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 32.2 km-long Guang-Fo Line is part of the Chinese government’s Intercity Rapid Rail Project to link nine cities in Guangdong Province by 2015, including Shenzhen and Dongguan. The Guang-Fo line will provide service between Lijiao in Guangzhou and KuiqiLu in the neighbouring city of Foshan, serving 21 stations.

From James Stroupe - August 5th 2009 - Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has already begun pre-construction work for the underground viaduct this month, and will now be doing surveys on an approximate 300 buildings to avoid any adverse affects during construction. During this time, above-ground conditions will also be noted for assisting the contractor to design the tunnel boring machine.

The first 4.5 km section of Duplex A86, between Rueil-Malmaison and the A13 motorway interchange in Vaucresson Le Chesna opened on 01.07.2009. The tunnel accommodates three lanes of light traffic in each direction on two levels. Built and managed by Cofiroute, it will be used by 20,000 vehicles/day

Construction of 58.1 km of subway lines 1, 2 and 4 commenced on 25.07.2009 at Dalian, one of the largest cities in northeast China's Liaoning Province, where a total of nine lines is proposed with an overall length of 262.9 km. On the first three lines, trains travelling at 80km/h will carry 38,000 people every hour. Lines 1 and 2 are expected to be complete by 2012, with line 4 taking longer. The cost is estimated at EUR2.26 billion. A detailed plan for the remaining six lines is underway. Visit www.dalian-gov.net. 32/09.

Indian Railways has almost completed the 7.5 km stretch of its 11 km Pir Panjal tunnel project in the State of Kashmir, the longest tunnel in the country The remaining 3.5 km is scheduled for completion in late 2010. The section has been built using NATM techniques at a cost of approximately EUR94 million. The tunnel has an overburden of 1,100 m, and surfaces 440 m below the existing 2.75 km Jawahar road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

Work began in July, 2009 on the new stretch of Sofia metro line 1 to connect the Obelisk - Serdika and Vasil Levski Stadium - Mladost 1 sections, which themselves will be linked by end-September, 2009 with the international airport. The contract includes the construction of an underground car park with 1,500 places below Tsarigradsko Shosse at Inter Expo Centre, which will be directly connected to the metro. The project, value EUR94 million, could be completed in 39 months. The funding is mixed, 50% from a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to the municipality of Sofia, and the rest from municipal consortium Metropoliten EAD. Contractors are Trace Group and Stroyinjekt. Click bg/11. Visit www.tracebg.com and www.stroyinject.com. 31/09.

In November, 2008, two 5.98 m-diameter double shield TBMs, one from SELI and the other from Herrenknecht, started to bore the 11.5 km-long St Just water tunnel in Catalonia for contractor FCC/Copisa JV. The SELI TBM will bore 5,316 m and the Herrenknecht TBM 6,192 m. SELI has reported peak progress of more than 45 m/day in mixed rock conditions and thin cover. The TBM supply and operation contract included maintenance, backup, rolling stock and other equipment for the excavation and lining, and the provision of a technical team. The 5.2 m ID tunnel is being lined with 25 cm-thick precast concrete segments in a configuration of 5+1. For project background visit tunnelbuilder archive es/133 Visit www.selitunnel.com and www.herrenknecht. 31/09.

The single-tube, 85 sq m section, 2.2 km-long Loma del Carrascal tunnel on the 10.9 km-long Cuenca-Olalla section of the Madrid-Castilla La Mancha-Valencia-Murcia high-speed line was completed in week 27/2009, using NATM techniques. A couple of weeks later, the single-tube, 100 sq m section, 1.36 km-long Los Cubillos tunnel on the Arcas del Villar-Fuentes section of the same line holed through. Visit tunnelbuilder archive es/95 for history and visit www.adif.es for latest news. 31/09

From China Daily News - Construction teams digging the world's longest water diversion tunnel completed their work Wednesday in northeast China's Liaoning Province, breaking a record held by Japan. The 85.3 kilometer long tunnel has a diameter of eight meters. It starts in Hengren county in east Liaoning and ends in Xinbin county in the west part of the province.

The design/construct contract for a 7.5 km-long drill/blast tunnelled section of Hong Kong’s latest sewage conveyance system, value EUR235 million, has been awarded to a JV of Leighton Asia and Leonhard Nilsen & Sonner. Read the full press release when you click through to next page. 30/09.

Normet, the Iisalmi, Finland based provider of underground mining and tunnelling equipment and care solutions has announced the appointment of Mike Rispin as Managing Director - NAFTA, with effect from week 36/2009. Read the full press release. 30/09.

On 09.07.2009 the 1.7 km extension of Line B of the Lyon metro from Gerland to Oullins, with a crossing of the Rhone river, got underway. A 9.5 m diameter TBM will be used, and is expected to complete the job by summer 2010. Click fr/54 and visit www.sytral.fr. 30/09.

On 07.07.2009 the 649 m-long Sant Andreu tunnel on the 3.3 km Sant Julia de Ramis-Cornella del Terri subsection of the Madrid-Barcelona-French border high-speed railway was completed. The NATM tunnel, with 84 m in cut & cover, has a 110 sq m section and an interior diameter of 7.3 m supported by steel arches with 30 cm fibre reinforced shotcrete. Later that week, the 2.9 km-long Les Cavorques tunnel on the Vilademuls-Pontos section of the Madrid-Saragossa-Barcelona-French border high-speed line also broke through. The 85 sq m section NATM excavation was advanced 20m/day on two faces. For more click es/20 and www.adif.es 30/09.

The 4th International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security (ISTSS), is to be held at Frankfurt am Main Fire and Rescue Services Headquarters, Feuerwehrstrasse 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the 17-19th March, 2010. Last years Symposium attracted nearly 300 delegates from more than 30 countries and the interest for next years event is shaping up to be even greater!

On 07.07.2009 the 649 m-long Sant Andreu tunnel on the 3.3 km Sant Julia de Ramis-Cornella del Terri subsection of the Madrid-Barcelona-French border high-speed railway was completed. The NATM tunnel, with 84 m in cut & cover, has a 110 sq m section and an interior diameter of 7.3 m supported by steel arches with 30 cm fibre reinforced shotcrete. Later that week, the 2.9 km-long Les Cavorques tunnel on the Vilademuls-Pontos section of the Madrid-Saragossa-Barcelona-French border high-speed line also broke through. The 85 sq m section NATM excavation was advanced 20m/day on two faces. For more click es/20 and www.adif.es 29/09.