Geotechnical investigation and preliminary design underway for $150 million Austin Formation limestone twin 3-lane tunnels of 3 km and 2.4 km beneath junction of LBJ Freeway with Dallas North Tollway to provide additional high occupancy vehicle lanes to relieve traffic congestion. Cross-section of 146 sq m will be supported by rockbolts and fibre-reinforced shotcrete finished with a 300 mm-thick reinforced concrete lining with waterproof membrane. Client is Texas Department of Transportation, lead consultant is HNTB, and tunnel designer is Lachel & Associates, Denver, CO. Visit www.lachel.com June 2000.

  San Diego County Water Authority will require a $125 million, 20 km-long x 4.2 m-diameter TBM tunnel from proposed San Vicente reservoir to carry 3 m-diameter steel pipeline to Metropolitan area of county. EIS complete and project under design for commencement 2002 using open or shielded TBM dependent upon the primary lining chosen. For contact purposes visit www.brierleyassociates.com June 2000.The San Diego County Water Authority has issued a notice inviting prequalification for the construction of the tunnelled pipeline referred to as the San Vicente to Second Aqueduct Pipeline project. The project shall transport water between the San Vicente Reservoir and the Water Authority's Second Aqueduct in an emergency and during normal operations. At the east end of the San Vicente to Second Aqueduct Pipeline, the pipeline will be connected to the San Vicente surge control facility. The east tunnel portal is approximately 3.2 km north of the City of Lakeside, and just south of San Vicente Dam. From this location, the tunnel and pipeline will extend westward below the Scripps Ranch community for about 17.7 km and connect with the Rancho Penasquitos pressure control and hydroelectric facility west of Interstate 15 near Mercy Road. The carrier pipeline is expected to be a 2.6 m finished inside diameter pipe installed within a 3.66 to 4.1 m-diameter excavated tunnel. The tunnel final lining shall consist of either welded steel pipe or reinforced concrete cylinder pipe. The final size of the tunnel and initial support systems are to be determined by the contractor. Design is scheduled to be completed in November 2004 and to be bid in January 2005. Construction is scheduled to start in May 2005 and to be completed by September 2008.The Statements of Prequalification Information shall be used to prequalify prospective bidders. The Water Authority intends to establish a list of qualified bidders from whom construction bids shall be accepted. Copies of the Notice Inviting Prequalification Information are available upon request from:Craig Balben, Contracting Technician, San Diego County Water Authority, 4677 Overland AvenueSan Diego, CA 92123. Tel. +1 8585226804. Project Fact Sheets and Order Forms are available at www.sdcwa.org 44/04.Traylor, in a joint venture with J.F. Shea, has been awarded the San Vicente Pipeline project located in San Diego County. This project, awarded for USD198 million while the construction cost estimate was USD161 million, includes construction of 17,454 m of 2.62 m ID pipeline inside an excavated tunnel with three shafts. The tunnel will be excavated using a combination of hard rock TBM, digger shields, and drill and blast methods. Ground support for the tunnel will be precast concrete segments, rock bolts, shotcrete when necessary, steel fibre-reinforced shotcrete, steel ribs and pipe umbrellas when necessary. Construction management and assistance in project management by Parsons Engineering. The pipeline project is scheduled for completion in 2008. Visit www.traylor.com, http://jfshea.com, www.parsons.com and www.sdcwa.org 35/05.Traylor-Shea battling hard conglomerate using its CTS shield on final 6.4 km drive from Slaughterhouse shaft, having completed just 2.25 km since April, 2007. 150 m/month reported currently being achieved in softer ground. 2.6 m ID steel carrier pipe under installation in completed sections of tunnel. For project history visit tunnelbuilder archive us/47 and www.sdcwa.org/infra/esp-sanvicente.phtml. 08/09.

  Contract for 1.6 km replacement wastewater tunnel under Charleston harbour awarded to Affholder Inc at value $10.68 million with notice to proceed expected end-April. Facility designed by Jordan, Jones & Goulding for the Charleston Commissioners of Public Works will comprise 1.4 m RC pipe in 2.5 m-diameter TBM-driven tunnel in stiff, silty clay with rib and lagging support. Carrier pipe will be installed and annulus back-filled with cellular grout. Affholder will use its Lovat M96/104 TBM from its recent Houston Fulton Conveyance contract. More from www.lovat.com May 2000. URS designing $12 million, 1.28 km-long x 3 m-diameter tunnel with 18 drop shafts in sandy, silty clay underlain by marl as an overflow for existing system in downtown Charleston. Should bid late-2001. Visit www.urscorp.com 33/01.

Twin bore, four-lane, subaqueous road tunnel in design to connect Port of Miami Dodge Island to Route I-95 beneath part of the Intracoastal Waterway. Probable EPB job requiring one machine. Moving to final design and awaiting funding. Visit www.mrtunnel.com for more detailed information. March 2000.  Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) has been awarded the contract to act as owner's representative in the development of a cost-effective programme to link the Port of Miami with interstate highways I-395 and I-95. The project, which will provide improved port access for trucks and cruise passengers, consists of roadway approaches and two 3,000 ft-long (915 m) two-lane tunnels crossing under the main shipping channel between the MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island and the Port of Miami on Dodge Island, all located in Biscayne Bay.The tunnel will take heavy traffic off the streets of downtown Miami, thereby eliminating a source of congestion. Watson Island is a rapidly developing island in Biscayne Bay that is crossed by the MacArthur Causeway connecting downtown Miami to Miami Beach. Dodge Island is the home of the Port of Miami's cruise and cargo terminals. The cruise terminal is the largest, busiest cruise port in the world, serving over 3.6 million passengers in 2002.The project will be performed in several phases, the first of which is to re-evaluate the original study completed in 2000, including the alternatives of immersed tube or bored tunnel. Visit www.pbworld.com 51/03.Request for qualifications (RFQ), deadline 17th March, 2006 for a public-private partnership (PPP) concession sought by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to develop, design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the Port of Miami tunnel project. A shortlist of no more than four qualified bidders will be selected by FDOT in April. Those shortlisted will receive the Request for Proposals in mid June. Award of the project to the winning bidder is expected in December 2006. This is believed to be the first attempt at using PPP financing in the US market for this class of transportation infrastructure. FDOT is using Jeffrey A Parker & Associates and Asesores de Infraestructuras as joint financial advisers. Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas is the appointed consulting engineer. The project will link Interstate 395 and the MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island with Port of Miami facilities on Dodge Island. Read E-News Weekly 46/2004, 45/2003 & 13/2003. Visit www.portofmiamitunnel.com/Documents/06-0216-RFQ-Final.pdf 10/06.The Florida Department of Transportation is extending the deadline to 12th April, 2006 for submission of Requests of Qualifications (RFQ) for its Port of Miami tunnel project, through which it intends to select a candidate that will design, finance, build, operate and maintain the Port of Miami tunnel. The Florida Department of Transportation is also releasing a supplement to its Project Information Memorandum (PIM) which has been provided to help prospective bidders understand the project as well as the state transportation agency's approach to it. The PIM is not a binding document and information within it may change as aspects of the project become further refined. Prospective bidders can obtain the RFQ, RFQ addenda and PIM supplement on the project website www.portofmiamitunnel.com 14/06.The three shortlisted consortia by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the Port of Miami tunnel are FCC Construccion and Morgan Stanley, including FCC, Morgan Stanley, Hatch Mott MacDonald and Edwards & Kelcey; Miami Access Tunnel, with Bouygues Travaux Publics and Dutch bank ABN Amro; and Miami Mobility Group, including Dragados Concesiones de Infraestructuras and its subsidiary Dragados USA, Brazil's Odebrecht Investimentos em Infra-Estructura, its subsidiary Odebrecht Construction, and US companies Parsons Transportation Group and DMJM Harris.The three consortia will be requested to submit their financial and technical bids next June. The winner of the tender will be disclosed in December. The project, estimated at USD1 billion, is to design, build, finance and operate the tunnel, which will provide a direct access between Dodge Island and interstate highways I-395 and I-95 and offer an alternative to the port bridge which is currently the unique connection. The project, which is expected to be completed in 2012, will be developed using a public-private partnership (PPP) concession. Click us/43. Visit www.portofmiamitunnel.com/Documents/Shortlisted-firms.pdf 19/06.Technical bids from the three construction firms competing to design, finance, construct, operate and maintain the tunnel connecting Watson Island to the Port of Miami-Dade were unveiled on 3rd April, 2007. The lowest of the three ''maximum availability payments'' (MAPs) - maximum yearly costs based on the construction firm meeting specific goals - was USD33.2 million a year from Miami Access Tunnel including Bouygues Travaux Publics and their Canadian financing partners, Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Group US, which said it would take 47 months to build the tunnel. That was followed by a 50-month construction plan with yearly payments of USD39.7 million from Miami Mobility Group including Spain's ACS Infrastructure Development, Dragados USA, Brazil's Odebrecht Construction, Parsons Transportation Group, and DMJM Harris. The high MAP came from Spain's FCC Construccií³n, Morgan Stanley investment bank, Hatch Mott MacDonald and Edwards & Kelcey at USD63.2 million. That company said it could complete the project in 42 months.The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will pay the winning team USD100 million based on milestones during the 42 to 50-month construction phase and the remainder after completion, when the first truck rumbles through the tunnel. The winning firm will be required to finance the project, then be repaid by FDOT and the Miami-Dade County over a 35-year period.The tunnel project would run from the west end of the MacArthur Causeway, burrow under Watson Island, cut across Government Cut and pop up at the port. The plan still needs Miami-Dade County commission approval to move forward. Construction could begin as early as next spring. Read E-News Weekly 11/2007, 35/2005 & 46/2004. Visit www.portofmiamitunnel.com 16/07.The Florida Department of Transportation selected on 2nd May, 2007 Miami Access Tunnel, a consortium headed by the French construction giant Bouygues Publics Travaux, global investment bankers Babcock & Brown, Jacobs Engineering and Australian transport operators Transfield Services to finance, design, build and operate the Port of Miami tunnel. The team will be repaid by the state of Florida and local governments under a 35-year concession agreement that could be negotiated later this year. The tunnel is designed to improve access to the port from the expressway and remove thousands of trucks from the street grid near the downtown core where high-rise condos, museums, parks and cultural centres are emerging.A lot of variables still need to be hashed out, especially local governments' part in the financing, but under a couple of best-case scenarios, the tunnel could be under construction by next year and open in 2012. The state is waiting for Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami to firmly guarantee they will cumulatively pay around USD450 million for their half of the construction and a major contingency fund out of existing gas and growth-management taxes, bonds and port fees. Click us/43. Visit www.portofmiamitunnel.com 19/07.The consortium Miami Access Tunnel was chosen in May, 2007 by Florida Department of Transportation to finance, design, build and operate the Port of Miami tunnel, a project that has been mooted since March, 2000, see tunnelbuilder archive us/43. On 12.12.2008 DBOT decided not to close this deal after consortium member Babcock & Brown failed to raise the necessary finance, visit www.portofmiamitunnel.com. This project will now probably be rebid. 08/09.

EUR440 million contract for Port of Miami tunnel awarded by Miami Access Tunnel consortium to Bouyges Travaux Publics. Work will commence in mid-2010 for completion in 53 months. Main feature will be the twin 1.1 km-long, 12.3 m-diameter parallel tunnels. For full history of this project over the last ten years visit tunnelbuilder archive us/43. Read the full press release at www.bouyges-construction.com/192i/press/press-releases/news.html&id=326 and visit www.portofmiamitunnel.com. 43/09.

  Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority appraising bids for design/build of tunnels and deep stations from Convention Place to 45th St station. Prequalified bidders are Modern Transit Constructors (Modern Continental/SA Healy/Impregilo/Hochtief/Parsons/Robison); Obayashi (Obayashi/Atkinson/Jacobs); Puget Link Constructors (Traylor/Shea/Frontier-Kemper); and Puget Sound Constructors (Hatch Mott MacDonald/Sverdrup/Sauer/Golder). March 2000.   The design/build contract for the Puget Sound tunnels and deep stations will be bid in late February 2000. Prequalified joint ventures are: Modern Transit Constructors (Modern Continental, S.A.Healy/Impregilo, Hochtief Ag, Parsons Transportation Group and Robison Construction); Obayashi (Obayashi Corp., Atkinson Construction, with Jacobs Associates Design Consultant); Puget Link Constructors (Traylor Bros. Inc., J.F. Shea Co. Inc., Frontier Kemper Constructors Inc.); Puget Sound Constructors, LLC and Hatch Mott McDonald-Sverdrup JV design consultant, Dr. G. Sauer- design sub consultant and Golder Associates- Geotechnical Sub consultant). March 2000. The Obayashi/Atkinson team is reported to have dropped out, and it is reliably reported that there are only two remaining of the four prequalified teams that were competing for this design/build project. June 2000. Modern Transit Constructors has been chosen as contractor-elect to design and build the 7.2 km-long Central Link light rail tunnel in Seattle, WA. The contract will be for the twin-bore tunnels only and does not include trackwork, signals and power. Negotiations are proceeding with Modern Transit Constructors with a view to awarding the contract by early-November. The joint venture is led by Modern Continental, with S A Healy, Impregilo, Parsons Transportation, Robison and Dumez-GTM. The runner-up team, Puget Link Construction comprises Traylor Brothers, J.F. Shea, Frontier-Kemper and Atkinson Construction, with Hatch Mott McDonald-Sverdrup JV as design consultant and Golder Associates as geotechnical subconsultant. Visit www.soundtransit.org Sept 2000.Negotiations with Modern Transit Constructors, a consortium headed by Modern Continental Construction Co. Cambridge, MA, with S.A. Healy, McCook, IL; Impregilo, Italy; Dumez-GTM, France; Parsons Transportation Group, Pasadena, CA and Roison Construction Group, Sumner, WA are reported to have been suspended due to potential cost overruns. The proposed design-build subway tunnel was more than $200 million over the Transit Agency budget estimate of $557 million. The board will study new options on construction methods to reduce cost. Visit www.soundtransit.org and www.moderncontinental.com December 2000.There are two bids to build a light rail tunnel through Beacon Hill as part of contract 710 of the 22.4 km initial segment from Convention Place in downtown Seattle to Tukwila. However, the lowest bid from Obayashi is USD280 million, USD41 million higher than Sound Transit's USD239 million estimate. The other bid is from Kiewit and its partners Traylor, Frontier Kemper and Beton und Monierbau in Beacon Hill Constructors with USD305 million. The project includes the entire tunnel and station complex, consisting of a 15.24 m-diameter main shaft to house the elevators leading to the concourse tunnel connecting a 5.75 m-inner diameter 1.6 km twin tunnel, a 9 m-diameter auxillary shaft to house emergency stairs, a ventilation adit, cross passages, surface buildings, architectural finishings, landscaping, mechanical and electrical work, elevators, ventilation fans, etc., except systems work (power supply and communications, etc.). The contract also includes the adjacent McClellan station (aerial station and aerial guideway at the east portal and aerial guideway at the west portal). A 30 m-deep shaft has been sunk to investigate the Beacon Hill tricky glacial soils. Contract to be awarded by end of May or June 2004 for start of station excavation at fall 2004 and start of tunnel boring with EPB TBMs in 2005. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 30/2003 & 13/2003. Visit www.soundtransit.org 22/04.Sound Transit has awarded URS Corporation a three-year contract to provide construction management services for the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) project. The project is part of the 22.5 km Central Link. The light rail will travel under downtown, sharing the 13-year-old tunnel with buses. The 2.1 km tunnel was built with rails for future light rail. However, they need to be insulated from the ground, and the roadbed is 15.2 cm too high to accommodate trains and newer buses. The tunnel will remain closed for two years for a retrofit that includes a new short cut-and-cover "stub tunnel" at Pine Street where trains can stop and turn around. All the buses that now use the tunnel will return to the surface during construction. URS will manage the DSTT retrofit totalling approximately USD60 to USD80 million in construction. Other work includes upgrades and improvements to the mechanical, electrical, fire, and safety systems, a state-of-the-art communications system, and a new integrated signalling system for both buses and trains. Construction is scheduled for completion in June 2007. Read E-News Weekly 22/2004. Visit www.urscorp.com and www.soundtransit.org 23/04.Balfour Beatty Construction bid USD82.7 million to retrofit the 2.1 km downtown Seattle bus tunnel for joint rail-bus use, which is nearly USD11 million (12%) less than Sound Transit's estimate. The contract, which includes construction of a short, dead-end tunnel under Pine Street, is a major component of Sound Transit's 22.5 km light rail line from downtown Seattle to Tukwila. Preliminary work on the new Pine Street stub tunnel between Seventh and Terry avenues could start in about four months. That tunnel will provide space for trains to turn around. The entire tunnel project is estimated to take 21 months. Visit www.soundtransit.org and www.balfourbeatty.com 30/04.Northlink Transit Partners, a joint venture of Earth Tech, HNTB, and Jacobs Associates, was awarded a USD38.9 million contract by Sound Transit for the final design of the University Link light rail extension. The 5.1 km extension will run in tunnel from Westlake station to the University of Washington, with stations at Capitol Hill and on the UW campus near Husky Stadium. The final design project includes a tunnel crossing under the Lake Washington Ship Canal between Portage Bay and Union Bay. Earth Tech's responsibilities will include providing project control systems, managing the design of the two rail stations, tunnel ventilation, mechanical and electrical systems. The project is expected to take two years to complete. Construction is scheduled to begin at fall 2008, with service starting in 2016. Read E-News Weekly 50/2006, 24/2004 & 13/2003. Visit www.soundtransit.org/x1171.xml, www.earthtech.com, www.hntb.com and www.jacobssf.com 03/07.Jacobs Engineering Group announced that the Seattle Tunnel and Rail Team (START), a joint venture between Jacobs and CH2M Hill, has been selected to receive a construction management services contract from Sound Transit to extend light rail service to connect the region's three most densely populated urban centres in Washington state (downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill/First Hill and the University district). The 5.1 km project entails constructing two parallel tunnels that run northward from Westlake to the University of Washington, with stations at Capitol Hill and on the University of Washington campus near Husky Stadium. It is anticipated that the new addition will start operation in 2016 and add 70,000 daily riders to the regional light rail system. Visit www.jacobs.com, www.ch2m.com and www.soundtransit.org/x1171.xml 29/08.Initial contract for site preparation on University Link awarded to West Coast contractor Condon-Johnson & Associates, www.condon-johnson.com/seattle/, value EUR13.93 million. Contact Eric Dybevik, tel +1 206 575 8248, e-mail edybevik@condon-johnson.com. Meantime, voter approval gained for 58 km-long expansion of Link light rail system with 19 stations including 20 km extension north from University of Washington to Lynnwood with underground stations at Brooklyn and Roosevelt. Contact Jeff Munnoch jeff.munnoch@soundtransit.org or visit www.soundtransit.org. 52/08.

  The 10.1 km North Hollywood section of L A metro will open this month, adding three stations to the system at Hollywood/Highland, Universal City, and North Hollywood, bringing the subway length to 28 km with 16 stations. The running tunnels were excavated in two contracts by Traylor/Frontier Kemper and Obayashi, and two of the stations were constructed by Tutor Saliba, while the terminus station at North Hollywood was completed by Kajima. Construction management was supplied by Hatch Mott MacDonald and Parsons Engineering, who brought the project in almost on time and within budget. June 2000.Optional routes for USD5-7 billion metro extension are 19.2 km from Purple Line Wilshire/Western along Wilshire Blvd or 20 km from Red Line Hollywood/Highland along Santa Monica Blvd. Awaiting decision on routing before raising finance. Visit www.metro.net or take a virtual tour at www.metrovr.net/metro/. 08/09.

Ute Water Conservancy District has awarded a $14.1 million contract for a 4 km-long, 3.18 m-diameter tunnel in sandstone and siltstone to a jv of Affholder and Barnard Construction. Affholder will use a Robbins hardrock TBM on a 20-month programme commencing April, 2000. January 2000.   Contractor reports two sections of tunnel required, lengths 3.1 km and 1 km. Geology is sandstone up to 25,000 psi, shales and siltstones to be supported by rockbolts, wire mesh, and shotcrete. TBM upgraded by Robbins with new main bearing and cutterhead. Tunnel designed by Lachel & Associates of Denver, CO for GEI Consultants of Englewood, CO. More information from www.robbinstbm.com May 2000.   Robbins reports major upgrade of Affholder TBM to cope with harder 25,000 psi ground. Modifications include new water-cooled motors to increase power from 500 hp to 800 hp, larger diameter gripper rams, and new main bearing and cutterhead. Tunnel designer is Lachel & Associates led by GEI Consultants of Englewood, CA. Visit www.lachel.com and www.robbinstbm.com June 2000.   Second Plateau Creek tunnel 3.05 km-long in sandstone will be holed through by Affholder using modified 3 m-diameter Robbins Model 91-155 TBM on March 16th, 2001. See Recordbreakers (Hall of Fame) for details of first drive. Visit www.robbinstbm.com 11/01.  Holethrough of 3.18 m-diameter Robbins TBM reported by Affholder 16th March, 2001 at $58 million, 3.15 km-long Plateau Creek Lower Canyon tunnel in sandstone and shale east of Grand Junction, CO. Maximum advance 69.7 m in a single 12 h shift claimed as a world record for this diameter tunnel in hard rock. Visit www.geiconsultants.com and www.robbinstbm.com 16/01.

    Big Walnut Augmentation/Rickenbacker Interceptor comprises 5.31 km of 4.45 m-diameter sewer tunnel in soft ground plus open cut reaches, manholes, and flow diversion structures. Lead designer is URS Greiner Woodward Clyde. Currently under design. Expect mid to late 2000 bid. Maintain contact at www.urscorp.com December 1999.  Big Walnut Augmentation/Rickenbacker Interceptor under design by URS Greiner Woodward Clyde as 5.54 km of 4.45 m-diameter soft ground drive with open cut reaches, manholes and flow diversion structures. Expect bid mid to late 2000. Maintain contact at www.urscorp.com January 2000.The bidders for the Big Walnut/Rickenbacker Interceptor in Columbus, Ohio are a JV of Traylor Bros., Jay Dee Contractors and Michels Pipeline Construction (lowest bid with $90.8 million), Affholder ($107.77 million) and a JV between Kenny Construction, J.F. Shea and Kassouf/Mole/Murray Hill ($107.85 million). The Big Walnut/Rickenbacker project is a 5.3 km 4.3 m ID sewer tunnel, a 1,250 m 4.3 m diameter pipe placed via open-cut methods, as well as seven shafts. Bolted and gasketed precast concrete segments will support the tunnel, which requires the use of full EPB or slurry TBM in glacial till and outwash with high groundwater table. The tunnel is the first of two projects designed to reduce stormwater overflow into the Scioto River and Big Walnut Creek, as well as transport flow to the wastewater treatment plant. The second project, the Outfall Augmentation Sewer, is expected to be tendered in 2004. URS Corp. is the lead designer for the City of Columbus with Lachel & Associates providing tunnel specialist services. 44/03.Lovat has delivered on 30th September a new EPB TBM model RME193SE Series 21200 for the Big Walnut Augmentation/Rickenbacher Interceptor (BWARI) tunnel project located on the south side of Columbus, Ohio. The contractor is a JV of Jay Dee, Michels and Traylor. The project is part of a series of improvement projects that will increase flow capacity for sewers conveying sewage from a large part of Columbus to the city's southerly wastewater treatment plant. Part one consists of approximately 7 km of 4.6 m-diameter tunnel. The machine is to bore through a geological profile comprised of two primary types of soil deposits characterised as glacial till and glacio fluvial outwash materials. Additional soil deposits of uniform fine sands and man-made fill may also be encountered.The TBM will be erecting a primary tunnel lining consisting of a bolted and gasketed, precast concrete segments, configured as five pieces plus one key piece. Visit www.lovat.com 42/04.The McNally/Kiewit JV took delivery of their new Lovat TBM RME167SE series 21500, to be used for the Big Walnut Outfall Augmentation Sewer, Part II for the City of Columbus. This is the second Lovat TBM being used for the project. This is an EPB machine, equipped with a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) for the cutting head. The cutting head drive operates from 2.2 rpm to 4 rpm, with constant horsepower. The major benefit of a VFD cutting head drive is that it is approximately 20% more efficient than that of a traditional hydraulic drive. A two-component grout system (grout and accelerant), injected through each segment's lifting hole, will be used. This allows very fast grout setting times for ring support. The grout system is interlocked with the machine's advance, thereby preventing the TBM from advancing unless the grout is being injected at the correct volume/pressure.The TBM is expected to drive through glacial till composed of clay, silt, sand, cobbles, gravel, boulders as well as glacio-fluvial / outwash and uniform fine sands. Water pressure is expected at 1.5 bar to a maximum of 2 bar. Visit www.lovat.com 30/05.

  Assessment of ground conditions anticipated for phase 1 comprising 4.8 km-long, 7.9 m-diameter main spine tunnel; a 9.1 m-diameter shaft at each end for TBM installation and recovery; seven intermediate vertical drop shafts with connecting adits; and a large circular shaft at the southern end to house the pumpstation. Sandstone, siltstone/shale and graphitic shale predominate, with coal appearing in places. Long reaches at the southern end of the alignment are anticipated to be in good-to-average rock. Bidding expected year 2000. More information from Haley & Aldrich, fax +1 617 886 7600. November 1999. Chamber 22 m high x 22 m wide x 38 - 48 m long in design for pump station at south end of spine tunnel. Visit www.haleyaldrich.com Sept 2000.   Construction of three-phase CSO programme will commence mid-2001. Bid documents available mid-May and prebid meeting rescheduled for date to be advised in June, 2001 for phase 1 contract 01:302.06-C for 5.01 km-long, 8.27 m-diameter main spine tunnel in rock; seven adits totalling 1.3 km; two 8.27 m-diameter, 79.57 m-deep work shafts; tunnel pump station cavern 95.5 m-deep, 37.2 m-long x 19 m-wide x 20.7 m-high, connected to surface by 10.18 m-diameter utility shaft and 3.5 m-diameter access shaft; one 2.86 m-diameter drop shaft with 95 cm-diameter vent shaft, 76.38 m-deep. Contact ghughes@louisberger.com 16/01. Administrative delays on the preparation of contract 01:302.06-C (Tunnel) for the Narragansett Bay Commission have led to a resheduling of the tender for Contract 6 as follows: the contract will be advertised on 4th June, 2001; the prebid conference is on 19th June; bid opening 21st August; award will be made during early October, with notice to proceed on 1st November. Contact is Joseph Pratt, tel +1 401 521 5980, or visit www.louisberger.com 22/01. Bids opened 25th September for Narragansett Bay Commission Main Spine Tunnel and Ancillary Facilities, Contract 01:302.06-C as follows: Shank/Balfour Beatty, $163,527,245; JF Shea/Frontier Kemper, $167,600,000; Modern Continental, $227,357,950. Engineer's Estimate, $174,995,088. More from ghughes@louisberger.com or visit www.louisberger.com 40/01.In Providence, the Shank/Balfour Beatty jv has been awarded the contract to build a 5 km waste water tunnel, the Combined Sewer Overflow, in the Narragansett Bay. Visit http://narrabay.com 05/02.76 m-deep 4.9 km-long 7.92 m ID tunnel under Rhode Island's capital Providence under construction by Shank/Balfour Beatty JV using a Hitachi Zosen TBM. Lining with precast concrete segments and concrete final lining. Work on the USD318 million first phase of the CSO project began in May 2001 and is scheduled to be completed in spring 2008. The tunnel under construction will stretch from the Field's Point wastewater treatment plant to a foundry complex just west of downtown. The tunnel is designed to hold 235 million litres of the sewage-rainwater mix that would otherwise overflow sewer lines and flow into the Woonasquatucket and Providence Rivers. The project also includes a 35.66 m-long x 18.4 m-wide x 19.8 m-high cavern excavated using the drill/blast method by an Atlas Copco two-boom jumbo, six shafts and several adits.Two more phases are planned after that, possibly ending in 2020, which would involve building more pipes connected to a second wastewater treatment plant at Bucklin Point in East Providence, and constructing another 4.8 km tunnel from that plant to Central Falls. Total cost could reach USD1 billion. Visit www.narrabay.com 03/05.

Bidding alert for construction of Woonasquatucket CSO Interceptor that will connect to existing 5 km-long storage tunnel. Works include approximately 5.25 km of 1.27 m to 1.9 m-diameter near surface sewers in soil and rock; several connection and control structures; a 70 m-deep, 8.6 m-diameter work shaft; and a 70 m-deep, 573 m-long, 2.55 m-diameter tunnel in rock. Bidding scheduled for September, 2010. For project history since 1999, visit tunnelbuilder archive us/37. For background, visit www.narrabay.com/AboutUs/Facilities/MajorInitiatives/CSO.aspx. 37/10.

    In design, new interceptor system approximately 16 km-long with i.d. 1.9 m to 2.5 m to replace a portion of existing 70 year-old north outfall sewer. Soft, mixed ground conditions with boulders and featuring high water table. Alignment passes through some contaminated areas and seismically-active faults, so watertight construction techniques mandatory. Jacobs Associates leading team of 16 subconsultants. Visit www.jacobssf.com for progress updates. October 1999.   Capital improvement programme includes construction of a new deep-level 35 km interceptor sewer with internal diameter ranging from 2 m to 4 m. Project to provide additional conveyance capacity for an existing deteriorating sewer that is scheduled for rehabilitation will be constructed concurrently in two phases: 18 km east-west and 17 km north-south. October 1999.   URS Greiner Woodward Clyde is a key member of the Jacobs design team for the NEIS project. Also, through associated firm, Dames & Moore, URS Greiner Woodward Clyde is also providing geotechnical engineering support to the City for the NEIS and ECIS (East Central Interceptor Sewer) projects. Visit www.urscorp.com December 1999.   Frontier-Kemper will undertake 4.2 km drive starting February, 2000 using refurbished CTS TBM (ex Portland, OR) downsized to 6 m diameter. Long Airdox 24 inch conveyor belt pack will be installed in starter tunnel presently under drill/blast development following extensive excavation to establish portal.   Prequalification for 18.4 km-long, 3.35 m-finished diameter North Outfall Sewer – East Central Interceptor Sewer (NOS-ECIS) underway to be notified no later than 17th February, 2000. Contract will be advertised 1st March, 2000 for bids within two months and award 1st July, 2000. Project will be let in one lot and includes 8 shafts, 23 maintenance holes with 8 junction structures, a 90 m-long siphon, 250 m of microtunnelling, and conduits for fibre optics. Multiple new EPB or slurry TBMs required for predominantly soft ground and sandy soils in the Lakewood Formation and hard clay and soft rock in the San Pedro Formation. Isolated occurrence of nested boulders noted. All work above groundwater table. Three faults at Newport, Inglewood and Baldwin Hills. Project contact Baron Miya, e-mail bmiya@eng.ci.la.ca.us January 2000.East Central Interceptor Sewer tenders low bid: Kenny-Kiewit jv $235 million; Shea/Traylor/Frontier Kemper jv $261 million. For contact visit www.kiewit.com and www.frontier-kemper.com July 2000. Rebid award of NORS II project, 18.5 km-long, 4.77 m-diameter interceptor to Kenny/Shea/Traylor and Frontier Kemper Constructors jv at $239 million following withdrawal of Kenny/Kiewit jv. Visit www.frontier-kemper.com December 2000.Lovat will supply four 4.7 m-diameter TBMs to the jv of Kenny, J.F. Shea, Traylor Bros, and Frontier-Kemper for the 18.5 km-long NOS-ECIS project. The machines can operate in EPB, open, or closed modes to bore through the expected soft ground and boulders, with seismically active faults. First delivery is scheduled for October, 2001, and will be the 200th TBM manufactured by Lovat. Visit www.lovat.com 09/01.