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.

SELI has signed a new EUR15 million contract with Turkish commissioner ILCI INSAAT SANAYI VE TICARET A.S. for construction of a 17 km-long water tunnel in the rural district of Suruc. The tunnel is designed to improve the irrigation system in this plain region near the Syrian border. SELI is to supply a 7.83 m-diameter double shield TBM, auxiliary equipment, and full technical assistance for boring operations and equipment maintenance. The tunnel will be lined with 30 cm-thick hexagonal precast concrete segments. Excavation is expected to begin in Spring, 2010 and to last about 3 years. Visit www.selitunnel.com and www.ilci.com.tr. 40/09.

Michigan-based American Chemical Technologies (ACT) produces a range of fire resistant and readily biodegradable hydraulic fluids formulated for use in high performance hydraulic and hydrostatic drive systems in machines such as TBMs, roadheaders and loaders. ACT brand names UCON Trident AW anti-wear hydraulic fluids for year-round use, and EcoSafe FR fire resistant fluid for hydraulic drives, are already well-known in the tunnelling industry. ACT gear oils, greases and other premium industrial products are also available with the same pride in personal service. Click here for information the full line of ACT fluids and lubricants.

Four Lovat 6.12 m diameter RME241SE EPBs will be utilized in the construction of the 8.6 km-long Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, located in Ontario, Canada. The subway extension will have 6.7 km of twin bored tunnels extending north-westward from the existing subway, and will include six stations. Two machines are to be delivered in Winter, 2010, and two in Spring, 2011. For more on the project visit http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/maps/miguelsyyap/index.html and www.lovat.com. 40/09.

The International Water Mist Association is arranging a seminar about water mist technology in Copenhagen on October 6, 2009. The seminar provides an opportunity to learn more about the technology, national and international standards, the protection of different hazards, etc. The full program is available for download at www.iwma.net.

InnoTek Srl was at the recent WTC 2009 conference to present a new series of products and solutions for underground works. Five product families have been developed to increase on-site safety and improve TBM availability. Among these are polymer resins, with superior performance and low fire risk; surfactants and polymers that generate constant pressure against the excavation front, decreasing energy demand and facilitating ground removal; non-toxic gaskets that prevent penetration of water, mud and dirt into the TBM bearing and shield; head tools, with extremely low wear that improve excavation performances; and materials for prefabricated concrete segments, including guide bars and the all-new nylon maxi-screw and plug that feature extremely high pull-out and shear resistances. The company is currently involved in metro construction in Salonicco, Rome, and Tehran; railway tunnels at Brenner, Pajares, and Llobregat; hydro at Beles e Gibe in Ethiopia; and a road tunnel at Los Bronches in Chile. Visit www.innoteksrl.com. 39/09.

New York City-based engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff is recommending shareholder approval of its acquisition by London-based infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty at a price of EUR427 million (USD626 million). Both companies have long histories in tunnelling. Balfour Beatty has recently been involved in the Gotthard base tunnel in Switzerland, UK’s A3 Hindhead tunnel, Porto metro in Portugal, and Seattle bus tunnel renovation in the US. PB has projects such as New York City Subway, Shanghai metro and DTSS in Singapore in its portfolio. For more visit www.balfourbeatty.com or www.pbworld.com. 39/09.

The authorities in the Australian city of Brisbane will rely on loans to finance the EUR1 billion, 4.7 km-long Northern Link tunnel project under design by SKM and Connell Wagner, which is due for construction start by late-2010 with completion in 2014. The twin-tube tunnel will link the M3 Inner City Bypass at Herston with the M5 Western Freeway at Toowong. Tenders for the tunnel's construction and operation will be called soon. Visit www.northernlinkeis.com.au. 39/09.

A pair of 14.93 m-diameter Herrenknecht Mixshield TBMs have each successfully completed 3 km of tunnelling beneath the Yangtze river at Nanjing in Jiangsu, China for twin 3-lane roadways. Water bearing gravel and silt was encountered, with pressures up to 7.5 bar, and cover to riverbed as thin as 30 m. Visit the Herrenknecht website, or get more from Kulke.Florian@herrenknecht.de. 39/09.

Traficon of Belgium has 25 years field experience in video image processing for traffic analysis, with more than 60,000 video detection sensors operational worldwide. The company has been awarded a contract to provide its Automatic Incident Detection system to 22 tunnels in the Paris Region. For the full press release, click here. 38/09.

The 2 km section Serdika - Vasil Levski National Stadium of Sofia metro Line 1 opened on 08.09.2009, connecting the region's eastern and western boroughs and joining the existing Obelya - Serdika section of the metro with the route from Mladost 1 to Vasil Levski, where an initial service was launched in May. The new section includes one intermediate station, St Kliment Ohridski, 12 m below ground near Sofia University. Line 1 is now 18 km-long, with 14 stations. Construction of a €94 million extension from Mladost 1 to the International Exhibition Centre on Tsarigradsko Shose, including 2·5 km of tunnel, one station and a car park, began on 02.07.2009 for completion in 2012. For more click bg/11 and www.metropolitan.bg. 38/09

A section of Dubai Metro Red Line with 10 stations opened to the public on 10th September, 2009. Although the original planned opening date was made, Red Line construction is still underway to complete the envisaged 50 km of lines and 31 stations. Add to this the 20 km of Green Line with 22 stations due to open in June, 2010, and the 49 km Purple Line due 2012, and the Dubai Metro becomes the longest automated driverless train system in the world. For construction history of the underground section of Dubai Metro visit tunnelbuilder archive ae/14, and for background visit www.dubaimetro.eu. 37/09

The Uma Oya project to bring water and electricity to 500,000 parched Sri Lankans was first planned as part of the 1968 Mahaweli project, which was abandoned due to lack of funds. Now, financed by EUR315 million from Iran and EUR98 million from internal government, two dams will be built with a 3.8 km-long link tunnel between the resulting reservoirs. At Dyraba, the water will enter a 15.2 km-long x 3.5 m-diameter pressure tunnel to a 120 MW underground power plant to be built near Rawana Ella, from where a 3.4 km-long outlet tunnel will exit on Alikota-ara. Surveys and geological investigations have been undertaken over the past 15 months, with a view to completing construction in 2014. Meantime, the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project lk/15 is well underway, and progress to end-2008 is detailed at www.ukhp.lk/currentstatus.html. 37/09

Meyco Global Underground Construction has announced that the BASF TBM 2009 conference will take place in Singapore from 5-7th November. The emphasis will be on EPB and slurry tunnelling machines, with participation by the four most important TBM manufacturers in the world. Read the full message from BASF, or contact Lars Langmaack, tel +49 173 379 8855, e-mail meyco.ugc@basf.com.

Big 5 PMV, the most important event for construction plant, machinery, equipment and vehicles in the Middle East, will take place from 23-26 November, 2009 in The Arena, Sheikh Saeed Halls, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Due for completion this month, the new state-of-the-art exhibition halls have been built with ceiling heights ranging from 10m–14m to accommodate the huge construction machinery at Big 5 PMV. This year, visitors will be able to travel to the exhibition via the new Dubai Metro. The Dubai World Trade Centre metro station is located immediately adjacent to the new halls, significantly improving access to the venue.

The 85.3 km-long, 8 m-diameter tunnel from Hengren county to Xinbin county in East Liaoning will deliver water from Dahuofang reservoir to more than 10 million people in 7 industrial cities in the province. Excavation started in September, 2006 and was completed on 15.04.2009. The alignment crosses 50 hills, 50 rivers and 29 faults. Cost will be US$1.5 billion. For more recordbreakers, visit tunnelbuilder Hall of Fame. 36/09.