Completion reported on August 22nd, 1999 of 18 km-long twin tunnels in remote region using drill/blast for one tube and two Wirth 8.8 m hardrock TBMs from the portals for the other. The TBMs drove a total of 10.9 km in 19 months and the drill/blast teams completed 25 km, all in extremely hard granite and gneiss formations of UCS averaging between 150 and 250 Mpa and peaking at 325 Mpa. TBM average progress was 338 m/month with a best of 518 m. Best day, 35 m in 9.3 hours. The drill/blast teams completed their own tunnel and broke back onto the TBM tunnel alignment in order to meet the advancing machines and speed up completion. Sept 1999.

  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.

  18.5 km from Xilang to East Station to be commissioned June, 1999 at final cost of $US1.53 billion. April 1999.   Construction of 21.34 km-long section of Metro Line 2 commenced in July, 1998 for completion 2003 at a cost of $1.2 billion. Undergoing feasibility studies is Suburban LRT Line with a total length of 26 km. Contact Director, Guangzhou Preparatory Office of Underground Railroad, No 204 Huanshi Road, Guangzhou, China 510010. November 1999.   Work commenced on 23.3 km-long Line 2 with 22 stations at projected cost of $1.3 billion. Phase 1 being undertaken by Shanghai Tunnel Shareholding Company involves TBM boring 190 m-long connection under Pearl river from Haihu Square station site for completion in 2002. Project commissioning scheduled for 2004. May 2000. North-south line 2 will use four Herrenknecht EPBs: two newly-manufactured machines Nos 179 and 180, and two 6.55 m-diameter machines Nos 134 and 135. Visit www.herrenknecht.com Sept 2000. First lot of present extension awarded to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (STEC) with two TBMs by Mitsubishi/Robbins with STEC, in China. Visit www.robbinstbm.com October 2000. Two new lots awarded this year: north tunnel to Ministry of Railways Tunnel Bureau with two new Herrenknecht TBMs; and south tunnel to Guangzhou Municipal Dunjian Underground Construction Engineering Co.,Ltd who have purchased another two Herrenknecht machines. Each of the four machines will bore approx. 2 km in weathered mudstone/claystone up to 60 Mpa with some clay areas. The machines have VMT guidance and are EPB with hard rock features including cutters, powerful drive, stabilisers and optional semi-open or open mode. Segments are 1.5 m long, 5 + 1 (left and right), outside diameter 6.0 m, inside 5.4 m. The moulds & segment design by Ceresola AG. Visit www.ceresola.com and www.herrenknecht.com October 2000. Subway Corporation of Guangzhou City has submitted feasibility study for a high-capacity, 120 km/h third line to commence construction end-2001. Second 80 km/h line currently under construction at 23.27 km-long will be operational in 2003. Fourth line in preliminary design. Visit www.herrenknecht.de December 2000. Fourth subway planned 17.7 km to Bazhou and fifth from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport 35.3 km to Guangzhou East Railway Station. To date, five stations on the second subway, Jiangxia 23.265 km to Bazhou, have been excavated. Detailed plans for third subway, from Guangzhou East Railway Station 32 km to Panyu District, have been submitted to the State Development Planning Commission. Visit www.xinhua.cn 15/01. Construction of 8.55 km-long experimental section of third metro line, crossing Pearl River twice and with five stations, to start late-2001. 35.75 km-long third line from Guangzhou East Railway Station to Panyu District will be Y-shaped and have 18 stations. Completion is planned for 2007 at $1.92 billion. Visit www.xinhua.cn 24/01.Government approval for line 3 with 18 stations over 35.75 km length. The main line will run from Guangzhou east railway station to the Fanyu Square with 13 stops. Extension line from Tianhe bus stop to East Tianhe Street will have five stops. Construction of 8.5 km-long experimental line to start end-2001. Visit www.xinhua.cn 32/01.

  Impregilo using 4.94 m-diameter NFM double-telescopic hardrock TBM in Shanxi province. Machine manufactured mainly in China, cutterhead at Le Creusot. Delivery July, 1998. March 1998. Wan Long JV reports excellent progress at the Wanjiazhai Yellow River diversion project. The joint venture comprises Impregilo (48%) and Cooperativa Muratori Cementisti Ravenna (42%) with local partner The China Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering Bureau No 4 (10%). The project consists of five primary lots. Wan Long JV won contracts for lots II & III in international tender. Lots II & III require 88.9 km of tunnel located 50 to 300 m below the surface. Of this, 1.5 km is being excavated by road header, and the remainder by three double-shield Robbins TBMs and one NFM TBM. Three of the machines were designed and produced specifically for this project. All are erecting honeycomb segment lining. Boring started on 3rd December, 1998 and by the end of March this year, more than 40 km of tunnel (45% of the total) was complete. Overall monthly production reached a new record in January, with the four machines excavating and lining 4,871 m of tunnel. The Robbins TBM working on contracts T4 and T5 has achieved the best figures to date with 99.4 m in one day, 1,822 m in one month, and an average monthly performance of 863 m. Wan Long JV has also produced record numbers of concrete lining segments with a maximum 653 segments manufactured in a single day. Visit www.robbinstbm.com May 2000. Robbins reports that the four 5 m-diameter double shielded machines have recorded 1.826 km excavated and lined in a single month. Visit www.robbinstbm.com Sept 2000.  High-Point Rendel appointed as special advisor for 90 km of the 370 km of tunnels, internal diameters from 4.2 m to 5.4 m, being excavated with TBMs and lined with 25 mm thick hexagonal prefabricated concrete segments by a jv of Impregilo, CMC and the China Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering Bureau No. 4. Visit www.hprendel.com 44/01.Alpine Mayreder received a EUR47 million contract to build the 25 km Pinglu tunnel in Shanxi province, to be driven from one side only by a TBM. The 4.8 m-inner diameter tunnel will be lined with precast concrete segments. The tunnel will supply water to the provincial cities of Pinglu, Shuozhou and Datong, located in water-deficient regions. This project will represent a substantial component for the further economic development of the region. The start date of the tunnel drive is middle of June 2006. Construction to end in February 2009. The project is part of the north main line of the Yellow River diversion project. The client is Shanxi Wanjiazhai Yellow River Diversion Corporation, based in Taiyuan. Visit www.alpine.atThe tunnel passes through sedimentary rock, such as sandstone, mudstone, limestone and through coal. The tunnel site is located next to the largest open pit coal mines in China. The overburden is up to 430 m high.A Robbins hard rock double shield TBM will be used. The TBM is provided by the client and was already used at the south main line of the Yellow River diversion project. The segment moulds, used already at the south line, are also provided by the client. New moulds were purchased from Kawasaka Heavy Industries (Shenzhen City). Concrete rings of orthogonal segments. Mucking-out by locos and muck cars. Other underground structures include an underground cavern after 13 km for TBM refurbishment. The dimensions are 35 m x 11 m x 15 m. Visit www.robbinstbm.comThe south main line to Taiyuan was already completed some time ago. It was financed by the World Bank and Alpine Mayreder was involved in Lot I (1997-2001), including in particular two underground pump stations. Lots 2 and 3 were executed by Impregilo, CMC and the China Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering Bureau No 4 with four Robbins double shield TBMs. Click cn/15. 13/06.

  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.

ANI (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura) published the tender, deadline 04.04.2014, for the ten prequalified groups for design, funding, construction, refurbishment, maintenance of the 31.8 km-long road connecting Mulalo and Loboguerrero in Valle del Cauca, including 12 km with nine tunnels and the updating of the  52 km Cali-Dagua-Loboguerrero section. Value project 1.47 billion Pesos.

The ten groups prequalified last June are Consortium Strabag/Concay (Austria and Colombia);  ATI Tradeco/Cedicor (Mexico and Uruguay); Concessionaria 4G Eurolat del Valle (Colombia and Spain); Constructora Andrade Gutierrez SA/Pavimentos Colombia SA/Sainc Ingenieros Constructores SA (Brasil e Colombia); Concessionaria Vial del Pacífico (Colombia and Spain); OHL Concesiones (Spain); Conconcreto/Vinci del Pacífico (France and Colombia); Impregilo SpA/Salini SpA (Italy); Odebrecht (Brasil); SAC VT (Colombia and Spain). For further information visit http://www.ani.gov.co/article/ani-comienza-proceso-de-licitacion-de-proyecto-mulalo-loboguerrero-7514 and https://www.contratos.gov.co/consultas/detalleProceso.do?numConstancia=13-19-1442332. Bid n. VJ-VE-IP-LP-002-2013. 49/13.

E.P.M. Ituango SA awarded the EUR55 million Ituango tunnelling contract to the consortium Ferrovial Agroman Chile SA (60%)/Sainca Ingenieros Constructores SA (40%). Ferrovial Agroman will excavate two parallel tunnels, both 1 km-long and 14 m-diameter, to divert water from the Cauca River. The contractor will also build a 1 km-long access tunnel and a 140 m-long powerhouse gallery. Construction is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2013. Visit www.ferrovial.com and www.sainca.com. 29/11.The consortium Ingetec/Sedic has won a nine-year EUR45.8 million contract for the EUR1.98 billion, eight-turbine, 2,400MW Ituango hydropower project in Colombia. The contract includes installation of the electromechanical equipment and overseeing the civil engineering works. Click here for the map. Visit www.ingetec.com.co and www.sedic.com.co. 29/11.

Building on the 125 km Bosa-Granada-Girardot stretch of the Bogota-Buenaventura corridor to begin in first quarter of 2003. Works include a 4.1 km single tunnel in Sumapaz. The segment will be awarded under a 16-year concession estimated to require investment of US$140 million. Visit www.invias.gov.co 35/02.Invias, Colombia's transport ministry, plans to open bidding this semester for a concession to build, operate and maintain a highway between Bogota and Girardot. Works include a four-lane, 121 km highway with the 4.5 km Santa Rosa tunnel in Boquerí³n to avoid a dangerous bent called Nariz del Diablo. Award is planned for second half of 2003 and construction would begin in 2004. Required investment: US$140 million. Visit www.invias.gov.co 07/03.Open call for tenders published by the national concessions institute (INCO), deadline 26th November, 2003 for design, construction, rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of the Bosa-Granada-Girardot highway. The 14-year concession entails the construction of a 126 km-long highway linking Bogota with Girardot, requiring a 4.3 km tunnel in Sumapaz. Visit www.mintransporte.gov.co/inco.htm, www.mintransporte.gov.co/inco/Bogota_Girardot_Pliego.doc, www.concesiones.gov.co and www.inverlink.com.co or contact Instituto nacional de concesiones, Gabriel Ospina Ramí­­rez, Edificio Ministerio de Transporte - CAN, Avenida el Dorado, Bogotí¡. Tel. +57 3240800, fax +57 3240800 (extension 1309), e-mail mintrans@mintransporte.gov.co or Inverlink, Carrera 7 n° 71 - 52 Torre B Piso 15, Bogotí¡ Tel. +57 3122726, fax +57 3123045, e-mail inverlink@inverlink.com.co. Read E-News Weekly 17/2003. 42/03.The process to select a concessionaire to operate the Bogota-Girardot highway has been suspended at the request of the interested bidders as the original early January deadline did not enable them to put together all the required details. The bidding process will reopen on 27th January, 2004 and close on 10th February. The winner will receive a 14-year concession to build and maintain a 126 km-long highway linking Bogota with Cundimarca department's capital Girardot, including a a 4.3 km tunnel. The project's USD160 million estimated cost will be recouped via tolls. 04/04.The national concessions institute (Inco) has awarded to consortium Promesa de Sociedad Futura Autopista Bogota-Girardot S.A. the concession for the Bogota-Girardot dual carriageway. The consortium includes Alejandro Char, Vergel y Castellanos Ingenieros Asociados, Alvarez y Collins S.A., MNV S.A., and Gas Kapital. The 126 km road link includes the 4.3 km El Boqueron tunnel, from the so-called Nariz del Diablo to the Sumapaz river bridge. Construction is expected to take four years. The total investment has been budgeted at Ps882 billion. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 17/2003. 29/04.Colombian highway concessionaire San Rafael is preparing to launch a number of tender processes for the construction of the Girardot-Ibagué highway and rehabilitation of the Ibagué-Cajamarca section. The company is currently working to conclude the concession contract signing process, taking all the legal steps necessary to start works as soon as possible. The concessionaire, awarded the project in July of this year, submitted a COP349 billion investment plan. The 20-year concession contract includes carrying out all the necessary technical and financial studies, including the project's environmental impact, along with the rehabilitation, construction, expansion and operation of the highway. Works will also include the construction of a tunnel and bypasses. Rehabilitation works will be carried out over 93.7 km of highway, while construction works will total 73.4 km. The concessionaire is expected to hire machinery and purchase steel, concrete, asphalt, and other construction materials, for a total of nearly COP333 billion. The concessionaire is formed by 10 companies: Aseo Técnico, Codesa, Constructora Colpatria, Constructora San Isidro, HB Estructuras Metí¡licas, Latinco, Mincivil, Sadelec, Termotécnica Coindustrial, and Topco. Section 2 is the 10.3 km Gualanday road bypass, a single carriageway with two 3.65 m lanes and 1.8 m shoulders. The project includes the single tube Deza tunnel, 1.8 km in length. Visit http://direccion.camara.gov.co/camara/site/artic/20060510/asocfile/apendice_a___gic___20_12_2006.doc 49/07.

Invitation to tender, deadline 3rd April, 2008 for the geological and geotechnical study for the Los Hatillos tunnel, as part of the environmental upgrading project of metropolitan San José. Twenty-two core drillings, for a total of 765 metres, will be necessary. The geology is grey sound lava, with some interconnected, relatively dense small cavities. The mechanical condition is regular. As part of the environmental upgrading project of metropolitan San José, a 1,825 m water transfer tunnel is planned to transport waste waters from the Tiribí­ and Marí­a Aguilar sewers, situated south of the metropolitan area, to the Torres river basin where they will join the waste waters of the Rivera and Torres sewers prior to be conveyed to the Los Tajos treatment plant located near La Carpio. The tunnel's minimum cover will be 7 m at the beginning of the path and 43 m approx. halfway of it. This water tunnel will feature an internal diameter of 2.2 m and will be lined with concrete, either precast concrete segments or jacked concrete pipes. Contact Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA), tel. +506 2425491, fax +506 2425442. Read E-News Weekly 13/2006. Visit www.aya.go.cr/proveedor/datos_licitacion.php?id=2008LA-00008-PRI 11/08.