Qualification system, deadline 19th January, 2006 for preliminary design and environment impact study for the Gibraltar fixed link between Spain and Morocco. Click here and read E-News Weekly 30/2005 & 5/2005. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=232324-2005, OJ S 235, or contact SECEG, Madrid, fax +34 915796086. E-mail froca@secegsa.com 02/06.A JV of Typsa, Lombardi, Ingema and Geodata has won the contract for the preliminary design and environment impact study for the 40 km railway tunnel between Europe and Africa running under the Strait of Gibraltar. Typsa leads and manages the JV and is responsible for the EIS while Lombardi is the leader for the technical project. The JV has one year to draw up the plans for one of the most complex projects of its kind ever. Preliminary studies should be finished by 2008. If the project goes ahead, it will be a close cousin of the Eurotunnel that runs under the Channel between France and Britain. Running at depths of 300 to 600 metres, it will connect Tarifa in Spain to Tangiers in Morocco. A 4.8 m-wide service tunnel will be built first. This tube should help the engineers figure how much water might leak into the tunnel. The pressure on the tunnel will be huge, approximately 500 tonnes per square metre, so powerful pumps will be needed to avoid it filling up with water. Another problem is the risk of earthquakes in an active seismological zone. Read E-News Weekly 30/2005 & 5/2005. Click here. Visit www.typsa.es, www.lombardi.ch, www.ingema.co.ma and www.geodata.it 41/06.

  12.4 km second aqueduct being driven by 7.2 m Robbins variable frequency drive, single shield TBM in deformed Palaeozoic rocks including abrasive quartzite and compact green schist with UCS of 33 to 120 Mpa with fractures and faults. TBM equipped with back-loading 17 in wedge-block cutters; rotary segment erector for six-piece precast concrete lining; ZED guidance system and automatic thrust control and steering. April 1995.

Postponed to the 16/09/20 the deadline of the invitation for Prequalification for Planning, Design, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning of Twin Double Lane Standard Expressway Tunnel, Bridges and Expressway Works on Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC).  Contract basis all complete (Chhokredanda Ch. 26+350 to Dhedrekhola Ch. 30+695) of Kathmandu-Terai/Madhesh Fast Track (Expressway). The section will include the tunnels at Mahadev Danda (3355 m, 3329 m) in the Makwanpur district.  For further information on the tender please click here and np/22. Ref.n. KTFT/ICB/PQ/TUNNEL/ 076/077- 1. 31/20.

Postponed to 16/09/20 the deadline of the invitation for Prequalification for Planning, Design, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning of Twin Double Lane Standard Expressway Tunnels, Bridges and Expressway Works on Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC). Contract basis all complete (Dhedrekhola Ch. 30+695 to Lanedanda Ch. 35+316) of Kathmandu-Terai/Madhesh Fast Track (Expressway). The section will include the tunnels at Dhedre (1.630 m, 1.596 m) and at Lanedanda (1.430 m, 1.446 m) in the Makwanpur district. Pre submission meeting will be held at 13h00 on 06/08/2020 in KTFT project, Nepali Army, Kathmandu, Nepal. For further on the tender click here and np/22. Ref.n. KTFT/ICB/PQ/TUNNEL/076/077-2. 31/20.

Contractor Sino Hydro reports completion of 8 km of total 16 km of tunnels at 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project. Advances to date: main tunnel 2,569 m of 7,848 m; tailrace 1,349 m of 2,986 m; adits complete at 1,475 m; tunnels within powerhouse 2,609 m of 3,003 m; other small tunnels not started 650 m. Completion of project now scheduled mid-April, 2016. Further information from UTKHPL in Kathmandu, tel +977 01 4420295, e-mail neautp@mos.com.np, and visit www.tamakoshihydro.org.np. See tunnelbuilder archive np/18 for project details. 09/13.

Revised dates for invitations to prequalify for 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project as follows: deadline 30.11.2009, for submission of proposals for consultancy services for construction supervision; deadline 08.12.2009, for Lot 2 Hydromechanical Equipment; and deadline 09.12.2009, for Lot 3 M & E Equipment. Further information from Bimal Gurung in Kathmandu, tel +977 144-21988, fax -12569, e-mail neaut@mos.com.np and visit www.tamakoshihydro.org.np. See tunnelbuilder archive np/18 for project details. 45/09.

  Prequalification invited in September, 2001 for two tunnel contracts, one for contractors from Norway, Sweden and Nepal, and the other for international bidding as part of the 27 km drinking water tunnel from the Melamchi River in Sindhupalchowk district to northeast Kathmandu. Shortlist of contractors by February, 2002. Construction to begin from April, 2002 and completion in 2006. Swedish International Development Agency to donate NPR1.96 billion. Total project cost estimated at US$464 million. Asian Development Bank and the Nepal government are financing about a quarter of the cost each. Other financiers include Norway's development agency NORAD, and the Nordic Development Fund. Detail design by Norplan. Visit www.norplan.com 47/01.Invitation for prequalification, deadline 2nd May, 2008 for the construction and completion of headworks and tunnel construction (contract MDS/DT/01). The main scope of works include construction of a diversion tunnel, approximately 26.3 km long with cross section between 12 to 20 square metres, to be excavated by drill and blast method, construction of headworks intake structures and access roads, and hydraulic steelworks. Contact Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, Executive Director, Devkota Road, Baneswor, Kathmandu, Nepal, Tel. +977 14475303, fax +977 14468962, e-mail procurement@melamchiwater.org. Visit www.melamchiwater.org/busi_opp.htm 16/08.Pöyry together with Hifab International and its Nepalese partner Multi Disciplinary Consultants has been awarded a consultancy contract by the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, comprising design and construction supervision services for the headworks and a 26.3 km-long water diversion tunnel. Pöyry's share of the contract value is about EUR7 million. The tunnel will divert 170 million litres of water daily from the Melamchi river to the Kathmandu valley to ease chronic water shortages in that area. Construction of the water tunnel will start by beginning of 2009 and should be completed by 2013-14. Visit www.poyry.com, www.hifab.se, www.multinepal.com/mdc/home.php and www.melamchiwater.org 30/08.

Notice for Expression of Interest, deadline 21.08.2016, for the Construction Supervision and Contract Management of about 24 km of length of access road starting from Gola (proposed powerhouse site of the Project, near Barun Bazar) to Chepuwa (proposed dam site) includes about a 1.7 km long road tunnel and two bridges over Arun River (one at Gola for 335MW Upper Arun Hydroelectric Project and another at Uwa Gaun for 30MW Ikhuwa Khola Project) from the nearest point of Koshi Highway under construction and other civil works.  The estimated time of the entire service is about 64 calendar months: 22 months for Phase I and 42 months for Phase II.
The shortlisted Consultants shall prepare separate technical proposal for Phase I and Phase II and shall be submitted separately during RFP (Request for Proposal) so that the contract can be signed for phase wise services on the basis of separate financial proposals. Contact Nepal Electricity Authority,  Upper Arun Hydroelectric Project, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, tel +977-1- 4153039, fax +977-1- 4153040, e-mail upperarun@nea.org.np. Visit http://www.nea.org.np. Ref.n. UAHEP/AR/QCBS-3. 32/16.

Award of contract, value EUR208 million, for construction of twin-tube, 1.15 km-long Sluiskil tunnel under Ghent-Terneuzen canal to Wayss & Freytag. Read the press release and visit tunnelbuilder archive nl/26 for project background. 50/10.

Invitation to tender by negotiated procedure, deadline 04.05.2009, for ten years inherent defect insurance starting 15.07.2016 for 1.814 m-long cut and cover tunnel with 268 m-long entrances to be constructed in Delft. For details of construction contract visit tunnelbuilder archive nl/24. For specs and docs, tenders, or requests to participate, contact Frits Brandjes at Aon Nederland in Amsterdam, tel +31 204305-615, fax -769, e-mail frits_brandjes@aon.nl. http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=095447-2009 15/09.

Negotiated contract for inherent defect insurance with coverage for 10 years for 1,814 m-long rail tunnel awarded to HDI/Allianz/Nassau/AXA. For more contact Bob Vandenberg at ProRail BV in Utrecht, e-mail bob.vandenberg@prorail.nl. For project history visit tunnelbuilder archive nl/24 and for more bid details go to http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=005922-2010. 01/10.

  The City of The Hague has prequalified seven proponents for construction of the Hubertus tunnel, a 1.6 km twin-tube tunnel for two lanes in each bore. They are Heijmans / Boskalis / Hochtief; De Smet / Van Laere / Spie Batignolles; Koop / Bouygues; consortium Saturn including Dura Vermeer, Walter Bau/Dywidag and Zueblin; consortium Comol including Vinci, CFE, TBI Beton-en Waterbau and Welling; BAM NBM / VHB; and Ballast Nedam / Strukton. Tunnelling method to be probably a slurry shield, although this is left to the contractor's choice. Bored length: 2 x 1,490 m, the rest being in cut-and-cover. Also five cross passages between the two tubes. Bid submission due on 2nd June, 2004 for award on 30th June, 2004. Work to start in September 2004. 18/04.The 1.6 km-long 9.6 m-inner diameter Hubertus tunnel will be built by BAM Civiel, its German affiliate Wayss & Freytag, and Van Hattum en Blankevoort for EUR95 million. This twin bored tunnel will accommodate two lanes per tube, with five cross connections. It is the last missing link on The Hague's north ring road and the longest urban road tunnel in the Netherlands. The tunnel will be excavated by TBM. Completion is scheduled for the spring of 2008. Visit www.bam.nl and www.wf-ib.de 33-34/04.Nebest will supervise the installation of the technical equipment in the 1.6 km-long 9.6 m-inner diameter Hubertus tunnel. Visit www.nebest.nl and www.wf-ingbau.de/en/corecapabilities/projects/hubertustunnel_netherlands.php 09/06.Restricted invitation to tender, deadline 1st September, 2008 for engineering and conceptual design for a new entry into the city of The Hague from the south, called the Trekvliettracé, including a more than 1 km bored tunnel and connecting roads at both ends (Ypenburg and Binckhorst harbour). The contract includes also air and acoustic studies. This is a dual two-lane road with design speed of 70 km/hour. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=154832-2008, OJ S 116, or contact City of The Hague, The Hague, fax +31 703536485. E-mail aanbesteden@dsb.denhaag.nl 28/08.