Plans have been unveiled for a combined bridge and tunnel link across the Taiwan strait between Fujian province, China and Taiwan. Three proposed routes are being considered. The north route, the shortest option, runs from Pingtan in Fujian to Hsinchu in northwest Taiwan and would cover about 127 km. The middle route links Putian with central Taiwan. The south route, the longest, runs from Xiamen's Xiuqiao to Xiaojinmen, to Jinmen, then to Penghu via tunnel, reaches Taiwan's Jiayi (Chia-i) via bridge and tunnel, covering a distance of 207 km over the sea. The longest underwater stretch of the southern route would be 130 km between the Jinmen and Penghu islands. 16/02.

World second longest road tunnel is now under construction in China. The Zhongnanshan (southern mountain) tunnel will be a twin tube, each 18,040 m-long. Work underway since 20th June, 2001. Completion in 2009. 14/02.

Construction of the Shiya tunnel, the largest water diversion project of Dujiangyan Dam, the world's oldest water conservation project, started on 26th January, 2002 in Zhongjiang County of Sichuan Province in southwest China. The project will take three years to complete at a cost of 140 million yuan. The 6.1 km-long tunnel is the longest and the most difficult project at Dujiangyan Dam. The 2,257 year-old Dujiangyan irrigation project is the world's oldest irrigation project in function. It still irrigates some 666,000 hectares of farmland. Dujiangyan has been listed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. 06/02.

Foreign investment sought by the City of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province's capital, for a riverbed tunnel project at the Songhua river. Tunnel to be 1,852 m-long with four lanes, 3.5 m-wide each. The clearance is five metres. Estimated investment is US$84.5 million, of which US$76 million (90%) from abroad. Cooperative management or BOT preferred. Concession term will be 30 years, including three years for construction, with return on investment within ten years. Contact Zhang Xiaohui and Liu Yanwei, Songbei New Zone Development and Construction Administration, tel +86-0451-4010031 or 8190806, fax +86-0451-4010944. 50/01.

Prequalification notice closed since 19th October, 2001 for maintenance and repairs to the concrete lining to remedy such defects as spalling, cracks and delamination inside 1,625 m-long 9.4 m-inner diameter twin tubes. Contract CV/2001/08 to be awarded in April, 2002. Duration of 33 months. Estimated annual maintenance cost of about HK$ 0.5 million. Visit www.info.gov.hk/ced/eng/tender/tender_f.htm 47/01.Award to Sun Fook Kong (Civil) Ltd of a maintenance and repair contract for this 1.6 km twin-tube tunnel. The contract is expected to commence in April 2002. Contract period will be 33 months. Visit www.hyd.gov.hk/content/index.htm and www.sfk.com.hk 18/02.

ADB approved a $150 million loan for a 179 km four-lane tollway from Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, to Youyiguan at the Vietnam border, and 49 km of connecting roads. Civil works will include tunnels. Completion by April, 2005, at a total estimated cost of $455.2 million. 46/01.

Asian Development Bank approved US$200 million loan for 277 km single-track railway linking Ganzhou and Longyan in Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, including 99 tunnels totalling 61 km, four of which over 4 km. ADB to finance 26% of the total cost, China Development Bank and the Ministry of Railways financing the balance. Completion in June 2006. Visit www.adb.org 45/01.

Additional tube considered by government at East Harbour from Causeway Bay to South East Kowloon. This would be the fourth road crossing across the Hong Kong harbour. Proposed tube with either two or three extra lanes under BOT contract. Visit www.easternharbourtunnel.com.hk 44/01.

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.

Financing sought for the construction of 1.6 km-long, 11.75 m-wide and 6 m-high Guanshan tunnel on provincial highway No. 304. Purpose of the tunnel is to solve a major bottleneck caused by icy conditions in winter and landslides. Total investment for tunnel plus extension to Huating section is Yn150 million. JV, cooperation or sole foreign ownership possible. 43/01.