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.

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.

In Ireland, Limerick County Council is advertising for artists to create permanent outdoor artwork for their ring road and tunnel, for which they will pay EUR500 to each of the five making the shortlist, and EUR110,000 for the commission. Contact Vincent O’Shea in Kilkenny, tel +353 872384599, e-mail infoirl@indigo.ie, deadline 02.10.2009. In England, London Borough of Newham wants tunnelling training to meet the needs of local employers, and requests providers to contact Gayle McAndie, tel +44 (0)20 3373 8264, e-mail gayle.mcandie@newham.gov.uk, deadline 11.09.2009. You heard it here second! 36/09.

UCON™ Trident™ AW hydraulic fluids from American Chemical Technologies Inc. are high performance hydraulic fluids designed for demanding industrial applications requiring environmental sensitivity, water solubility, fire resistance, and excellent anti-wear properties over wide temperature ranges.

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is inviting construction firms to submit a Statement of Qualifications for the provision of construction services in connection with the replacement of existing water siphons between Brooklyn and Staten Island in New York. NYCEDC is issuing this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to establish a list of qualified construction contractors for the Project. To learn more about this unique project, visit nycedc.com/rfp. RESPONSES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 4:00 PM 9/23/09. RFQ guidelines and requirements are available at nycedc.com/rfp, or at NYCEDC, 110 William St., 6th floor, NY, NY, 10038,M - F, 9:30-4:30. M/WBE and DBE firms are encouraged to apply. Email:- watersiphonsConstructionRFQ@nycedc.com

Of the 14 major economies that went into recession, Japan, France and Germany have already hauled themselves out, and will progressively be followed by their peers. Most of the industrialized world, including Australia and the emergent BRIC economies, suffered downturns of varying degrees, but escaped outright recession. The tunnelling industry is emerging comparatively unscathed, but now has to react quickly to the post-recession situation. Many companies slashed their advertising budgets more than two years ago as a first response to the immediate need to cut overall costs. However, to survive and be forgotten is a hollow victory for such players, and they need to move quickly to both re-establish their identities and take advantage of the current flurry of activity in the marketplace. It is too early in the recovery to spend money on vanity advertising, but the time is right for low-cost, high-impact placements. A company profile at tunnelbuilder.com and tunnelintelligence.com is still the easiest, quickest and most cost-effective way to reach the key decision makers in the tunnelling industry. Our introductory offer of a company profile written and designed by us to your instructions, accessed by a logolink in a prominent place on our front page, will draw the attention of 30,000 readers/month. Its effectiveness can be monitored daily by clicking on our ad-tracker, and we can support your message with newsflashes about your company achievements. Please refer to our sales page. 35/09.

The 7.96 m-diameter hard rock double shield Herrenknecht TBM launched at Dornala last year on an 18.5 km water tunnel drive has been joined by a similar 9.2 m-diameter machine launched early last month running parallel at a separation of 60 m. Both tunnels are being lined with honeycomb precast concrete segments produced at a Herrenknecht plant at site. The tunnels, located beneath the Nagarjunasagar tiger reserve, will draw irrigation water from Srisailam dam to Veligonda reservoir in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. For full background and history of this project, visit tunnelbuilder archive in/42. 35/09.

Korea currently has 25 expressway routes totalling 3,103 km, a figure that will increase to 4,000 km by 2010 and 6,160 km by 2020. Design work will start in 2010 on a proposed 149 km road tunnel network 50 m beneath the surface of Seoul, Korea arranged in a grid of three north-south routes and three east-west routes. For more on expressway construction in Korea visit www.ex.co.kr/english/major_job/exp/major_job_exp.jsp 35/09.

The International Water Mist Association conference is taking place at the Hilton Hotel in Paddington, London from 23.09.2009 to 24.09.2009. Sponsored by Fogtec, Tyco, Danfoss Semco and Eusebi Impianti, this important event will discuss all types of water mist fire suppression systems in a total of seven sessions led by industry experts. High on the agenda are tunnel tests, and projects such as Mont Blanc tunnel. Day 2 will be spent at BRE research establishment. For more information, contact Matthias Ecke in Heyrothsberge, Germany, e-mail ecke@iwma.net. 34/09.

Stirling Lloyd specializes in the development, manufacture and application of high-performance waterproofing and structural protection membrane systems. They have recently put their 40 years of experience to the test in developing a new spray applied waterproofing membrane known as Integritank HF which is based on advanced Methacrylate technology.

Bechtel-Enka, the US-Turkey consortium building the 57 km-long motorway between Rreshen and Kalimash, has reported its experience on the 5.5 km-long NATM twin tube tunnel at Thirre on this section. The tunnel passes beneath Mount Runes with an altitude of 1,850 m. The four ends have been worked 24 h/day using five Atlas Copco computerized drilling rigs on a crown heading and bench system to produce 6.4 m headroom. Rock classes 3-5 have been encountered, worse quality than expected, but conditions are dry.