McNally-PCL-Foundation jv construction 6.4 km of twin tunnel with five stations to connect Yonge Subway with Don Mills Road. Two Lovat 5.9 m-diameter EPBs exceeded scheduled advance rates of 15 m/day/face in glacial deposits with boulders. 3.3 km west drives completed towards end-1998 and TBMs removed for minor refurbishment prior to starting east drives for completion end-1999. 5.2 m i.d. precast concrete lining in 1.4 m rings with 7 bolted gasketted segments including key, waterproof to 4 bar. Rings with left and right tapers are provided in equal numbers to facilitate both horizontal and vertical curves. March 1999.

Isolux Corsan has been awarded the construction of section 3 of Line 3 of the Santiago de Chile Metro, a complex project requiring a 3.7 km tunnel excavated by NATM under the heart of the Chilean capital and crossing the Mapocho River to lead to Plaza de Armas. The project, with a planned investment of EUR75 million, will include the construction of the tunnel, three stations at Hospitales, Puente Cal y Canto and Plaza de Armas, five circular shafts, and two rectangular shafts over a period of 28 months. Click cl/35 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www.metrosantiago.cl and http://www.isoluxcorsan.com. 05/14.

Italian infrastructure company Astaldi now has a 27% interest in the Chacayes run-of-river property in jv with owners Pacific Hydro. Construction of the 6 km-long tunnel system by contracting jv Astaldi-Fe Grande will start in January, 2010 using a 6 m-diameter Wirth TBM equipped with PPS navigation. For project information visit tunnelbuilder archive cl/30. Click here for contacts for TBM details, and here for guidance system. For the broader picture visit www.pacifichydro.com.au. 50/09.

The governments of Argentina and Chile received 23 expressions of interest for the bi-tube 13.9 km-long Agua Negra trans-Andean road tunnel project. The companies are from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Italy, Korea and other countries. The tunnel will link Argentina's San Juan province with Chile's Coquimbo region (region IV). The bilateral body Ebitan will produce a list of pre-qualifiers over the coming weeks for a tender process set to begin next year. Click here for more info on the project and ar/20 and cl/24 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit

http://www.ebitan.org/ebitan/descargas/resultadoActoApertura.pdf. 45/13.

  The eleven participants to the prequalification to build the third stage of Camino La Pí³lvora between Quebrada Las Animas and the harbour are Ferrovial-Agromí¡n; Mendes Junior & Asociados; Tricam / Ingenierí­­a Civil Vicente / Puga Mujica y Asociados; Consortium Icafal / Vial y Vives / Echeverrí­­a Izquierdo Ingenierí­­a y Construccií³n / Echeverrí­­­a Izquierdo Montajes Industriales; Brotec; Consortium Constructora Internacional / Constructora Raíºl Gardilcic / Claro, Vicuí±a, Valenzuela; Consortium Tecsa / Fe Grande / Con-Pax / Valko; Belfi; Sacyr; Besalco; and OHL / Abengoa. The third stage includes tunnel T1 (2.2 km). Visit www.moptt.cl 06/03. Nine groups have submitted offers for a Ps44 billion (around US$60.4 million) contract to build the third and last stretch of the Camino La Polvora highway, an alternative south access route to port city Valparaiso. A total of 11 groups prequalified for the tender, which is split into three contractual options: A) Quebrada las Tortugas T3 tunnel (435 m); B) T1 tunnel (2.2 km), connections and coastal route; and C) the project's entire works. The nine companies and their respective bids (in A, B and C option order and in pesos) are Brotec (Ps13.8 billion, Ps31.1 billion and Ps43.3 billion pesos); Ferrovial-Agromí¡n (Ps11.4 billion, Ps25.7 billion and Ps35.7 billion); Mendes Junior y Asociados (Ps16 billion, Ps38.4 billion and Ps52.8 billion); Icafal / Vial y Vives / Echeverrí­­­­a Izquierdo (Ps17.8 billion, Ps38.6 billion and Ps49.4 billion); Tecsa / Fe Grande / Con Pax / Valko y Cí­­a (Ps12.7 billion, Ps31.5 billion and Ps41.9 billion); Sacyr (Ps12.4 billion, Ps28.6 billion and Ps40.1 billion); Besalco (Ps13.2 billion, Ps32.5 billion and Ps44.4 billion); OHL / Abengoa (Ps14.3 billion, Ps29.6 billion and Ps40.8 billion); and Constructora Internacional / Raíºl Gardilcic Internacional / Claro, Vicuí±a, Valenzuela (Ps17.2 billion, Ps37.4 billion and Ps50 billion). Works could possibly beginning end-May. Visit www.moptt.cl 18/03.Ferrovial has been awarded the construction contract for stage III, section Quebrada Las Animas-Valparaí­­­so harbour, the last section of La Pí³lvora highway. The contract is worth Ps35.6 billion (US$50.9 million) and is for a fast roadway link between Santiago and Valparaí­­so, 120 km from the capital. The project is fundamental to provide a direct heavy traffic connection to the harbour bypassing the city centre. The new roadway is scheduled to open in 2007. Visit www.ferrovial.es 21/03.

  1.6 km north extension to Recoleta between Cal y Canto and Santos Dumont, including crossing under river Mapocho, under construction by Sacyr and Consorcio DPS. 2.2 km south extension to Américo Vespucio between Lo Ovalle and La Cisterna being built by Inela. Single tunnel from station to station, 65 sq m with 45-50 cm-thick lining. Station tunnel is 150 sq m with 60-65 cm-thick lining. Tunnelling method is NATM with wiremesh, shotcrete and bolts every 50 cm through gravel deposits. Average costs amount to US$7,280 per metre for station-to-station tunnels and US$24,810 per metre for the stations. Completion end-2004. Visit www.metro-chile.cl or www.metrosantiago.cl 02/02.

  US$650 million loan granted by BNP Paribas to Metro de Santiago for the new 33 km Line 4. Route alignment to run underground between Tobalaba and Grecia, at grade between Grecia and Gran Avenida, and elevated between Américo Vespucio and Puente Alto. Underground section to cost US$50-60 million. Construction to start in October, 2002. Opening second-half 2005. Visit www.metro-chile.cl or www.metrosantiago.cl 50/01. Basic engineering stage underway, with studies being carried out by the Systra-Cade Idepe (SCI) consortium. The line involves aboveground, underground and viaduct sections and 22 stations. Budget is divided up into US$509 million for civil works, US$214 million for systems and equipment and US$284 million for trains. Visit www.metrosantiago.cl and www.cadeidepe.cl 22/02.Bidding rules available until 19th May, 2003 to build Las Mercedes station and surrounding tunnel portions of line 4 under construction in Santiago's eastern and southern suburbs. Deadline to submit offers: 30th June, 2003. Cost is estimated at US$1.03 billion. Construction of the line began in July last year and is scheduled to end in the second half of 2005. The 33 km-long track will extend from Tobalaba station in Las Condes through 22 stations to the municipality of Puente Alto, on the southeast outskirts of the capital. Line 4 will have a complementary stretch, known as 4A, that will connect at the line's halfway point - Vicuna Mackenna station - and continue southwest to municipality La Cisterna. Visit www.metrosantiago.cl 21/03.OHL has bagged a €17 million contract to build a 1.2 km section of Line 4. This section is divided in two pieces, Plaza Egaí±a station and the south and north tunnels to be built on both sides of the station, at a depth of 17 m underneath Américo Vespucio Avenue. The works will require the removal of 112,580 m³ of spoil and the use of 35,000 m³ of concrete, 1,600 t of steel and 200,000 m² of wire mesh. Construction is to start this month to end in October 2005. €850 million will be invested in the 33 km-long new line 4. Visit www.ohl.es 44/03.

Public Works Ministry to relaunch first half of 2002 awarding process of US$160 million concession for expressway to connect the town of Colina, north of Santiago, with the capital's Vitacura borough. Four-lane highway with eight tunnels totalling 7 km. Concession will last 40 years. Visit www.moptt.cl 45/01. The public works ministry will invite bids for the US$160 million northeast access to Santiago this quarter. The project consists of a 20.5 km four-lane highway connecting Santiago's Americo Vespucio beltway and Costanera expressway in the northeast of the capital with Route 57 to the town of Los Andes and Route 5, the Pan-American highway, both north of the city. It will include eight tunnels - four in each direction - totalling 7.2 km in length. Bids for the concession to build and operate the road for 30 years will be due in the fourth quarter and the contract should be awarded by year-end or early 2003. A previous attempt to award the concession in 2000 failed to attract viable bids. Construction will take three years. Visit www.vialidad.cl 30/02. The ministry of public works is to invite bids on 30th October, 2002 for the 21 km-long northeast access expressway, also known as northeast orbital road. The scheme is a four-carriageway highway connecting the Américo Vespucio highway in Santiago and the Costanera highway in the northeast area of the capital with Route 57 in Los Andes and Route 5, the Panamericana road, both located north of the city. There will be four double-tube tunnels totalling 7.2 km. Visit www.moptt.cl 43/02. Bids invited for concession of the 21.5 km-long northeast access expressway which includes four double-tube tunnels in La Pirí¡mide, Manquehue I, Manquehue II and Montegordo. Total length in tunnel 7.2 km. Deadline 6th March, 2003. Visit www.moptt.cl. To know the contractors who already bought the tender documents, read E-News Weekly # 50. 50/02.The public works ministry has extended to 23rd May, 2003 the submission of bids for the US$130 million northeast access expressway. The 21 km project, called radial nororiente, is a 30-year concession for a four-lane highway connecting Americo Vespucio beltway and the Costanera expressway, northeast of Santiago, with Route 57 to the town of Los Andes and Route 5 (the Pan-American Highway), both north of the capital. Technical offers will be opened 23rd May and economic offers 23rd June. Potential bidders include El Chamisero consortium, Tradeco, OHL, Infraestructura 2000, Impregilo, Sacyr and Delta. Works will also include four double-tube tunnels totalling 7.2 km in length. Visit www.moptt.cl 20/03.Itinere, a subsidiary of Spain's Sacyr Vallehermoso group, is the preferred bidder with a US$130 million bid for the northeast access expressway concession to be built in Santiago. The 30-year concession involves building a 21.5 km, four-lane highway connecting capital Santiago's Americo Vespucio beltway and the Costanera expressway (under construction) in the city's northeast sector with Route 57 to the town of Los Andes and Route 5 (the Pan-American highway), both north of the capital. The public works ministry will now review documents for a 90-120 day period, before the contract is officially signed. Work is estimated to take three years and will include eight tunnels - four in each direction - totalling 7.2 km in length. Visit www.moptt.cl 38/03.

  Chilean Government approval to Merval S.A. for construction of 5 km-long tunnel on alignment beneath existing track through Vina del Mar on the 43 km-long Valparaiso-Limache railway. One of the two existing tracks must be kept available for operation throughout the construction period, so TBM may be chosen rather than cut and cover because of space considerations. Details from ailiman@cuartaetapa.cl Sept 2000. Work to commence in May, 2002 including a 5.2 km tunnel between the Chorrillos station and the Capuchinos bridge. Cut-and-cover method with 18 m-deep diaphragm walls. The tunnel will lie 11 m below ground level. Cost of $300 million. Completion in September, 2004. 13/02. The US$16.8 million contract for the first section Capuchinos-Miramar (B) of the 5 km railway tunnel required for the regional metro line through downtown Vií±a del Mar, between Caleta Abarca and Chorrillos, has been signed. This section is 1.2 km in length from Caleta Abarca to Traslavií±a street. The contractor is Méndez Junior y Asociados. The 8 m-wide x 7.2 m-high double-track tunnel will be built in cut-and-cover between 18 m-deep diaphragm walls. Both tracks will be laid at a depth of 14 metres. The line will serve four underground stations in Miramar, Vií±a del Mar, Hospital and Chorrillos. Visit www.cuartaetapa.cl 52/02.Regional urban rail service Merval has awarded to OHL the civil works contract to build stretches D (Vií±a del Mar-Hospital) and E (Hospital-Chorrillos) of the 5 km tunnel portion of its US$300 million, stage 4 metro expansion and improvement project. Contract signing for the stretches is slated for this month, with preliminary works set to begin immediately. Mendes Junior previously won the contract for the tunnel's US$16.8 million, 2 km Capuchinos-Miramar (B) first stretch. The winner of the remaining Miramar-Vina stretch (C) should be announced this month. Stage 4 aims to improve services between Valparaiso, neighbouring city Vií±a del Mar, and the town of Limache in the interior. Work began in July 2002 and the line should enter operations in the second half of 2005. Visit www.cuartaetapa.cl 02/03.

Expressions of interest invited from Environmental Consultants, deadline 14.07.2009, to provide independent environmental checking services for the 26 km-long Express Rail Link to be constructed entirely in tunnel beneath Hong Kong. Contact K F Nam in Hong Kong, fax +852 2208 3303. For more visit www.mtr.com.hk/eng/tenders/XRL_C806.html and for background information on this major project visit tunnelbuilder archive cn/81. 28/09.

Leighton Holdings has been awarded the EUR288 million contract to construct the 31 m-wide West Kowloon Terminus approach tunnel and 121 m-wide Track Fan tunnel section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express rail link (XRL). Work starts immediately for completion 2015. Read the full press release at www.leighton.com.au/verve/_resources/180810_mr.pdf. More about this project from www.mtr.com.hk/eng/projects/hongkong_xrl.html and tunnelbuilder archive cn/81. 34/10.