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.

At the beginning of April, 2009, the last 40 m of the Hedinsfjardargong tunnel between Ólafsfjördur and Siglufjördur in north Iceland was blasted open. The tunnel will shorten the distance between the two towns to 15 km. Currently, residents have to choose between the 62 km road across Lágheidi mountain, which is closed in winter, and the 234 km road across Öxnadalsheidi mountain. The EUR 42 million tunnel project, undertaken by Háfell ehf. in cooperation with Czech company Metrostav, has been delayed by six months and is now scheduled to open in June, 2010. Click is/19 and visit www.metrostav.cz www.hafell.is and http://vgwww.vegagerdin.is/hedinsfjardargong.nsf. 52/09.

On 04.12.2009, the Consortium Salerno-Reggio Calabria, composed of Impregilo and Condotte, broke through the EUR105 million, 2.5 km-long Barritteri tunnel, on the A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway. The tunnel is part of the EUR913 million, 30 km-long lot between Scilla and Gioia Tauro, which includes 13 tunnels of total length 15 km. The Barritteri tunnel comprises two tunnels in series, separated by a window of about 70 m. Visit www.impregilo.it and www.condotte.com. For more on the project, click it/46. 52/09.

The fourth international symposium on tunnel safety and security, ISTSS, will take place in Frankfurt, Germany from 17-19th March, 2010. Online registration is now available, with early bird registration until 1st February. The venue will accommodate 350 delegates, so book now to be sure! Visit www.istss.se or contact fredrik.rosen@sp.se. 49/09.

In 2007, Attiko Metro of Athens awarded the EUR958 million contract for design, construction and commissioning of the 9.5 km Thessaloniki metro to an Italian-Greek JV composed of Aegek, Impregilo, Ansaldo trasporti Spa, Ansaldo Bresa Spa and Seli SpA. The new metro line will run at a maximum depth of 27 m from the new railway station in the west of the city to Nea Elvetia

Cossi Costruzioni SpA will complete construction of the 1.2 km single-tube Faver tunnel on the SS 612 bypass in Val di Cembra in March, 2010. A ventilation and emergency escape duct originally planned as a concrete structure, will now be fabricated in 8-10/10 steel plate. This will be coated on one side with Firemaster Firebarrier 135 supplied by Thermal Ceramics Italiana to provide two hours hydrocarbon fire curve (1,100 degrees C) resistance. The thickness of plaster has been calculated using test data from a series of experiments. The lightness of the final structure will speed erection and provide significant savings in support and anchoring. The choice of fire protection engineering reflects good experience on an earlier Cossi construction project on the same highway, the 855 m-long Verla di Giovo tunnel.

To be held in Shanghai, China on 04-05.03.2010, the World Tunnel Congress China 2010 promises to be an interesting event. Co-organized by Beijing Jiaotong University and H&Z Industry Media Group, and supported by China Civil Engineering Society, the congress will be chaired by Wang Mengshu, deputy chief engineer of China Railway Tunnelling Group. Discussion will cover technology and market trends, focusing on subsea tunnel projects such as Dalian, Xiazhang and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau. More from Hoby Lee, tel +86 21 5101-3231, fax –6269, e-mail hoby.lee@hnzmedia.com. 48/09.

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.