The City of Greater Sudbury invites tenderers to prequalify, deadline 4th April, 2005 for construction works of the south end sewage rock tunnel project including 6.5 km of tunnel (rock excavation, scaling, rock bolting, concrete, concrete lined invert, etc.), three vertical access shafts, 18 cased drop / vent shafts, reinforced concrete drop structures, directional drilling / jacking and boring, various sanitary sewer connections and maintenance holes, demolition / removal of existing lift stations, dewatering and sheet piling, haulage and disposal of rock, restoration, mobilisation / demobilisation and miscellaneous works. Contact the City of Greater Sudbury, Engineering Services Department, Third Floor, Tom Davies Square, 200 Brady Street, Box 5000, Station A, Sudbury, Ontario, P3A 5P3. For more general information, contact the department at tel. +1 705 6712489 extension 2497 or e-mail suppliesandservices@city.greatersudbury.on.ca and for technical info, contact Dennis Consultants, Shawn Scott, P. Eng., tel. +1 705 5605555 ext. 201 or Alex Sorensen, C. E. T., ext. 202. Visit www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca 13/05.McNally Construction won the tender to build the 6.5 km south end sewage rock tunnel in Greater Sudbury, with a CAD29 million offer. However, the new project costs now sit at approximately CAD31.1 million. Click ca/27. Visit www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca and www.mcnallycorp.com 26/05.

  After the Regional Municipality of York secured all the required permits, a joint venture of McNally (70%) and Aecon (30%) is set to begin construction of the 16th Avenue trunk sewer, Phase 2. The CAD60 million project involves the construction of a 3.5 m-diameter tunnel to be built along 16th Avenue from Stone Mason Boulevard to east of Woodbine Avenue in the town of Markham. Totalling 7.2 km in length, the new trunk sewer will provide a connection to existing trunk sewers in the area and will allow for further development in the region. Construction is expected to begin this November and be completed by spring 2007. Visit www.region.york.on.ca, www.mcnallycorp.com and www.aecon.com 48/04.A joint venture of McNally International (70%) and Aecon Constructors (30%) has been awarded a CAD77.1 million tunnel contract by the Regional Municipality of York. The project involves the design and construction of two sanitary trunk sewers, each having a minimum internal diameter of 1.8 metres. The Bathurst collector sewer will run approximately 5.1 km along Bathurst Street north of Steeles Avenue, and the Langstaff trunk sewer will run approximately 3.7 km, primarily along Langstaff Road west of Bathurst Street. Construction of the sewers will involve Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) tunnelling technology. Construction will begin immediately and is scheduled to be concluded in the fall of 2008. Visit www.region.york.on.ca, www.mcnallyintl.com and www.aecon.com 22/06.Lovat has been contracted to design and manufacture twin 3.3 m-diameter EPB TBMs for the joint venture of McNally Construction and Aecon Group for the latest expansion of the sewer systems in the Regional Municipality of York, north of Toronto. Both TBMs will be operating below the local water table. The first TBM will bore 5.1 km northwards under Bathurst Street at a depth ranging from 9 to 30 m. The second TBM will bore westerly from an intermediate shaft of the Bathurst collector for 3.7 km at a depth ranging from 22 to 34 m, mostly under Langstaff Road. Geological conditions along the drives are characterised mostly by tills, slity clays and buried sands. Large quantities of cobbles and boulders are expected in both tunnel drives. The TBMs will feature a three-spoke design cutting head with a dressing of 20 back-loading ripper teeth which will be interchangeable with disc cutters. These mixed-face EPB TBMs will erect a tunnel liner comprised of prefabricated reinforced concrete segments with an outer diameter of 3.1 m, an internal diameter of 2.7 m and a length of 1.2 m. Grouting will occur through the segments. The first TBM is expected to be delivered on 26th December, 2006 and the second will follow on 27th January, 2007. Click ca/26. Visit www.lovat.com 31-32/06.Lovat has been contracted to design and manufacture a third 3.3 m-diametre EPB TBM for the JV of McNally Construction and Aecon Group. This newly designed and manufactured TBM will be identical to two recently ordered machines in June. Click ca/26. This TBM is also to be used by the contractors for the latest expansion of the sewer systems in York Region, north of Toronto. The machine will be building a tunnel lined with prefabricated reinforced concrete segments for a length of 4.2 km through medium sands and glacial tills (including many cobbles and boulders). The tunnel is completely under the water table to a depth of 18 metres above the crown. This will be the sixth Lovat TBM used by McNally/Aecon. It will be delivered in March 2007. Visit www.lovat.com 35/06.A joint venture of McNally International (70%) and Aecon (30%) has been awarded contract T-06-29, worth CAD69.2 million, by the Regional Municipality of York to construct an interceptor sewer of the York Durham sewage system (YDSS). The project involves the construction and commissioning of a total of approximately 4,307 metres of new concrete sanitary sewer. The first section consists of a 1,650 mm-diameter C301 concrete sanitary sewer on 19th Avenue, approximately 207 m long, to be constructed by open trench method. The second section consists of a 2.1 m-diameter concrete sanitary sewer on 19th Avenue and Leslie Street, approximately 4,100 m long, to be constructed by tunnelling. Construction of the tunnelled sewer will involve EPB tunnelling technology, which is designed to limit dewatering during construction through a section in the Oak Ridges aquifer complex. Two Lovat EPB TBMs will be required to complete this project within the allowed schedule. Construction will begin immediately and is scheduled to be concluded in January of 2008. The project will bring work to nearly 30 km of tunnel construction since Aecon and McNally began building tunnels for the Region in 2001, including the Bathurst Langstaff, 16th Avenue and 9th Line tunnel projects. Click ca/26. Visit www.region.york.on.ca, http://ydss.cenet.ca, www.mcnallycorp.com, www.aecon.com and www.lovat.com 39/06.

Strabag has been awarded a EUR200 million contract to construct a 15 km-long, 3.6 m-diameter wastewater tunnel in York, Toronto. The contract includes 16 shafts and various bio-filters to clean the air and remove odours, as well as the upgrade of a nearby 3 km stretch of road. Read the press release. Visit www.strabag.com. 36/11.

A C$600 million filtration system will pump Capilano water to the Seymour reservoir plant through twin 7.6 km-long 3.5 m-diameter tunnels beneath Grouse Mountain and Mount Fromme. The project represents the largest such system in Canada and is set for approval by the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The project would include a 15-hectare water filtration plant near Rice Lake in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. It would be equipped to handle 1.8 billion litres of water a day flowing from the Seymour and Capilano reservoirs. Capilano water would be pumped to the Seymour plant through the tunnel. On its gravity return through a second tunnel to Capilano, the water would create up to 1.8 megawatts of electricity. Project construction would begin this summer and continue into mid-2007. The tunnels will be dug by a TBM in bedrock 50-200 metres below the surface. A rail or conveyor system will transport the excavated rock to the surface. Cost of the project is estimated at up to C$600 million, including C$254 million for the filtration plant, C$149 million for the tunnels, C$72 million for the pumping station and infrastructure, C$85 million in indirect costs and C$40 million for inflation. Read E-News Weekly 19/2002, 22/2002 & 23/2002. Visit www.gvrd.bc.ca 18/03.The Greater Vancouver Regional District has prequalified eight companies or JVs for building the Capilano-Seymour water scheme. They are: Bilfinger Berger; Frontier Kemper / Aecon; Guy F. Atkinson; Insituform Technologies; J. F. Shea Construction; Kenny Construction; McNally / Obayashi; and Kiewit / Traylor. The tender package will be issued by the end of April. Contract award targeted at end of July. The project includes the 185 m-deep 12 m-diameter Seymour shaft, the two 270 m-deep 4 m-diameter Capilano shafts and two 7.2 km parallel tunnels in deep rock 160 to 640 m below the surface, approximately 3.7 m in diameter. Two simultaneous drives with a TBM in each tunnel. Support with bolts, shotcrete, mesh and steel arches depending on ground conditions. Mucking-out method is the contractor's choice. Tunnelling cost estimated at CAD100 million. Read E-News Weekly 9/2004, 23/2002, 22/2002 & 19/2002. Visit www.gvrd.bc.ca 18/04.The three bidders for the Capilano-Seymour project are Kiewit with CAD237.5 million, Frontier Kemper / Aecon / J.F. Shea with CAD186.2 million and Bilfinger Berger / Fru-Con with CAD99.6 million. Tenders are currently under review. The project includes the 185 m-deep 12 m-diameter Seymour shaft, the two 270 m-deep 4 m-diameter Capilano shafts and two 7.2 km parallel tunnels in deep rock 160 to 640 m below the surface, approximately 3.7 m in diameter, to be driven by two TBMs. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 31/2004, 9/2004, 23/2002, 22/2002 & 19/2002. Visit www.gvrd.bc.ca 35/04.The Capilano-Seymour project has been awarded on 31st August to Bilfinger Berger and its American subsidiary Fru-Con for CAD99.6 million. It includes the 185 m-deep 12 m-diameter Seymour shaft, the two 270 m-deep 4 m-diameter Capilano shafts and two 7.2 km parallel tunnels in deep rock 160 to 640 m below the surface, approximately 3.7 m in diameter, to be driven by two TBMs. Visit www.gvrd.bc.ca/gvrdtenders/TenderDetails.aspx?tenderId=228&tender, www.bilfinger.de and www.frucon.com 37/04.The twin 7.1 km-long, 3.8 m-diameter Capilano-Seymour tunnels were originally awarded to Bilfinger Berger Canada Inc in August, 2004. The contract was terminated in May, 2008 and is currently the subject of legal dispute over differing ground conditions which caused safety concerns. Metro Vancouver recently asked three prequalified joint ventures to resubmit proposals by 23.01.2009. They are: McNally/Obayashi/Procon; Frontier Kemper/J F Shea/Aecon; and Dragados/SELI/Schiavoni. For more history and background visit tunnelbuilder archive ca/25 and www.metrovancouver.org/services/constructionprojects/water/pages/seymourcapilano.aspx. 08/09.

Seymour Capilano Partnership, a jv of Frontier Kemper, Aecon and J F Shea that took on the 7.2 km-long Seymour Capilano tunnels following a differing ground conditions dispute in 2008/2009, has holed out three months ahead of the revised schedule. The second of two Robbins 3.8 m-diameter main beam TBMs broke through on 04.11.2010 after a two-year hard drive through granitic metavolcanic rock with up to 600 m cover. For project history visit tunnelbuilder archive ca/25, and for the breakthrough story read the Robbins press release or visit www.robbinstbm.com. 46/10.

Expressions of interest invited for the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Project (RAVP), deadline 14th February, 2003, into a long term public-private partnership for the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of a new rapid transit line connecting downtown Vancouver and central Richmond, with an east/west connection to Sea Island and the Vancouver International Airport. The total length will be approximately 19 km, involving segments in tunnels, at grade, elevated and on new bridges. The location and extent of any tunnel has not been determined. Construction to start in second half of 2004 for entry in service in 2009.The project team anticipates selecting a shortlist of up to four respondents who will be invited to participate in the next stage. Contact Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit, 5650 Lougheed Hwy., Burnaby B.C., Canada V5B 2Z8 or David W. Rowat, Procurement Manager, tel. +1 604 484 7287 or 604 2400061, fax +1 604 2910854, e-mail rfei@rapidtransit.bc.ca or drowat@rapidtransit.bc.ca 51/02.The four shortlisted proponents for the rail rapid transit system between Richmond, the Vancouver International Airport and Vancouver are RAVLink Transportation including Fluor Canada, Siemens, Aecon Infrastructure and First Transit Inc.; RAVRail including Alstom and Ledcor Projects Inc.; RAVxpress with Bombardier, Amec and Bouygues Travaux Publics as team members; and SNC-Lavalin / Serco.The Request for Proposals (RFP) has been sent to the four proponents, who are expected to respond by December 2003. Two finalists will be selected and asked to submit final proposals. One successful team will be chosen. The full procurement process is estimated to take approximately two years, until early spring 2005. A construction phase followed by system testing and commissioning will result in the system being operational by late 2009, in time for the winter Olympic Games in early 2010.RAVCO has been established as a special purpose company to oversee the design and construction. The line will be developed as a design, build, finance, operate and maintain contract. It is 19.5 km-long, with 18 stations running in twin tunnel from either 46th Avenue or 49th Avenue to the downtown Vancouver terminus. It is envisaged that there would be three tunnel drives using six TBMs. The TBMs will be EPB and slurry shields. The tunnel diameter would be 5 to 5.7 m. Sections 1 and 2 would be approximately 3 km in length and section 3 would be around 2.9 km. Cross passages will be built between both tubes. Approximately 2.8 million cubic metres of spoil will be generated in the tunnels and stations. Visit www.ravprapidtransit.com 38/03.SNC-Lavalin and Serco Group have been selected to build, partly finance, operate and maintain the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver (RAV) line, a major mass transit system in the Vancouver area. The project still requires approval from British Colombia's government. The provincial government is slated to make a decision early in December. The JV has provided the best-value proposal, meeting service and performance standards at the lowest cost. The funding agencies and the private sector are currently committed to investing over CAD1.55 billion (2003 dollars) to build the line (CAD1.35 billion from the public sector and about CAD200 million from the private sector).The 19.5 km line would link suburban Richmond, Vancouver International Airport and the city's downtown, serving 17 stations. The line would run underground from Waterfront Station to Cambie Street and 63rd Avenue in Vancouver and then on an elevated track to the Airport terminus and Richmond Centre, with the Richmond portion running along the east side of No. 3 Road. It is scheduled for completion by November 2009 to be in place before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Construction must begin no later than August 2005 to meet the deadline. Click ca/24. Visit www.ravprapidtransit.com and www.snc-lavalin.com 48/04.

C$450-million private sector financing sought by the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership (DRTP) as part of an estimated C$600 million (US$400 million) plan to convert the current twin-tube rail tunnel under the Detroit river across the border between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan into a truck route and to build a new single-tube rail tunnel to accommodate all rail cars. Preliminary designs and preparatory work almost completed. DRTP is a partnership between Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and Borealis Transportation Infrastructure Trust (BTIT). The tunnel could be completed in early 2007. More info in E-News Weekly # 33. 36/02.

The $3.4 million feasibility study for Line 5 extension to Anjou district ordered by AMT to a consortium of Transurb, Canarail, Systra and Groupe Cardinal-Biancamano-Gauthier advocates a 6.2 km route from Saint-Michel to Jarry with five intermediate stations in Pie IX, Viau, Lacordaire, Langelier and Galeries d'Anjou. Cost estimated at $627 million. Time frame for construction of five years. Visit www.amt.qc.ca 19/02.

A feasibility study has been handed to Coast Mountain Power Corp. for the Forrest Kerr hydroelectric project. Upon completion, the scheme will consist of a 3.2 km-long, 6 x 8 metre water tunnel designed to deliver up to 130 cu m/second of water to three 33.3 megawatt turbine generators and a 188 km-long D.C. light transmission line from the site to Meziadin junction. The total project cost is estimated to be $195 million. 15/02.Coast Mountain Power Corp. has selected the Thyssen Mining / Ostu Stettin JV as the preferred contractor for the tunnelling and underground excavation of the Forrest Kerr hydroelectric project water tunnels and powerhouse. The Forrest Kerr project is located in the Iskut River approximately 100 km north of Stewart in northwest British Columbia. A contract is being negotiated which would see activity commence in January 2005. The period leading up to on site work would entail equipment selection, mobilisation, site preparation and portal construction. Electricity will be generated by three 33.3 MW turbine generators and one 12 MW turbine generator. The water to drive the turbines will be drawn from the Iskut River and directed to the powerhouse through a 6 m-diameter 3.2 km-long water tunnel and returned to the river immediately below the powerhouse. It is anticipated the water tunnel and powerhouse excavation will be completed within 14 months. Visit www.thyssenmining.com 42/04.

At the request of the Commission de consultation sur l'amélioration de la mobilité entre Montreal et la Rive-Sud, Novaroute has proposed a bi-modal tunnel beneath the St. Lawrence river to reduce congestion on the Champlain Bridge and speed up transportation between Montreal and the South Shore. The tunnel would run from Highway 10 on the South Shore to the Technoparc on the Montreal side and would have two separate levels, the first for public transit and the second for cars and light trucks. Cost estimated at approximately $800 million. The project would take four years. Novaroute is a consortium including Axor, Quebec's leading design and build firm, Sintra, Quebec's leading road construction and civil engineering firm, and Bouygues of France. 09/02.

Petro-Canada unveiled plans to construct a 1,162 m-long 3.05 m-diameter tunnel under Marien Avenue linking the storage area of its Montreal refinery south of Sherbrooke Street with its facilities in the Port of Montreal. Four petroleum product pipelines will be installed in the tunnel which will replace existing pipelines currently situated beneath 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Quebec-based BFC Foundation has been hired as project contractors to excavate the tunnel at a depth comprised between 11.5 and 27.5 metres, using a hard rock TBM. The tunnel will be lined with concrete to reduce the risk of water infiltration. The cost of the proposed project is estimated at over $27 million. Visit www.petro-canada.ca 07/02.

Significant progress reported on the intake facilities and the 4 km-long x 3 m-high x 2.4 m-wide drilled/blasted tunnel started on 18th April, 2001 by Thyssen Mining to connect the intake to the powerhouse, which construction started in October, 2002 for completion by year-end. Geology consisting of very strong foliated fresh rock is garnetiferous, feldspar, micaceous gneiss with bands of white quartzite up to 0.3 m. The foliation controls the stability of the crown. The tunnel is dry to damp with minor water dripping from the crown in some places. Work on the tunnel to continue during winter months. Commissioning and startup scheduled for July 2002. Project represents a $45 million investment. Visit www.thyssenmining.com and www.canhydro.com 45/01.