Final bids for a AUD2.3 billion public-private partnership (PPP) toll road project to Brisbane airport in Queensland state were submitted on 14th December. The predominantly underground Airport Link is a 46-year concession contract to design, build, operate and maintain a 6.7 km motorway, 5.7 km of which in tunnel, to connect the North South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT) and Inner City Bypass at Bowen Hills with arterial roads at Kedron and Toombul. It is jointly procured by the Brisbane City Council and Queensland state government. Three teams have been chosen to submit final bids: BrisConnections, comprising Macquarie Bank, Thiess and John Holland (Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, BBVA, BOS International Australia, Depfa Bank, KBC Bank, SG and Suncorp-Metway are competing to fund this bid); NorthConnect Motorway consortium, consisting of Baulderstone Hornibrook, Abi Group, Bilfinger Berger BOT, Portuguese toll road operator Brisa Auto-Estradas de Portugal and Babcock & Brown (Bayerische Landesbank, Fortis Bank, HSBC, Royal Bank of Canada and Westpac Banking Corp are backing this bid); and Northern Motorway consortium, made up of Leighton Contractors and ABN AMRO with debt provided by ABN AMRO, Calyon, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, nabCapital and WestLB. 04/08.The Queensland government announced BrisConnections as the preferred bidder for the 6.7 km Brisbane airport link, the 3 km Windsor to Kedron section of the northern busway and a new 750 m fly-over road above the airport roundabout. BrisConnections is a fully integrated consortium of Macquarie Capital Group, Leighton subsidiaries Thiess and John Holland, Arup and Parsons Brinckerhoff. BrisConnections will design, construct, finance, own and operate the airport link project, design and construct the Windsor to Kedron section of the northern busway and design and construct a direct link between the east-west arterial and airport drive known as the airport drive connection. Visit www.leighton.com.au, www.thiess.com.au, www.johnholland.com.au, www.arup.com and www.pbworld.comThe airport link will be a fully electronic toll road stretching some 6.7 kilometres with 5.25 kilometres underground, and will have one of the lowest per kilometre tunnel tolls in Australia. It will avoid 17 sets of traffic lights and cut travel times between the city and the airport by up to 17 minutes in 2012. By 2022, the travel time savings are estimated to be up to 47 minutes. Design and construction work will be undertaken by the Thiess-John Holland joint venture under a fixed-price, fixed term contract.The northern busway is a 3 km two-lane, two way busway, including 1.5 km underground.In total the three projects will cost AUD4.8 billion, including land costs, of which the state of Queensland will only contribute AUD1.5 billion. The airport link - which is the most complex road and tunnel engineering feat in Queensland’s history - will cost over AUD3.4 billion to build. There will be partial burying of two of the airport link’s three ventilation stations, including at Clayfield, to dramatically reduce noise and visual impacts.Construction is scheduled to begin later this year, following consultation with the public and detailed design. All construction work on the three projects is due to be completed by the middle of 2012. 22/08.BrisConnections, the consortium of Thiess and John Holland, has signed a AUD90 million contract with Herrenknecht on 17th August, 2008 for two tunnel boring machines for the Airport Link road and tunnel project. They will be the two largest tunnel boring machines, at 12.48 m in diameter, to ever operate in Australia. Each cutting head features 80 off, 42.5 cm disc cutters. Each disc cutter features 80, 42.5 cm cutters. Both machines will travel 55 m below the surface at the deepest section. Each machine will install a full circle concrete lining continuously as part of the excavation process. The first TBM is expected to arrive from Germany by the end of next year and begin tunnelling around mid 2010. The second is expected to arrive in early 2010. When complete, the 6.7 km Airport Link, of which 5.25 km underground, will allow motorists to bypass 18 sets of traffic lights between Bowen hills and the Brisbane airport, cutting the trip to as little as nine minutes. Visit www.herrenknecht.com 36/08.

On 30.06.2015 the government of Bangladesh has awarded to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Ltd the (Tk 90 billion) $705 million contract for construction of the3.5 km two-lane tunnel underneath the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong. The tunnel, to be built using the shield-driven tunnelling method, will connect to the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway with India and Myanmar once the Asian Highway is completed. Work will start before the end 2015 with conclusion within 2019.

The CCCC will quickly submit the detailed design of the project, while the Bridges Division will complete reviewing the design in November.

In June, 2014 a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Bangladesh and China for the Karnaphuli tunnel. Two years ago, the CCCC Ltd-Ove Arup and partners Hong-Kong Ltd (JV) completed the feasibility study of the project. Visit http://www.bba.gov.bd/. 27/15.

Three teams have been shortlisted and invited to bid on the Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations package for the Ontario Line North Segment, which is being delivered using a Progressive Design-Build delivery model. Shortlisted teams were selected based on criteria identified in the Request for Qualifications process that began in November 2022, which included their design and construction experience. 

The following teams and their prime team members were invited to respond to the RFPs: 

STRABAG Inc. 

Applicant Lead: STRABAG Inc. 

Design Team: STRABAG Inc., Arup Canada Inc. 

Construction Team: STRABAG Inc. 

Pape North Connect 

Applicant Leads: Webuild S.p.A., FCC CONSTRUCCIÓN, S.A. 

Design Team: IBI Group Professional Services (Canada) Inc., AECOM Canada Ltd. 

Construction Team: Webuild S.p.A., FCC CONSTRUCCIÓN, S.A. 

Trillium Subway Partners 

Applicant Leads: Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc., Eiffage Innovative Canada Inc., Amico Infrastructures Incorporated 

Design Team: WSP Canada Inc. (Lead Designer), Typsa Canada Inc., LEA Consulting Ltd. 

Construction Team: Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc., Eiffage Innovative Canada Inc. 

Teams will begin preparing proposals that detail how they will deliver this project. Proposals will be evaluated by Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx and the top-ranked team will work collaboratively with Metrolinx during a Development Phase, expected to start in 2024. Once the Development Phase is completed, Metrolinx will have the option to sign a contract with the successful team. 

The Ontario Line will be a 15.6-km new rapid transit line in Toronto running between the Ontario Science Centre and Exhibition/Ontario Place, with 15 stations along the way. The new line will provide more than 40 connections to other subway, bus, streetcar, light-rail transit and regional rail services. 

The Ontario Line project is being delivered through various Public-Private-Partnership (P3), progressive design-build and traditional procurement contracts, which are all being staged accordingly for their successful delivery. Visit https://www.infrastructureontario.ca . Ref.n. 0000236200. 18/23.  

Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have identified Strabag as the First Negotiations Proponent (FNP) to design, build and finance the tunnels for the Scarborough Subway Extension project -  Advance Tunnel Contract.  

The Strabag team includes:   

Applicant Lead: Strabag AG  

Construction Team: Strabag Inc. 

Design Team: Arup Canada Inc., Brian Isherwood & Associates Ltd. 

Financial Advisor: Strabag Inc.  

Of the shortlisted teams invited to submit bids, the FNPs were the highest ranked after the proposals were evaluated. The teams were evaluated based on criteria identified in the Request for Proposals process that began in August 2020. Criteria included design and construction methodology, approach to managing the project and the collaborative behaviours of key individuals of the Proponent teams. The identification of Strabag as FNP is the result of an open, fair and competitive procurement process overseen by third-party fairness monitors. For more click ca/36 and  visit https://infrastructureontario.ca and http://www.metrolinx.com/. 09/21. 

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have awarded a fixed-price contract of EUR 512.90 million (CAD757.1 million) to Strabag to design, build and finance the tunnels for the Scarborough Subway Extension project.  The Strabag team includes Strabag Inc (Construction Team), Arup Canada Inc and Brian Isherwood & Associates Ltd (Design Team) and Strabag Inc (Financial Advisor). Construction is expected to begin in spring 2021, with major tunnel boring works to start in spring/summer of 2022. 

The  Scarborough Subway Extension Advance Tunnel scope of work includes tunnelling works for the 7.8-km subway extension, from Kennedy Station to McCowan Road/Sheppard Avenue; design and construction of launch and extraction shafts, tunnel, as well as headwalls for emergency exit buildings and stations; supplying the TBM and installing segmental precast concrete tunnel liners; activities necessary to build the tunnel (e.g. utility relocations, supports for shaft and headwalls, temporary power supply, lighting, ventilation, and drainage). Visit https://www.infrastructureontario.ca/ . 21/21. 

  €2 billion toll bridge project announced to link Lantau Island in Hong Kong with Zhuhai and Macao, west of it. Two artificial islands linked together by a 1.4 km tunnel will be built in the middle of the delta to allow ship navigation. Main financier is Hopewell Group (50%). 37/03.Hong Kong's Highways Department appointed Arup to carry out a feasibility study for the Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. The assignment involves preliminary design and an environmental impact assessment for about 12 km of bridge works that will be built in Hong Kong waters from Lantau Island. About 3 km of bridge could be replaced by a tunnel if the elevated structure is found to affect operations at nearby Hong Kong International Airport. The Hong Kong section will connect to the 30 km portion in mainland waters across the mouth of the Pearl River from Macau and Zhuhai. Visit www.hyd.gov.hk and www.arup.comThe only bridge designs that have been done so far are those by Hopewell Holdings. Hopewell's plans show a combined tunnel and bridge. From Zhuhai and Macau traffic would cross on a low-rise concrete bridge before descending into a tunnel under the Pearl River's main navigational channel before emerging close to Hong Kong waters. A low-rise bridge would be used to take traffic to the west coast of Lantau Island. Visit www.hopewellholdings.com 17/04.Arup has won a contract from the Road and Bridge Construction Investment Corporation of Xiamen to carry out the detailed design of the 3.23 billion yuan Xiamen East tunnel in Fujian. Arup secured the deal in partnership with China Communications Second Highway Survey, Design and Research Institute (CCSHI) in Wuhan. The firm will be responsible for designing measures to improve the ground conditions to make the tunnel easier to excavate. Arup will also design the tunnel ventilation equipment, carry out a fire safety assessment and prepare a health monitoring system. Arup will also carry out a construction and operation risk assessment.The link will be China's first subsea tunnel. The 6 km tunnel will be built as part of a 9 km highway linking Xibin in Xiamen's Xiangan district with Wutong on Xiamen Island in the East China Sea. The tunnel will be built using the drill/blast technique through granite bedrock. It will comprise two horseshoe-shaped tunnels, each accommodating a three-lane carriageway, plus a central service tunnel containing power, mechanical, electrical, communications and rescue facilities. The tunnel is expected to be completed in four years. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 23/2004. Visit www.arup.com 28/04.

Atkins/Arup to prepare plans for 2.7 km-long rail tunnel from end of Tung Chung line at Hong Kong station to new Exhibition station in Wan Chai for MTRC as first part of planned $650 million North Island line. Second phase will require 800 m of tunnel to new Tamar station. Preliminary design by end-2001, with design/build tenders to follow. Visit www.arup.com December 2000.

  Kier Hong Kong Ltd in jv with Penta-Ocean Construction of Japan awarded $225 million contract to construct Tsuen Wan station for Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC). Station box will be constructed on reclaimed land within a diaphragm wall cofferdam 400 m-long x 40 m-wide x 15 m-deep and approach tunnels will be cut and cover protected by diaphragm walls. In total, over 2 km of diaphragm wall up to 28 m-deep will be required. Excavation involves removal of some 500,000 cu m of material and construction will require 225,000 cu m of concrete. Kier is already working in jv with Zen Pacific for KCRC to construct the $160 million Mei Foo station. January 2000.  French manufacturer NFM reports the launch this week of its new 8.5 m-diameter EPB on a 1.8 km drive for the Dragages/Zen Pacific joint venture at the West Rail project. The machine is the first EPB to be deployed in Hong Kong, and is also the largest TBM to enter service in the territory to date. It was designed by NFM under licence from Mitsubishi and was manufactured in Shanghai. It is equipped with both screw and belt conveyors and a rotating segment erector, and will build an average 11 m/day of 7.6 m i.d tunnel in mixed ground. It is scheduled to complete the first tube in six months and will be dismantled and returned to the launch shaft for the second tube which should be completed 15 months from now. For contact visit www.zenpacific.com April 2000.   Feasibility study underway for $1 billion connection between Nam Cheong on West Rail and Hung Hom on East Rail via Tsim Sha Tsui East. Visit www.arup.com 29/01.

  Double-stack container 30.5 km West Rail link through northwest New Territories with 3.6 km tunnel at Ching Cheung Road/Wing Shun Street and 5.7 km tunnel at Castle Peak Road/Kam Tin Valley. Five design/build contracts expected September, 1998. Bored and cut/cover. Expected start 1999 with completion 2003. Second phase to extend route 20 km to Shenzhen border for completion 2011. Client: Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. April 1998.   Five original design packages split into 12 contracts worth HK$30 bn and tenders imminent. Two of these are for Tai Lam tunnel. Nov 1998.   1.8 km x 8.75 m diameter twin-tube Kwai Tsing/Tsing Tsuen tunnel to be driven in mixed ground by jv of Dragages & Travaux Publics (Bouyges) and Zen Pacific using NFM EPB/hardrock TBM with semi-automatic segment erector to be delivered end-1999. Also incuded in this contract is the 1.7 km Ha Kwai Chung tunnel and a short cut-and-cover section. 5.5 km Tai Lam tunnel between Tsuen Wan and Kam Tin awarded to jv of Nishimatsu and Dragages & Travaux Publics. All tunnels scheduled for completion December, 2002. February 1999.   Nishimatsu/Dragages-Bouygues jv to use two new generation Atlas Copco WL 3C drillrigs with full drilling automation for 5.5 km Tai Lam tunnel. Contract involves drill/blast excavation of 700,000 cu m for tunnel and stations. December 1999. NFM reports its 8.75 m EPB with automatic segment erection on KCRC has completed 1 km to date in 200 MPa gneiss and recorded 300 m in August, comfortably meeting planned progress rates. Visit www.framatome.fr October 2000.Drill/blast excavation completed on 24th March, 2001 when Dragages et Travaux Publics (H.K) junctioned with Nishimatsu Construction on programme and within 25 mm at the mid point of the 5.5 km-long Tai Lam Tunnel. Visit www.nishimatsu.co.jp 14/01.Tenders have been invited by the Hong Kong government for the Kowloon Southern Link (KSL) of the West Rail. This is a 4.5 km underground rail section that will link up the West Rail terminus from Nam Cheong station to the East Rail at Tsim Sha Tsui station. The stretch from Nam Cheong to West Kowloon and another section underneath Salisbury Road will be mainly constructed by the cut-and-cover method. The tunnel along Canton Road will be bored to mitigate traffic disturbance. Estimated cost is HKD $8.3 billion. Construction start in early 2005 for completion in early 2009. Visit www.info.gov.hk and www.kcrc.com 19/04.The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) has combined contracts KDB-300 and KDB-400 into a single contract as part of the northern section of the 3.8 km Kowloon Southern Link (KSL). The northern section includes 1.9 km of tunnel using cut-and-cover, drill/blast or a TBM from Jordan Road to the West Rail terminus at Nam Cheong station. The five groups invited to bid for the building of contract KDB-300/400 (northern section) are: Balfour Beatty Gammon; China State Construction Engineering Corp. / Costain; Kier; Paul Y / Penta Ocean; and Maeda / Barbican Construction.The project also includes a southern section, as part of contract KDB-200, which includes 1.2 km of twin tunnels between Canton Road and Jordan Road, using a TBM, and West Kowloon station. The four groups invited to bid for the design and building of contract KDB-200 (southern section) are: Nishimatsu and Ove Arup as designer; Leighton, Balfour Beatty Gammon, Kumagai Gumi and John Holland with Mott Connell and Meinhardt as designers; Dragages, China State and Leader with Maunsell, Black & Veatch and Coffey as designers; and Paul Y, SELI and Maeda with Atkins China and Parsons Brinckerhoff as designers. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 48/2004 & 35/2004. Visit www.kcrc.com 53/04-01/05.The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) announced the award of three major civil construction contracts for Kowloon Southern Link at a combined value of about HKD3.1 billion. The contracts to design and build the northern section from Nam Cheong station to Yau Ma Tei ventilation building (contract KBD-400) and from Yau Ma Tei ventilation building to West Kowloon station at Jordan Road (contract KBD-300) were both awarded to China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Ltd. at a price of about HKD636 million and HKD447 million respectively. The northern section comprises the construction of 1.9 km of tunnel, using cut-and-cover or drill-and-blast techniques from the West Rail terminus at Nam Cheong station to Jordan Road. Visit www.cscechk.com/main_e.htm 33-34/05.Contract KBD-200 to design and build the southern section from West Kowloon station to East Tsim Sha Tsui station and West Kowloon station was awarded to a JV which comprises Leighton Contractors, Balfour Beatty, Gammon, Kumagai Gumi and John Holland, at a price of about HKD2,018 million. The southern section involves the excavation of 1.1 km of twin tunnels, of which 740 m between Jordan Road and Canton Road using a massive mixed ground TBM, and the cut-and-cover method along Salisbury Road. The civil, structural, geotechnical and mechanical and electrical design has been commissioned to Mott Connell and Meinhardt. Visit www.leightoncontractors.com.au, www.balfourbeatty.com, www.mottconnell.com.hk and www.meinhardt.com.au 33-34/05.The 3.8 km-long rail section will connect Nam Cheong station, the southern terminus of West Rail, with East Tsim Sha Tsui station of East Rail, with an intermediate station at West Kowloon. Upon its completion in 2009, passengers will only take 30 minutes to travel from Tin Shui Wai to Tsim Sha Tsui East. Read E-News Weekly 48/2004, 35/2004 & 40/2002. Click cn/21. Visit www.kcrc.com 33-34/05.Invitation to tender, deadline 14th October, 2005 for supply and installation of a tunnel ventilation system to support the railway operation in the Kowloon Southern Link project, and modifications to the existing tunnel ventilation control systems across the West Rail and Tsim Sha Tsui extension. Visit www.kcrc.com/eng/corporate/business/tender.asp?ref=16028 or contact Johnny Tam, Senior Manager - Procurement & Contracts, Project Support Department, Capital Projects Division, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, KCRC Hung Hom Building, 8 Cheong Wan Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel. +852 21636186, fax +852 27661093. 35/05.The Link 200 JV including Leighton Contractors, its affiliate John Holland, Balfour Beatty, its affiliate Gammon Construction, and Kumagai will use a Herrenknecht mixshield/slurry TBM to bore a twin 1 km-long tunnel from Jordan Road to East Tsim Sha Tsui Station on the Kowloon Southern Link (contract KBD-200), which will connect the West Rail with the East Rail. The owner is Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC). Excavated diameter is 8.05 m and internal diameter is 7 m. Visit www.herrenknecht.comThe tunnels encounter a full range of ground conditions including completely decomposed granite (CDG), mixed face of CDG and granite, full face of granite, potential for encountering two faults and mixed face of CDG, alluvium and marine deposit.The TBM components are being manufactured in Germany and China. Final assembly will take place in Canton. The machine is due for delivery in June. It is about 80 metres long and weighs around 800 tonnes. The supplier of the laser survey equipment for guidance is VMT. Visit www.vmt-gmbh.deSegmental precast concrete lining (6 + 1, universal taper, two types, a 1.5 m-long ring and a 1.2 m-long ring). The segments will be manufactured in China at an existing precast plant using CBE moulds and shipped to site. The segments will be produced by subcontractor Redland Precast Concrete Products. Slurry transport and separation plant by Pigott Shaft Drilling of Preston (UK). Visit www.cbe-tunnels.com, www.redlandprecast.com.hk and www.mudcleaning.comWest Kowloon Station is 336 m long x 28 m wide x 20 m deep below ground and 20 m above ground. Contract KDB-200 also includes a 100 m cut-and-cover tunnel to North (connecting to KDB-300) and a 150 m cut-and-cover tunnel to South (connecting to bored tunnels). Also, approx. 50 m of cut-and-cover tunnel connecting the existing East Rail tunnels with the new tunnels. Click cn/21. Visit www.leightonasia.com/data/pdf/LeightonNewsJan06.pdf and www.kcrc.com/eng/corporate/project/index.asp?page=KSL 16/06.

Deep tunnels in granite at 143 m below MSL running beneath Kai Tak airport and Mong Kok. First 3.3 m-diameter and 3.5 km, second at 4.3 m-diameter and 5.5 km out to Stonecutters Island treatment plant. Contracting jv of Kvaerner Cementation and Gammon Construction for Hong Kong Drainage Services Department. Two year duration, $77 million value. March 1998. Cifa reports that it has supplied to the Strategic Sewer Disposal Scheme (SSDS) a 70 m-long collapsible full round formwork composed of 14 telescopic sections, each 5 m long, together with a traveller to transport sections from rear to front for resetting. The formwork will be utilised for both the 3.58 km-long x 2.36 m-diameter transfer tunnel F and the 778 m-long x 2.21 transfer tunnel G from Kwai Chung to Stonecutters Island at a depth below sea level of 130 m. Concreting work is ongoing using 7 cu m agitator cars supplied from a hopper at shaft bottom. More from www.cifa.com May 2000.   Four options under consideration for $2 billion next stage include deep tunnel system between North Point and Central, which may go ahead early using shielded TBMs. Visit www.info.gov.hk/dsd/l/proj 08/01.  The Drainage Services Department (DSD) has invited ten consultants to express interest for the procurement options study for the $26 billion harbour area treatment scheme. They are Babtie Asia; Camp Dresser & McKee International; CH2M Hill (China); Faithful & Gould; Maunsell Consultants Asia; Mott Connell; Mouchel Asia; Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong; Parsons Brinckerhoff Asia; and Scott Wilson. Four options. First is the construction of tunnels along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island from North Point and from Ap Lei Chau via Pok Fu Lam to Central, linking to a new tunnel across the harbour to the existing Stonecutters Island plant. Second is the construction of tunnels from North Point via Central and Ap Lei Chau to a new treatment works at Lamma quarry. Third is a tunnel from North Point via Central to the Stonecutters Island treatment plant and an independent network of pipelines from Ap Lei Chau to a treatment works at Sandy Bay, near Pok Fu Lam, for discharge via a diffuser system. Fourth is a tunnel from Central to a treatment plant at North Point to discharge into the harbour, and a separate pipeline system between Ap Lei Chau and Sandy Bay for treatment and discharge. About four shortlisted firms will be invited to tender by year-end. A successful consultant will be appointed early next year to investigate possible design, build and operate concessions, and prepare schematic designs, costs estimates and an implementation programme for the four alternatives. All studies and trials expected to be completed in 2004. Visit www.info.gov.hk/dsd 49/01.The Drainage Services Department will build three tunnels at a cost of HKD3.91 billion to relieve flooding on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Preliminary design is under way and tunnel alignments should be decided in mid-2005. First tunnel is Hong Kong west drainage tunnel, 10.3 km in length. Cost estimated at HKD1.8 billion. HKD11.93 million ground investigation by Geotechnics & Concrete Engineering. Visit www.gce.com.hkSecond tunnel is the 5.35 km Tsuen Wan drainage tunnel. Cost estimated at HKD1.06 billion. Third tunnel is the 4.2 km Lai Chi Kok transfer scheme. Cost estimated at the HKD1.05 billion. HKD3.9 million contract for ground investigation surveys by Vibro. Visit www.vibro.com.hkThe bulk of construction will start in 2007. Completion scheduled by 2011. Visit www.dsd.gov.hk 21/04.The four shortlisted engineering consultants to carry out the preliminary detailed design of the first of three drainage tunnels planned by the Drainage Services Department (DSD) are Ove Arup & Partners, Black & Veatch, Maunsell Consultants Asia and Mott Connell. The 10.3 km drainage tunnel is planned for the western side of Hong Kong Island. The DSD plans to award the contract in December. The successful firm will prepare designs for the tunnel that will be about 35% complete. The remaining tunnel design and construction will be left to the successful design and build contractor. As part of the assignment the consultant will be responsible for preparing a shortlist of contractors who will be invited to bid for the design and construct contract. The consultant will also supervise construction which is expected to start in 2007 for completion in 2011. The tunnel, which will vary between 6.25 m and 7.25 m in diameter, will connect Tai Hang with an area near Telegraph Bay on the western side of Hong Kong Island. The scheme also includes adits totalling 7.5 km and 35 intake shafts. The HKD2.17 billion tunnel is the first of four drainage tunnels costing a total of HKD4.22 billion that are intended to relieve flooding on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon district. The DSD is also preparing a shortlist of consultants who will be invited to tender for the preliminary design of the second scheme, a HKD1.06 billion project for two tunnels in Kowloon. One involves a 3.7 km-long 4.9 m-diameter connection between the west Kowloon reclamation and the Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po districts of Kowloon, while the other involves a 2.8 km, 3 m-diameter transfer tunnel connecting several reservoirs in Kowloon. The Lai Chi Kok tunnel will have 10 shafts, about 350 m of adits and an outfall structure. Read E-News Weekly 35/2004 & 28/2004.Consultants were also asked to apply by 25th October, 2005 to express interest in the third scheme, a HKD900 million, 5.1 km, 6.5 m-diameter drainage tunnel in the Tsuen Wan area of Kowloon. Visit www.dsd.gov.hk and www.cleanharbour.gov.hk 48/05.The Drainage Services Department has awarded a HKD49.8 million consultancy contract to the Metcalf & Eddy / Maunsell joint venture to investigate, design and construct Stage 2A of the sewage conveyance system of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS). Upon completion in 2013-14, the HATS Stage 2A sewage conveyance system will improve the water quality in Victoria Harbour. With the system in place, sewage will be conveyed to Stonecutters Island sewage treatment station for chemically enhanced primary treatment and disinfection before discharging. Most of the 20 km-long sewage conveyance system will be designed to be deep underground, some at depths of more than 130 m. Click cn/19. Read more in E-News Weekly 35/2004 & 28/2004. Visit www.dsd.gov.hk/home/index.htm, www.cleanharbour.gov.hk, www.m-e.aecom.com and www.maunsell.com 06/06.Invitation to tender, deadline 29th December, 2006 for design and construction of the Tsuen Wan drainage tunnel (contract DC/2007/12). It includes approximately a 5.1 km-long main drainage tunnel in Tsuen Wan with internal diameter of 6.5 m and associated works which comprise intake/outfall structures, drop shafts, de-aeration chambers, adits connecting the de-aeration chambers to the main tunnel, and slope stabilization works associated with the intake/outfall structures. The works are scheduled to commence in August 2007 for completion in August 2011. Contact Terry Chung, tel. +852 28285858, fax +852 28271823, e-mail terry.chung@mottconnell.com.hk or visit www.dsd.gov.hk/whats_new/current_tenders/index_UID_1129.htm 49/06.Invitation to tender, deadline 22nd December, 2006 for ground investigation works for sewage conveyance system, contract B (DC/2006/20), as part of Stage 2A of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS). The works include ground investigation at the Hong Kong Island, the Victoria Harbour, the East Lamma Channel and the Stonecutters Island and laboratory testing of soil and rock samples obtained from the investigation works. The works also include the condition survey of existing structures on the Hong Kong Island and on the Stonecutters Island. The works are scheduled to commence in February 2007 for completion in September 2008. Read E-News Weekly 49/2006, 35/2004 & 28/2004. Contact Freddie Chan, tel. +852 26856418, fax +852 26912649, e-mail freddie.chan@maunsell.aecom.com or visit http://www.dsd.gov.hk/whats_new/current_tenders/index_UID_1133.htm 49/06.Maunsell Consultants Asia is inviting contractors, deadline 22nd June, 2007 to prequalify on behalf of the Drainage Services Department for the design and construction of the Lai Chi Kok water transfer scheme (contract No. DC/2007/16). Work involves the construction of a 3.7 km drainage tunnel under west Kowloon. The tunnel will have an internal diameter of 4.9 m. Work also includes associated structures such as intake structures, drop shafts, 180 m-long adits connecting the drop shafts to the tunnel, a stilling basin, an outfall structure and slope stabilisation works associated with the intake structures. Work is due to start in March 2008 for completion in December 2011. Contact Keith Tsang, tel. +852 26856523, fax +852 26912649, e-mail keith.tsang@maunsell.aecom.com or visit www.dsd.gov.hk/whats_new/current_tenders/index_UID_1173.htm 21/07.The contract for construction of the 10.3 km Hong Kong west drainage tunnel has been awarded on 23rd November, 2007 by the Drainage Services Department (DSD) to a Dragages-Nishimatsu joint venture. The contract value is HKD2.75 billion. The successful tenderer offered the lowest bid. The tunnel will vary in diameter between 6.25 m and 7.25 m and run from Tai Hang to north of Telegraph Bay on the western side of Hong Kong Island. Geology is mainly hard rock. The scheme also includes 2.3 m-diameter adits totalling 7.5 km and 35 intermediate intakes with drop shafts. The diameter of the shafts ranges from 1.2 m to 2.3 m and the depth ranges from 30 m to 190 m. Probably two TBMs (one from each portal) will be used, together with conventional excavator, explosives, etc. The tunnel will be lined. As this is a design and build contract, the detailed design will be submitted by the contractor. The design and construction stage consultant is Arup. Mucking-out will be performed by lorry at the eastern portal and by barge at the western portal. Visit www.dsd.gov.hk/home/index.htm, www.dragageshongkong.com, www.nishimatsu.co.jp/eng and www.arup.com 49/07.The Drainage Services Department has awarded on 4th December, 2007 the construction of the 5 km Tsuen Wan drainage tunnel in Kowloon to a group of companies formed by Maeda Corporation, China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) and SELI. The commencement date of the works of the contract will be on 28th December, 2007. The main tunnel is 5.13 km long and 6.5 m internal diameter and there will also be two adits, 45 m and 19 m in length and 4.6 m and 5.5 m internal diameter respectively, three intake structures and two intakes with drop shafts. The diameter of the shafts is 5 m and 5.5 m respectively. The tunnel will be driven mainly in hard rock by a TBM. Visit www.maeda.co.jp/english/outline_e.html, www.crecg.com and www.selitunnel.com or www.selitecnologie.com 52/07-01/08.Invitation for prequalification, deadline 27th June, 2008 for two construction contracts (contracts No. DC/2007/23 and No. DC/2007/24), which form part of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) Stage 2A. The two contracts involve the construction of a total of about 19.5 km of sewage tunnels with excavated spans between 4 metres and 5.5 metres and shafts with various sizes, depths and configurations to provide access for construction, sewage conveyance and connection to the treatment works. The tunnels are to be constructed mainly in granitic and volcanic rock at depths up to 165 metres below sea level using the drill-and-blast method. Construction works are expected to commence in early 2009 for completion by middle of 2013. Tenders for the two contracts will be invited from prequalified applicants in September 2008. Details of the prequalification are available at www.dsd.gov.hk/whats_new/current_tenders/index.htm. Contact Mr. Keith Tsang, Deputy project manager, tel. +852 26856523, fax +852 26912649, e-mail keith.tsang@maunsell.aecom.com 20/08.Invitation for prequalification, deadline 19th September, 2008 for construction contracts No. DC/2007/23 and No. DC/2007/24, which form part of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) Stage 2A. This is a new prequalification invitation, not an extension of deadline of the previous one published in May. The new prequalification invitation has relaxed some of the criteria compared with the previous one. The Drainage Services Department (DSD) hopes to attract more interested contractors. The two contracts involve the construction of a total of about 19.5 km of sewage tunnels with excavated spans between 4 metres and 5.5 metres and shafts with various sizes, depths and configurations to provide access for construction, sewage conveyance and connection to the treatment works. The tunnels are to be constructed mainly in granitic and volcanic rock at depths up to 165 metres below sea level using the drill-and-blast method. Construction works are expected to commence in early 2009 for completion by middle of 2013. Tenders for the two contracts will be invited from prequalified applicants in September 2008. Details of the prequalification are available at www.dsd.gov.hk/whats_new/current_tenders/index.htm. Contact Mr. Keith Tsang, Deputy project manager, tel. +852 26856523, fax +852 26912649, e-mail keith.tsang@maunsell.aecom.com 34-35/08.The Tsuen Wan drainage tunnel is a single drive tunnel 5.1 km long sloping with an average of 0.95%. The tunnel cut diameter is 7.27 m segmentally lined with a minimum operational internal diameterof 6.5 m. The HKD1.123 billion contract is a design and build contract awarded to Maeda Corporation, China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) and SELI. The tunnel requires the construction of an intake cascade (Intake I-1), two shaft / chamber / adit complexes (Intakes I-2 and I-3), and a cascade structure (Outfall O-1). The project also includes construction of surface elements such as stream diversions, an outfall cascade, tunnel portal works, access roads and ramps, and slope stabilisation. The tunnel will be excavated dominantly in high-density, extremely strong and abrasive, fresh rocks, including crystal ash tuffs of the Tsuen Wan volcanic group, the Tai Po granodiorite, and a variety of cross-cutting dykes, including basalt, rhyolite, fine-grained granite, and quartz. The very high strength and abrasivity of these rocks, and the presence of zones of blocky and closely-jointed rock, will yield difficult conditions for TBM boreability and mechanical excavation. The tunnel will encounter a number of faults and fault zones (F1 to F6 and P1 to P7), and three contact zones between tuff and granodiorite. Of particular importance is Fault F1 near Intake I-1, which consists of approximately 300 m width of blocky and highly fractured rock, and enclosing a zone of mixed soil and rock approximately 85 m wide. Much of the alignment passes below extensive side-slope terrain flanking the Tai Mo Shan highlands. The weathering profile is typically 15 m thick. The water table lies near rockhead, with locally artesian or depressed conditions, and sudden high-pressure inflows will occur in the absence of effective ground treatment. Pre-excavation grouting will be required over much of the tunnel length to meet the specified groundwater control criteria.TBM and back-up delivery is scheduled for September 2008. The excavation will be performed with SELI's double shield universal (DSU) TBM. The TBM, back-up and rolling stock are designed and manufactured by SELI. The back-up train continuously towed by the TBM comprises a set of rolling decks carrying all the support equipment, among which a dust suppression device fabricated by Flakts for SELI. Click here to know more (in Italian).There will be only one excavation face. Tunnel lining is precast reinforced concrete segments, 250 mm thick with 6.5 m intrados diameter. Annulus gap will be filled with pea-gravel and grouted on a second phase. The mucking system comprises a 5,300 m-long 800 mm-wide continuous belt conveyor designed and manufactured by Marti Technik. The belt will be powered by 420 kW at five driving spots (head drive, three boosters and tail drive) due to the tight curves along the tunnel path. A compact belt storage in front of the portal will provide a belt reserve of 400 metres. A 30 m stacker conveyor will feed a 850 cu m silo. Visit www.selitunnel.com, www.flaktwoods.com and www.martitechnik.ch 36/08.The construction contract for the EUR133 million Lai Chi Kok Transfer Scheme, advertised at tunnelbuilder.com earlier this year, has been awarded to Leighton Asia. The project includes two 4.9 m-diameter storm water drainage tunnels with total length of 3.7 km between West Kowloon reclamation and Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po districts, six intake shafts, a stilling basin, an outfall adit into Victoria Harbour, and 270 m of 3 m-diameter connection adits. Work starts immediately for completion in 2012. Click for full press release. More from Quinnie Lee, tel +852 2823 1427, e-mail quinnie.lee@leightonasia.com 47/08.

  New network connecting Futian with Luohu and Xiangmi Lake will cost US$1 billion. Planning complete but funding delayed by high foreign exchange borrowings. Starting construction in October, 1999 for opening in 2003. June 1999. Ground-breaking for planned 14.8 km two-line network took place end-1998. East-West metro Line 1 will link new business district at Futian covering 413 ha to Luohu in the east and Xiangmi Lake in the west. Construction to commence in October, 1999 for 2003 opening. Planning complete, but awaiting financial go-ahead. March 1999. Construction commenced on first phase. Line now 14.3 km-long with 14 stations and to cost $960 million. August 1999. Work expected to get under way within months following lifting of State Planning Committee embargo on new metro construction which was imposed in 1995 to limit demands for foreign exchange. Most contracts must now be awarded to domestic firms and forex component limited to 30%. Sept 1999.  EPB TBMs on 1st phase underway by local contractors on one third of the total 20 km of tunnels. Stations are cut and cover or open cut, and there is also some traditional tunnelling. Systra-Sofretu are supervising engineers for client Shenzhen Metro Company for TBM works. First shield should break out of Yitian station early-June 2001. Visit www.systra.com 12/01.Arup and Beijing Urban Engineering and Research Institute have scooped a 6 billion yuan deal from metro operator MTR Corp. to design and supervise construction of the 16.5 km second phase of Shenzhen's metro line 4. About half of the 16.5 km line will be built in tunnel. The second phase, with nine stations and a depot, runs from Longhua south to Shaoniangong where it connects with the first phase being built by the Shenzhen Metro Corporation. When completed, the 21 km Line 4 will have 14 stations and run between the Huanggang border checkpoint and Longhua. A significant portion of the line will be elevated, with the remainder underground. Visit www.mtr.com.hk and www.arup.com.hk 23/04.Meinhardt has been chosen to carry out the detailed civil, structural, mechanical and electrical design together with geotechnical engineering for the southern section of the USD731 million second stage of Line 4. The contract was awarded by Hong Kong's MTR Corporation which has a 30-year concession to build the second stage and, once completed, operate the line. Meinhardt is responsible for designing the tunnels, which will be built with TBMs and drill and blast, and two underground stations. MTR Corporation is expected to invite design and build tenders next year for the main construction work. Stage two is expected to be completed in 2013. It comprises 16.5 km of double-track railway, most of which will be built underground. It will run from Huanggang, a western boundary crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, to Longhua in the northwestern corner of Shenzhen. Stage one is being built by the Shenzhen Metro Company for completion by the end of 2008. Visit www.meinhardt.com.au 35/05.Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. (STEC) has won a CNY530 million contract from the Shenzhen metro corporation for the construction of a 4.8 km section of Line 2. About three kilometres of tunnel will be built by tunnel boring machine. Preliminary site clearance has just started on the CNY6.48 billion first phase of Line 2 that will link Shekou on the western side of Shenzhen with the Window on the World theme park where it will connect with the existing metro network. The 13.4 km first phase includes the construction of 11 stations including facilities at Shekou container terminal and passenger port and Nanshan. Read E-News Weekly 36/2007. Visit www.stec.net or www.tunnelling.cn 36/07.China Railway Group Ltd signed a contract worth around CNY9.5 billion with Shenzhen Metro Co. to build Shenzhen's subway line 5. Line 5 will cost nearly CNY20 billion. The construction period for the 42 km subway will be 42 months. The line, consisting of 29 stations, completes a loop of the city's underground traffic with other lines. It has interchanges with lines 1, 2, 3 and 4. Visit www.crec.cn 38/08.