Award of 3 km-long tunnel to be constructed by TBM by consortium of Zschokke-Locher/Prader/Murer/CSC/Wayss & Freytag. Visit www.wayss-freytag.de March 2000.   Preconstruction work underway of $60 million, 3.161 km-long x 10.85 m-diameter single tube in molasse and moraine while awaiting delivery of Herrenknecht TBM ex-Thalwil scheduled March, 2001. Completion 2002 for opening of 45 km-long Mattstetten-Rotthrist section end-2004. Visit www.wayssfreytag.de and www.herrenknecht.de December 2000.  The 3,160 m-long Oenzberg tunnel has been holed through on 14th February, 2003 on the Mattstetten-Rothrist section of the Bern-Olten high speed railway in Switzerland. The contracting JV formed by Zschokke-Locher, Prader, Murer, CSC and Wayss & Freytag used a Herrenknecht mixshield TBM equipped with a 12.36 m-diameter cutting head. Tunnelling lasted 17 months. Visit www.herrenknecht.com. Read E-News Weekly # 52. 09/03.

Theiler & Kalbermatten boring 3.5 km pilot using refurbished Robbins TBM. May 1998.3.1 km x 3.5 m-diameter pilot bore due to get underway early-2000 using hardrock TBM in limestone and marls. Contracting jv comprising Batigroup, Frutiger and Infra 2000, value $9 million. Sept 1999. 4 km of single 75 sq m tubes commencing February, 2000 for tunnels de la Perche and du Banne using Tamrock Titan 3-boom Superdrilling jumbo by jv of Rothpletz & Lienhard, Walo Bertschinger, Courbat and Doyon. Second Tamrock machine employed on rockbolting. More from www.ulrich-ammann.ch November 1999.Open call for tenders, deadline 30th September, 2005 for construction of the 2 x 750 m-long 3.6 m-diameter pilot tunnel of the Neu-Bois tunnel on the A16. A TBM will be used to excavate through limestone. Support with welded wire fabric, anchors, steel arches and plates. This ground investigation bore will then be enlarged by a roadheader machine to build the future tunnel. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=111507-2005, OJ S 112, or contact Republique et Canton du Jura, Delemont, fax +41 324207301. Visit www.a16.ch. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 16/2005, 13/2004 & 35/2002. 25/05.Open call for tenders, deadline 28th October, 2005 for ground exploration gallery for the Choindez tunnel on section 8 of the trans-Jura motorway A16. Length to be built with traditional method is 605 m, section 15.4 sq m. Length to be driven by a TBM is 2,395 m, excavated diameter 3.6 m. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=132118-2005, OJ S 133, or contact Republique et Canton du Jura, Delemont, fax +41 324207301. 29/05.Open call for bids, deadline 27th June, 2006 for construction of the 2,901 m-long Bure tunnel (contract 2.602) on section 2 Boncourt-Porrentruy west of the A16 highway, cut-and-cover portals (94 m), 10 cross passages, niches, three vertical shafts, a ventilation station, etc. A pilot tunnel has already been bored. Read E-News Weekly 41/2005, 16/2005, 34/2004, 13/2004, 32/2006 & 35/2002. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=051678-2006, OJ S 49, or contact Republique et Canton du Jura, Delemont. 12/06.PraderLosinger has launched tunnelling of the Choindez ground exploratory tunnel on section 8 of motorway A16. The first 625 metres will be built using a roadheader, cross section of 15.4 sq m, while the remaining 2,400 metres will be dug by means of a TBM, outer diameter of 3.6 m.The works freshly commenced will allow to know more precisely the geological, hydrological and geotechnical nature of the bedrock through which the main tunnel will run in a few years. The exploratory tunnel has a total length of 3,024 metres for a 3.6 m diameter and will be excavated from its north portal towards Vicques until its south portal. This work phase will end in June 2008. The contract amounts to CHF16.5 million. Then, this pilot bore will be used in particular for ventilation and water drainage during construction of the main tunnel. In the end, it will be used as a safety tunnel. The final design of the Choindez main tunnel, to be driven at about 40 metres east and parallel to the exploratory bore, will be finalised by end 2007. The engineering contract has yet to be awarded.The ground investigation tunnel will be bored using traditional means, i.e. a roadheader on the first 625 metres and a 3.6 m-diameter TBM on the remaining 2,400 metres. A separate bidding process to build the main tunnel will be launched in 2008 or early 2009. The tunnel will be a single bored two-way tunnel. The diameter and exact cross section will be defined later. From north to south, the geology will be Alsacian molasse (625 metres) and Jurassic limestone (2,400 metres). Visit www.praderlosinger.ch 44/06.Construction of the 2 x 750 m Neu-Bois exploratory tunnel has been awarded to a JV of Infra Tunnel (leader), Implenia, LGV Impresa Construzioni, G. Comte, Les Fils de Marc Joliat, R. Seuret, S. Facchinetti and G. Chetelat. The contract amounts to CHF56.9 million. Tunnelling will proceed as follows: construction of a pilot bore by means of a 3.6 m-diameter TBM designed to allow for probe drilling during tunnelling; enlargement of each pilot bore to the final cross section using a roadheader; and building of cross passages by drilling and blasting. Visit www.infratunnel.ch, www.implenia.com and www.a16.ch 44/06.PraderLosinger will use a Voest Alpine ATM 50 roadheader for the first 625 metres of the 3.6 m-diameter Choindez ground exploratory tunnel on section 8 of motorway A16 and a Herrenknecht TBM (machine S-96), belonging to the company, for the remaining 2.4 km. For both methods, Belloli anchors and Bruno Fratelli steel arches. Concrete to be supplied by Sabag. Mucking-out by two 7.5 cu m GHH MK-A15 dump trucks at the roadheader section. Mucking-out for the TBM section will be undertaken by a muck train. The process is still under study. Construction of the roadheader section commenced on 1st September, 2006 and will end on 30th June, 2007. The TBM section will start afterwards from 1st July, 2007 to 30th June, 2008. Click ch/30. Visit www.miningandconstruction.sandvik.com, www.herrenknecht.com, www.belloli.ch, www.belloli-italia.com, www.brunofratelli.com, www.matsabag.ch and www.ghh-fahrzeuge.de 46/06.Work at the Graitery tunnel on the N16, between Roches and Court, began on 6th November. The construction contract of the Graitery tunnel has recently been awarded to GTG (Groupement du Tunnel de Graitery), a consortium led by Marti Tunnelbau and including Parietti et Gindrat, Marti Travaux Spéciaux and Pro Routes. This is a 2,462 m-long two-way tunnel. The alignment runs along the pilot tunnel already built, which will serve as escape tunnel when the main tunnel is in service. The 7.5 m-wide roadway is bordered by two pavements. A ventilation duct in the tunnel crown will extract contaminated air, or smokes in case of fire, from a ventilation plant built at the north portal. The tunnel crosses several calcareous and marly layers. The limestone, about 48% of the volume, will be excavated using drilling and blasting, then crushed. It will be reused at different worksites of the N16. The marls will be excavated using a roadheader. They will not be recycled but trucked to the final disposal site in Chaluet. Preliminary works, awarded to local companies, have already been performed at the two portals since fall 2005. Tunnelling itself will commence with the construction of the access trench to the north portal in Moutier. This access trench will be finished in spring 2007. Excavation of the tunnel from Moutier to Court will then commence. Another attack from Court will be started between 2007 and 2008. The tunnel will break through in 2009 and all excavations will be completed in 2010. Concreting inside the tunnel will begin in 2010, then E&M equipment will be installed until end 2012, the expected date for opening of the tunnel. Visit www.a16.ch and www.martiag.ch 50/06.A JV of Marti Tunnelbau, Parietti et Gindrat, and MTS (Marti Travaux Spéciaux) signed a CHF131.2 million contract to build the 3,059 m Bure tunnel (lot 2.602) on the A16, whereof 2,901 metres will be bored and 158 metres will be built in cut-and-cover at the portals. A TBM will be used. From north to south, the geology consists of 15% of limestone (mid Oxfordian) containing astartes and natices, 40% of marls (mid to upper Oxfordian) containing astartes and 45% limestone (upper Oxfordian and Kimmerridgian) containing lower pterocere, cardium and terebratule. Visit www.martiag.ch, www.parietti-gindrat.ch and www.a16.ch 06/07.Open call for tenders, deadline 23rd July, 2007 for geological, geotechnical, hydrogeological and civil engineering consultancy for the Choindez tunnel. Click ch/30. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=105868-2007, OJ S 86, or contact République et Canton du Jura, Delémont. 21/07.

Construction of the 1.3 km Muttnertobel tunnel on the road between Solis and Mutten commencing. Contractor Murer will excavate by drill/blast with support by rockbolts and fibre-reinforced sprayed concrete. Sept 1999.

  Invitation to tender closing 11th February, 2000 for construction of Kirchenwald tunnel, lot 321, 300,000 cu m excavated volume. Contact Tiefbauamt Nidwalden, fax +41 917 439737. Sept 1999.   Joint venture of Murer/Zchokke/Locher/Gasser awarded 2.5 km x 80 sq m single tube from north portal using Atlas Copco 135H to drill 9 m-long umbrella holes in blocky blue limestone and fines to establish drive. Face split into five separate compartments to counter weak conditions. It is expected that the 400 m advance will take up to two years. Drive from south portal has been awarded for a start end-2000, but contract not yet signed. Visit www.murer.ch for details of earlier contracts. April 2000.Construction of 1.5 km-long Kirchenwald twin-tube tunnel underway in two lots: 150 m by Murer/Gasser/Prader/Riva/Zschokke/Locher using steel arches and rockbolts with shotcrete, contract value $20 million for completion 2003; and 1.4 km by Batigroup/Bilfinger & Berger/Frutiger/Garovi-Odermatt using drill/blast in sections ranging from 72 sq m to 116 sq m, contract value $70 million for completion 2007. Engineering consultants are Lombardi SA. Visit www.lombardi.ch October 2000.

  Open tender, deadline 12th November, 1999 for construction of 2.5 km tunnel on N4 highway. Fax +41 418752610. Sept 1999.  Contract awarded to joint venture of Zschokke/Locher/Murer/CSC/Rothpletz & Reinhard who will utilise Robbins Herrenknecht TBM ex Bozberg and Murgenthal. Segmentally lined, single tube for bi-directional traffic will commence boring Summer, 2000. TBM has been cleaned and overhauled and is stored near Murgenthal ready for reassembly at site. Visit www.murer.ch April 2000.

  Tenders called for Uetliberg (4,340 m) and Eggrain (500 m) by Zurich Canton Tiefbauamt. Eggrain will have maximum cross-section of 136 m2 with support by pipe spiles and sprayed concrete. May 1999.Twin 4.4 km three-lane tunnels at 34 m separation with crosscuts every 300 m, every third wide enough for car turning. 3.3 km rock section may utilise 15 m-diameter TBM. 330 m cut-and-cover, 770 m soft ground. Major box section beneath Reppisch river will house crossover and services. Designed by Amberg Consulting Engineers, e-mail amberg@amberg.ch for details. August 1999.   Construction of twin-tube 4.4 km x 145 sq m Uetliberg tunnel in hard sandstone and soft marls as part of Zurich western bypass to commence Spring, 2001. Value $590 million financed 80% by Swiss State and 20% Canton of Zurich. Visit www.amberg.ch October 2000.  Breakthrough of pilot tunnel 20th February, 2003. Reaming to 14.2/14.4 m-diameter commenced using Wirth TBE. Cutters on this model displace radially on a spiral, requiring 8-10 rotations of cutterhead for 20 cm advance. For a full technical description click here. Visit www.wirth-europe.com and www.amberg.ch 19/03.

Sinking of 9 m-diameter subvertical shaft passed 360 m mark at rate of 3 m/day on target to reach 800 m final depth by February, 2000. Completed shaft will have 6,000 t/day capacity using 5MW winder to hoist 80 t skips. August 1999. Open invitation to tender, deadline 27th April, 2001, for lot 360 comprising two 6 km-long tunnels with sections 60 sq m to 140 sq m to be advanced simultaneously in both directions from base of completed 800 m-deep Sedrun shaft, which is accessed by 1 km-long gallery at surface. Contract includes 1.7 km-long multi-function station and other galleries together with crosspassages between main tubes. Start July, 2002 for completion June, 2012. Telephone queries to K Aerni +41 226 0634, or contact via www.electrowatt.ch Notice posted at http://ted.eur-op.eu.int November 2000.   The TRANSCO Gottardo consortium, including Batigroup, Frutiger, Bilfinger + Berger, and Pizzarotti has been awarded contract 360 for SF1.25 billion. Includes two 6.2 km tunnels in Sedrun through very tricky geology and a 800 m-deep shaft. The contractors will enlarge the second shaft from 4 to 7 metres to remove bigger volumes of muck. Mucking-out and the lowering of heavy equipment and construction materials will take place in separate shafts. Work to begin in April, 2002. Visit www.batigroup.ch and www.alptransit.ch 52/01.  Thyssen Schachtbau, in jv with Ostu Stettin and Murray & Roberts RUC of South Africa, reports that it will use a type HG 330-SP Wirth raise borer to drill the 1.8 m-diameter pilot hole, and then ream it to 7 m-diameter using a Wirth VSB V1 shaft borer for the 800 m-deep Sedrun II shaft. During the construction phase of the Gotthard base tunnel, the shaft will be used for ventilation and transport of heavy plant and materials. Boring is expected to be completed by June 2003. Visit www.thyssen-schachtbau.de and www.wirth-europe.com 30/02.

BASF MEYCO Fireshield 1350 fire protection mortar was used on this project   Invitation to tender for first 1.2 km of 16.5 km section of proposed 56.7 km AlpTransit. August 1999.   Invitation to tender for construction of two access tunnels in soft ground, lengths 410 m and 420 m. Sept 1999.Open invitation to tender for lot 554 of Gotthard AlpTransit project involving construction of two running tunnels between Bodio access drift and Faido multi-functional station, deadline 7th December, 2000. Contact Lucerne office, fax +41 917 439737. Visit www.alptransit.ch July 2000.   Award of Faido-Bodio tunnel section to consortium of Zchokke-Locher, Hochtief, CSC and Mayreder. Visit www.alptransit.ch 27/01.   Atlas Copco announced an order for five drill rigs placed by Consorzio TAT (Tunnel AlpTransit), including Zschokke Locher, Alpine Mayreder Bau, Hochtief, CSC, and Impregilo to construct the 16.6 km Bodio and 15.1 km Faido sections of the Gotthard base tunnel. Excavation to start in spring 2002. Atlas Copco will deliver the first part of the order during the first quarter. Visit www.atlascopco.com/rde and www.boomer-rig.com 52/01.   First 380 m from Bodio portal under construction in cut and cover. 1.2 km-long bypass tunnel to main tunnel alignment completed, together with 1.4 km of east tube and 400 m of west tube to provide launch chambers for two 8.83 m-diameter Herrenknecht TBMs which will start in late-2002 on remaining 15 km-long drives to Faido. 27/02.  Difficult ground conditions in Faido-Polmengo are slowing down the Gotthard base tunnel. Progress is reaching only one metre a day instead of the planned 10 metres, or 30 metres a month instead of 300. A few weeks ago, on the site of the Faido multi-functional station, tunnellers encountered a tricky gneissic area consisting of Leventine gneiss and Lukmanier gneiss. The rock yields under the pressure of the 1,400 m mountain cover above, literally transforming the rock into sand. Special support measures have been adopted to install centimetre after centimetre a kind of steel corset at the tunnel crown. The AlpTransit management reckons that a reliable estimate of the cost overruns and delay will not be possible until the summer. To date, progress at Bodio has reached 14% on the east tube and 9% on the west tube. 15/03.

This adit will be 1.784 km long x 60 sq m at 1% downgrade to the Alptransit tunnel horizon where a further 200 m of preparatory work will be required to open out the four running tunnel faces. Ed Ast is undertaking the main development using an Atlas Copco 353E drillrig under moderate blasting restrictions achieving 12-16 m/day advance in Aar Massiv and Erstfeld gneiss. A full face comprises 105-110 holes of depth 3-4 m which are primed with Dyno experimental aluminised slurry using a pump and Nonel detonators. Swellex rockbolts with Dramix steel fibre reinforced shotcrete to support roof and walls. Rock flowed through Pegson crusher located 150 m inside portal and by conveyor to surface and dumps. Ast will complete end-November. Prequalification late-May for 11.4 km main tunnels, but method still under discussion. Elsewhere on the Gotthard base tunnel, the alignment of the section from Uri to the portal is still undecided. Contact info@alptransit.ch for further information. May 2000.Open invitation to tender for lot 252 running tunnels 2 x 11.4 km long to be constructed from base of 1.78 km-long adit currently under drill/blast excavation by Ast-Holzmann using underground crusher with conveyor system to surface for removal of spoil by rail. Cross-passages 40 m-long at 320 m intervals between main tunnels. Deadline 22nd January, 2001. Contact Lucerne office, fax +41 412 260600, e-mail info@alptransit.ch or visit www.alptransit.ch July 2000. Lot 252 for 2 x 11.4 km-long running tunnels towards Sedrun awarded to Strabag/Murer jv using Herrenknecht TBMs. 1.88 km-long x 3.5 m-diameter TBM drive for cable tunnel underway between new transformer cavern and existing Amsteg power station. 27/02.  Herrenknecht has completed the assembly of the first Gripper TBM, machine S-229, for the Gotthard base tunnel north. The 9.58 m-diameter TBM will excavate the eastern tube (11,350 m) of the Gotthard base tunnel between Amsteg and Sedrun. Assembly at the jobsite in Canton Uri will start in mid-March 2003. AGN, the JV consisting of Murer and Strabag, ordered two Herrenknecht hard rock TBMs for this section in February 2002. The second TBM will drive the western tube (11,350 m).Both machines weigh 1,200 tonnes each without the backup system.Representatives of AGN took delivery of the machine on 16th January in the presence of AlpTransit Gotthard AG. The machine is now being disassembled to be transported to Switzerland where pre-assembly is scheduled from March at the tunnel portal prior to full assembly in the start cavern. Excavation will start end of May. The second machine (S-230) will start three months later on the western tube.Herrenknecht has its own subsidiary in Amsteg, in close proximity to AGN's jobsite. The Swiss affiliate works in close cooperation with cutting tool supplier RUAG in Altdorf to achieve the best efficiency on AlpTransit projects, both at the Gotthard and Lötschberg.Four Herrenknecht Gripper TBMs will be in operation at the Gotthard base tunnel, the longest railroad tunnel worldwide with a total length of 2 x 57 km, to excavate a total of 75 km of tunnel. Visit www.herrenknecht.com and www.alptransit.ch 06/03.

BASF MEYCO Fireshield 1350 fire protection mortar was used on this project   Located at Goppenstein, 4.1 km Ferden access adit to be driven through gneisses and schists in the Aare massif. Also Fystertella ventilation tunnel 1.735 km and 365 m shaft to be raise bored at 1.8 m and enlarged to 5 m. This will connect via a ventilation chamber to the twin main tunnels. May 1998.   Tenders invited for 9.4 m-diameter single-track tunnel to be driven in three lengths from Mitholz near Frutigen at north end using TBM or drill/blast. Also TBM drives at south end for 3,073 m Steg tunnel, 4,100 m west bore to Ferden and 2,000 m to Raron. February 1999.   Awards expected in August and October, 1999. May 1999.   Contract awarded to jv of Skanska, Rothpletz & Lienhard, Walo Bertschinger and Ilbau for 2 x 7.5 km-long Mittholz central section to commence March, 2000. November 1999.   Steg 3.073 km access tunnel, 4.117 km TBM drive at 9.4 m-diameter, and 2 km-long drill/blast section awarded to Matrans jv comprising Marti, Walter, Porr and Balfour Beatty in equal quarters. Value $160 million. Mitholz jv reported earlier is actually led by Ilbau, and includes Dumez-GTM together with the three other partners already listed. Contract due to be signed February, 2000 at a value reported as $315 million. November 1999.   Open tendering, deadline 4th September, 2000, for construction of 8.5 km of 62 - 78 sq m running tunnels accessed from the base of the developing Ferden adit. The office handling this project is BLS AlpTransit AG, Aarestrasse 38 B, Postfach 3601 Thun, Switzerland, e-mail info@blsat.ch or visit www.alptransit.ch May 2000. Construction of 1.5 km drill/blast and 9.2 km of 9.4 m-diameter Raron TBM tunnel awarded to Matrans consortium of Marti, Walter, Porr and Balfour Beatty.Visit www.balfourbeatty.com May 2000.Balfour Beatty, reports that contract value of Raron twin 10.7 km tunnels with optional 1 km extensions is $150 million. Client is BLS AlpTransit AG, a subsidiary of SBB Swiss Railways. Visit www.balfourbeatty.com July 2000.   DBT Mineral Processing GmbH reports that it is supplying three crawler-mounted mobile impact roller type SB 1315R crusher plants to process the 1.8 million cu m of solid rock to be excavated in the two 9.5 km south tunnels and the single 7.4 km north tunnel. The crushers will be fed by side-dump loaders at the face and moved up after every blast. Crushed rock of -200 mm sizing will be discharged onto a telescopic belt conveyor installed in the roof of the tunnel. Visit www.dbtminpro.de July 2000. Three Atlas Copco Rocket Boomer XL3 C and two L2 C computerised drillrigs to be delivered to Schweizer Alp Transit Consortium (Satco) for driving main running tunnels north and south from base of Mitholz access adit. Visit www.atlascopco.com July 2000. Award to consortium of Losinger, Prader, Bouygues, Deneriaz, Evequoz, Imboden and Theler of $65 million construction contract for 12 km of tunnel off four faces at Ferden access towards Bern and Valais, starting May, 2001 and completing late-2005. Visit www.blsalptransit.ch 15/01. Award of $170 million drill/blast contract for 7.1 km-long, 9 m-diameter twin-tube section of Lotschberg base tunnel to Bouygues for completion early-2005. Visit www.blsalptransit.ch 28/01. BLS AlpTransit reports that 66 km, or 75% of the total tunnel system, has been driven, mainly by drill/blast using Atlas Copco drillrigs. The Adelrain fork cavern has been excavated on the drive N from Mitholz, and the west tube is now underway with 600 m to go to Frutigen portal. The 9.7 km Mitholz drives S are 67% complete, and the Ferden drives N are around 30 %, while Ferden drives S are virtually finished. At the Raron end, the Herrenknecht TBM drives N are well advanced, with the west tube complete, and the 9.7 km east tube 65% complete. The 4.5 km drill/blast west tube portal drive is 76 % complete. Visit www.blsalptransit.ch 13/03. As of 1st April, 2003, progress at the Lötschberg base tunnel reached 67,493 metres which represents 76.6% of the whole tunnel system. In Frutigen, the first 120 m of the west tube have been excavated. Delicate work is presently under way to drive the east tube under the embankment supporting the existing BLS line.Heading north from Mitholz, there is only 200 m to go before the junction with the Frutigen west tube. Breakthrough is scheduled for mid-May. Heading south, the tricky karstic area in Doldenhorn, 2.7 km in length, has been crossed without too much trouble. The teams are now gearing up towards the last risky geological area at the Lötschberg with two difficult stretches composed of crumbly materials. More than 2.3 km of internal concrete lining has already been installed in the east tube. The spoil management facilities have processed so far 472,000 tonnes of concrete aggregates.In Ferden, the southbound east tube has been completed on 2nd April and teams are now concentrating on the north drives. The internal concrete lining (invert and side walls) is being installed. The Steg/Niedergesteln teams are drilling the cross galleries between the west and east tubes. The concrete lining works are due to begin this month heading for Rarogne. The Ferden-bound Herrenknecht TBM, which started in Rarogne, reached km 6.5 while in the west bore, miners have only 1 km to go. Breakthrough is expected for the summer. Visit www.blsalptransit.ch 16/03.Consortium SATCO tunnelling from Mitholz encountered the Vorlos tunnelling team working from Frutigen on 14th May, 2003. This second breakthrough at the Lötschberg base tunnel took exactly 1,000 calendar days. The tunnel includes a 7,492 m drive, 22 transverse tunnels, a service station and a crossover cavern. The majority of the work (7,024 m) was performed from Mitholz by SATCO using the drill/blast method. Tunnellers working from the north portal in Frutigen drove the first 120 metres of base tunnel in difficult conditions in unconsolidated rock and just 5 m below the BLS rail line which remained in operation while work was in progress. 80% of the total tunnel system has now been driven. Visit www.blsalptransit.ch. 22/03.By end-January, 2004 Satco had excavated almost 23 km of tunnel. They were awarded a further bonus kilometre towards Ferden in the south, and a contract to mine an 800 m-long parallel link close to the Frutigen portal in the north. As a result, Satco will excavate 26 km of tunnel by mid-2004. Meanwhile, concrete lining is underway in the east tube, with 300 m completed in the north drive, and more than 5 km in the south. More from wolfgang.lehner@satco.ch or visit www.blsalptransit.ch 08/04.

Marti Tunnelbau AG from Moosseedorf secured the EUR74.63 million contract,

excluding VAT, for the renewal of tracks and switches in the Loetschberg

tunnel. The contract includes the adaptation of the drainage system.

The duration of the contract from is 02.05.2018 to 31.12.2022. Further

information from

http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=1019957  (German)

and/or http://www.simap.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?NOTICE_NR=1019965

(French). Contact BLS AG,  attn Silvio Gasparini, Berna,  tel +32

583272958, email silvio.gasparini@bls.ch. Visit

http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=206061-2018.

Ref.n. 296. 20/18.