessary data. Whether children or adults, individuals or entire groups, the non-contact measurement system provides important information assisting, among others things, the efficient use of buildings and the effective implementation of safety measures.

The 11 million inhabitants of Chengdu, China will soon have a reduced commuting time thanks to an extensive new metro system. Chengdu Metro will have five lines totalling 126 km constructed using a fleet of TBMs. The Robbins Company signed a contract with China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) in January, 2009 for a 6.26 m-diameter EPB and back-up system for Line 2, Lot 18 for which a commissioning ceremony was held in Chengdu on 14.10.2009. Read the full press release.

On the 30.10.2009 the 8,372 m-long Finnfast crossing project on national road Rv 519 in south western Norway was opened to traffic. It consists primarily of a 5,685 m-long single tube two-lane bi-directional tunnel under the North Sea between Hanasand on the island of Rennes and Ladstein on the island of Finn.

Based west of London, UK, just 30 minutes from Heathrow Airport, ZED Tunnel Guidance specializes in the manufacture of advanced guidance systems for tunnel boring machines. The company's main strength is in its broad knowledge of the engineering principles involved in guiding a TBM along its predetermined route with unparalleled accuracy. This has resulted in an innovative, modular and highly reliable range of products for use in the toughest environments. Click here for more about ZED and its products

The proposed 76.2 km-long, EUR 474 million fast highway between Kathmandu in Nepal and the Indian border at Birgunj has commenced construction under the direction of the Nepalese army for completion within three years. It will include a 1.3 km-long tunnel and will also provide a link to Nepal’s proposed second international airport. More from Saroj Pradhan at Department of Roads, tel +977 1 4262-693, fax –993, e-mail dgdor@ntc.net.np or visit www.dor.gov.np/Tender/index.php. 47/09.

The twin 1.2 km-long Difah-Shis road tunnels are nearing completion, with the eastbound tube breaking through on 01.10.2009 and the second tube due to hole out in mid-November.

The incorporation of Normet Canada Ltd increases to fifteen the number of countries in which Normet has a permanent presence. The new Canadian company will provide the national underground mining and tunnelling industries with an array of internationally established services. Read the full press release.

The latest version of Google translator is sufficiently technically accurate for us to be able to add six languages to our tunnelbuilder.com output. German, French, Dutch, Japanese, Swedish and Russian are now options to our established English, Spanish and Italian versions. In addition to offering a wider choice to our readers, we are also giving advertisers at tunnelbuilder.com greater exposure, a bonus that will add value to their portfolio. For more about how to advertise at tunnelbuilder.com, contact sam@tunnelbuilder.com. Of necessity, space is limited, so act now and catch our 2009 prices! 47/09.

On 02.11.2009 the 3,250 m Kjøsnesfjorden bypass on RV5 between Hammarsgrovi and Stølsneset in Sogn og Fjordane region in Norway was opened, including the Støylsnes tunnel (2,660 m and T5 profile). Cost was EUR 29.5 million. Work started on 17.08.2007 and breakthrough was achieved on 25.11.2008. Mika AS handled the construction, and Mesta Elektro AS the equipment. Visit www.vegvesen.no/Vegprosjekter/rv5hammarsgrovi, www.mika.no and www.mesta.no. 47/09.

The 110 sq m twin-track O Curro tunnel, at 840 m, is the longest of the eight planned tunnels on the 13.2 km Silleda (Dornelas) to Vedra-Boqueixón section of the high-speed line from Ourense to Santiago, Spain. O Curro tunnel is located in Silleda municipality of Pontevedra province. NATM techniques were used, followed by drainage works, sealing and coating. For more, click es/45. 44/09

British company J D Neuhaus manufactures air-operated cranes for use in hazardous areas as standard. These include options for increased spark protection and full bespoke assemblies to individual specification. All products carry worldwide service backup. For more about the full JDN range read their most recent press release. 45/09.

Herrenknecht is presenting examples of innovative high-performance tunnelling technology on the German-Chinese Esplanade in Wuhan. Seven TBMs from the company will construct nearly 17 km of subway line 2 in the city. Read the full press release. 45/09.

On 30.10.2009, Quadrilatero Marche-Umbria SpA approved the Foligno-Pontelatrave section of SS 77, which comprises 17.5 km of roadway in Umbria to Colfiorito and 18.3 km in Marche region, with about 60% in tunnel. The total value is EUR1.95 billion.