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

  Work has begun on South Station of the Shanghai metro project. The four-line interchange station will connect the Shanghai railway, metro Line 1, the Ming Zhu Line and the planned L1 light rail line on completion in 2004. Initially planned to be built above ground, the station has been redesigned as an underground interchange. Total investment in the project is around US$90.7 million. 38/02.

Contract 1103 for Hin Keng-Diamond Hill tunnels, value EUR280 million and part of phase one of 17 km Shatin-Central Link (SCL) project, awarded by MTR Corporation to Vinci Construction Grands Projets. Contract comprises 2.475 km drill/blast running tunnel and twin 1.4 km-long tubes driven by 7.4 m-diameter slurry TBM. Work commences immediately on a 68-month schedule. Visit tunnelbuilder archive cn/63 and www.mtr-shatincentrallink.hk/en/project-details. 43/12.

Route 9 between Cheung Sha Wan and Sha Tin is a 5.9 km dual three-lane highway including the Eagle's Nest tunnel, a 2.1 km dual three-lane tunnel with a 500 m tunnel approach at Butterfly Valley, and the Sha Tin Heights tunnel, a 1 km-long dual three-lane tunnel with a 600 m dual two-lane tunnel approach. A jv of Maunsell and Hyder has been appointed as design and construction consultants. Construction to start in October 2002. Completion in April 2007. Visit www.hyd.gov.hk 20/02. The government has awarded a HK$1.07 billion contract for the construction of the Sha Tin Heights tunnel and approaches to Route 9 between Cheung Sha Wan and Sha Tin to the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) in joint venture with China Rail Construction Corporation (CRCC). The contract involves a one km-long dual three-lane tunnel under Sha Tin Heights and a 600 m-long dual two-lane tunnel approach road in Tai Wai. When completed in mid-2007, this section of Route 9 will provide a direct connection between Sha Tin and west Kowloon relieving congestion at Lion Rock tunnel, Tate's Cairn tunnel and Tai Po Road. Visit www.hyd.gov.hk/road/projects/index.htm 47/02. Gammon Skanska won a US$192 million contract from the Highways Department to build the 1.2 km Nam Wan tunnel, an 11 m-wide twin-tube link at the southern part of Tsing Yi Island on Route 9 highway between Tsing Yi and Cheung Sha Wan. Drill/blast excavation in granite and volcanic rocks. Visit www.hyd.gov.hk/road/Projects/index.htm and www.gammonhk.com 18/03.For excavation of the Shatin Heights tunnels jv contractor China State Construction-China Railway has ordered two Rocket Boomer XL3 C and one Rocket Boomer L2 C drillrigs from Atlas Copco, all fully computerized, together with maintenance and spares contracts. The units will be delivered between June and August, 2003, and excavation is expected to take a year. Click here for machine specifications and case studies. Visit www.atlascopco.com, www.hyd.gov.hk/road/Projects/index.htm and www.hkconsult.com 20/03.Leighton and Kumagai Gumi won a HK$1.8 billion ($237 million) contract to build the twin 2.1 km three-lane Eagle's Nest road tunnel on the Route 9 corridor. The tunnel will link Butterfly Valley in Kowloon with Sha Tin in Hong Kong's New Territories. The work will begin in October 2003 and is scheduled to be completed in December 2006. Visit www.hyd.gov.hk/road/projects/index.htm, www.leighton.com.au and www.kumagaigumi.co.jp 42/03.

Shanghai - cn/51Highway Design competition for the crossing tunnel option across two river channels, 10 km and 15 km-long, at the Yangtze Estuary, to link Pudong New Area in the south and Chong Ming Island in the north, won by Shanghai Tunnel Engineering & Rail Transit Design and Research Institute (STEDI) consortium, involving Hyder Consulting. Twin bored 3-lane tubes of 14 m-diameter to be shield tunnelled, together with tunnel ventilation system and 30 m-high ventilation shaft. Consortium now hopeful for winning detailed design due to be placed in 2002. Visit www.hyder-consulting.com 44/01. The central government approved a US$1.47 billion project, involving building a tunnel, bridge and elevated highway to connect the Changxing and Chongming islands to the city. This largest ever urban project for Shanghai will see an 8.5 km-long tunnel built between Pudong and Changxing Island, which is situated to the northeast of the city. A 9.5 km-long bridge will further link the island with Chongming Island. The tunnel and bridge will then be connected by a 7 km-long elevated highway on Changxing. Read E-News Weekly # 15. 08/03.Shanghai will build a subsea tunnel to link Wuhaogou in Pudong with Changxing Island, beginning next year. The new tunnel is part of a connection to Chongming Island, including also a 10.3-km cable-stayed bridge between Changxing and Chongming islands, that will cost US$1.48 billion. The connection has a total distance of 25 km from Pudong to Chongming via Changxing Island. The 8.95 km-long 15.2 m-diameter tunnel, which comprises two parallel tubes with a combined six lanes of traffic, will be one of the largest shield-driven tunnel in the world. The project is expected to take at least five years to complete. Sitting at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Chongming Island is the third largest island in China with a total area of 1,041 km2. Read E-News Weekly 15/2002. 48/03.The tunnel and bridge project across the Yangtze River broke ground in Chongming Island on 27th December, 2004. It is expected to take five years to build and cost USD1.48 billion. The tunnel and bridge will extend 25.5 km, from Wuhaogou in Pudong, and across two 8.9 km parallel tunnels to Changxing Island and then over a 10.3 km-long bridge to Chenjia Town in the east of the island. Tunnel design by an international consortium including Halcrow, Shanghai Tunnel Engineering and Rail Transit Design and Research Institute, Parsons Brinckerhoff and The Third Harbour Engineering Investigation and Design Institute. Subscribe to a E-News Weekly 37/2004 & 15/2002. Visit www.halcrow.com and www.pbworld.com 03/05.

  Second phase of Qinghai-Tibet railway will be 1,118 km-long and mainly above 4,000 m altitude from Golmud to Lhasa, with 1.72 km-long Yangbajin tunnel. Visit www.xinhua.cn 34/01.

  Invitation to tender expected August, 2001 for three drill/blast, concrete-lined tunnelling contracts totalling 21.5 km for Zhangjiuhe project, supervised by Electrowatt. Contact wangdi@minmetals.com or visit www.electrowatt.com 28/01. Construction began on 28th November, 2001 to drive one of the tunnels through mountains to channel water from Zhangjiu River to Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province in southwest China as part of the US$476 million Zhangjiuhe River Water Division & Water Supply Project, the largest in China. Contract CW-BID1 includes the 7,797 m-long Kangle tunnel, and the 13,733 m-long Shanggongshan tunnel. Both will be excavated by a TBM and lined by precast concrete segmental lining, filled with gravel and grout. Electrowatt Engineering, a subsidiary of Finland's Jaakko Pöyry Group, has been appointed to supervise construction of these two tunnels, of 3.6 metres in diameter. Visit www.poyry.com. Contract CW-BID5 includes the 8,237 m-long Pingdi tunnel. Contract CW-BID6 includes the 3,595 m-long Qingshuitang tunnel, the 11,163 m-long Changkou tunnel, and the 1,465 m-long Huanghuipo tunnel. Contract CW-BID7 includes the 9,045 m-long Wulaoshan tunnel. All these tunnels will be excavated using the drill/blast method, and lined with cast in-situ concrete. The Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has granted US$173.2 million in loans for the project. When the project is completed in 2005, it will provide 250 million cu m of water annually to Kunming, doubling the city's present water supply. Visit www.minmetals.com.cn 06/02.Award to CMC of a contract for a water supply programme in Kunming, Yunnan Province's capital. The contract is worth €37 million. Two tunnels totalling 21.6 km will be excavated. CMC will use a full-face TBM and the tunnel will be segmentally lined. Financing by the Japanese government. Time frame of four years. Visit www.cmcra.com 17/02.Electrowatt Infra, which is part of the Jaakko Pöyry Group, has been awarded an extension of the services contract in the Kunming water supply tunnel project by the Zhangjiuhe River Water Diversion and Water Supply Project Administration Bureau. The contract is a continuation to the assignment commenced in 2001 which now will continue until March 2007. The value of the contract now awarded is about EUR1 million. The project is located in Kunming and comprises two tunnels of 13.7 and 7.8 km and a headwork complex. Electrowatt Infra's services include technical and financial bid evaluation, construction supervision, settlement monitoring, quality control and project management. Visit www.poyry.com 06/06.The last section of the Zhangjihe river water diversion and water supply project in Kunming constructed by CMC in Yunnan province broke through on 17th November, 2006. The event enables to meet and anticipate the contractual date for the end of work scheduled for 31st March, 2007. The contract mostly includes the construction of two pressure tunnels (1.7 bar) of a comprehensive length of 21.5 km (contract CW-BID1). These water transfer tunnels for irrigation are the 7,808 m Kangle tunnel, inner diameter of 3 m, and the 13,769 m Shanggongshan tunnel, inner diameter of 3 m. A big part of the excavation of the tunnels, lined with prefabricated bolted concrete segments, has been performed using a Robbins double shield TBM. The overall amount of the works is about EUR95 million. Visit www.cmc.coop and www.robbinstbm.com 49/06.

Hydro-Bureau Nos. 1, 3, 8, 14 with Gezhouba Engineering Co. are contractors to YunNan Dachaoshan Hydropower Co. for 1,350 MW power project. Underground construction comprises 220 x 26 x 60 m power house cavern to house six turbines; 220 x 22 x 70 m surge chamber; 160 x 16 x 18 m transformer chamber; and 1.2 km x 2 m-diameter tailrace. MBT reports it has supplied a Meyco sprayed concrete Spraymobile and admixtures. More details on products at www.mbt.com February 2000.

The twin 1.8 km-long Pak Shing Kok tunnels are under construction using drill & blast. Meyco reports three Spraymobiles in use successfully building 250 mm shotcrete layer in one pass using Meyco SA160 alkali-free accelerator with Sika LA400 superplasticiser. More from www.mbt.com January 2000.

  New study identifies six new corridors for development by 2016: the West Rail Phase III link from Yuen Long to Lok Chau; the long-planned KCR branch from Tai Wai to the Kwai Chung container terminal; the link with Ma On Shan line to Kowloon via Choi Hung and the former airport at Kai Tak which may feed into a fourth cross-harbour rail tunnel; the Green Island extension of the MTR Island line to Tuen Mun; a duplicate East Rail corridor between Kowloon, Tai Wai and Shenzhen; and a route around Victoria Peak to the southern part of Hong Kong Island. December 1999.   Proposed 4.3 km tunnel option approved by KCRC to limit damage to wildlife in the Long Valley wetland to be crossed by second trans-border railway line between Sheung Shui and Lok Ma Chau, near Shenzhen, using EPB with precast concrete segmental lining, with station box at Kwu Tung. Project cost to rise by HK$2 billion to HK$10 billion and opening delayed by two years until about 2007. Visit http://www.kcrc.com.hk/eng/service/index.html 41/01.   Feasibility study contract awarded to Maunsell Consultants Asia for a rail tunnel on the proposed port rail line from Hong Kong's Kwai Chung container port to Tai Wai, where it will connect with China's rail network. The planned new harbour line would terminate close to Container Terminal 8 (CT8) in Hong Kong. This would be the first direct rail link between Kwai Chung and China. Visit www.maunsell.com.hk 46/01.   The environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) Lok Ma Chau spur line has been approved by the government. The proposal comprises a 7.3 km combined tunnel and viaduct scheme designed to minimise disruption to wetlands in Long Valley. The new plans for the project are expected to be presented to the Executive Council for approval in June. Visit www.kcrc.com.hk/eng/service/index.html 12/02.   The 7.4 km Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau spur line project has been authorised. A 4.3 km tunnel will be built between Sheung Shui and Chau Tau. On completion, the line will provide a rail link branching off from East Rail to a new rail boundary terminal at Lok Ma Chau where direct transfer to the Shenzhen metro will be provided. Construction is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2002 for completion by mid-2007. The project will be funded by the KCRC at a cost of about HK$10 billion. Visit www.kcrc.com 25/02.  The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) awarded a HK$2.8 billion tunnelling contract to Dragages et Travaux Publics and Bouygues, for the East Rail Lok Ma Chau spur line extension. The contract involves the construction of two parallel tunnels, each of about 5.2 km, from Sheung Shui north under Long Valley to Chau Tau. A 8.75 m-diameter EPB TBM will be used for excavation of 3.5 km of tunnels under Long Valley, while cut-and-cover method will be used for the remaining 1.7 km western and eastern approaches. Detailed design as well as preliminary works on the eastern approach will start this month. TBM excavation to start by the last quarter of 2003.The joint venture's bid was the highest but included a proposal to advance the completion date for full two-tunnel operations by five months to 30th October, 2006. The 7.3 km Lok Ma Chau-Sheung Shui line will open to passenger trains by end March 2007. Read E-News Weekly # 43. Visit www.kcrc.com/eng/index.html 45/02.