Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority has decided on a new $140 million two-lane, immersed tube tunnel beneath the River Tyne to be financed, designed, built and operated by a private consortium. The new tunnel will effectively dual the existing A19, one of the key economic corridors in the North-East of England. Tenders will be issued in late-2003 and work is expected to begin in May, 2004 for an opening in December, 2006. More from bompr@compuserve.com or visit www.arup.com 25/01. Bid submitted by the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority to build a new £139 million Tyne tunnel. Public inquiry expected to be held in the autumn of 2002. If the scheme is approved, the new 1.6 km tunnel could be open by 2007. Immersed tube technique plus cut-and-cover. Visit www.twpta.gov.uk/ntc/index.htm 23/02.Preinformation notice for design, build and finance of a new vehicular tunnel between north and south Tyneside, all approach roads and associated works. Also operation and maintenance of the new tunnel, the existing vehicular tunnel and the existing pedestrian/cycle tunnels. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=214500-2003, OJ S 241, or contact Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority, Newcastle, fax +44 1912116099. E-mail paul.fenwick@newcastle.gov.uk. Visit www.twpta.org.uk 02/04.Restricted procedure, deadline 3rd February, 2004 for construction-related highway services including new construction, improvements, refurbishments, traffic management, repairs and maintenance. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=002056-2004, OJ S 3, or contact Council of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle, fax +44 1912115909. E-mail john.ramsay@newcastle.gov.uk or jean.jarvis@newcastle.gov.uk 03/04.Negotiated procedure, deadline 7th May, 2004 for design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of a new immersed tube tunnel, all approach roads and associated works. Also includes the upgrading of ventilation, communications, signing and emergency escapes in the 1,645 m-long existing tunnel as well as operation and maintenance of the existing tunnel and the existing pedestrian/cycle tunnels. DBFO contract expected to be awarded in autumn 2005. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=046374-2004, OJ S 54, or contact Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority, Newcastle, fax +44 1912116099. E-mail paul.fenwick@newcastle.gov.uk. Visit www.newtynecrossing.info 13/04.The four prequalified bidders for the second Tyne crossing are Balfour Beatty; John Laing; Bouygues; and a joint venture of Mowlem / Nuttall / Vinci. The four are now on the shortlist for the next stage of the procurement process. The project is to build a new 1.6 km immersed tunnel parallel to the existing crossing. The estimated capital cost is approximately GBP180 million at today's prices. Visit www.newtynecrossing.info 41/04.The Bouygues Travaux Publics-led consortium has been appointed preferred bidder designate for the New Tyne Crossing by the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA). The final 30-year concession contract to finance, design and construct a second vehicle tunnel alongside the existing Tyne tunnel and to operate and maintain all the tunnels (including the pedestrian and cycle tunnels) under the river, is expected to be signed in August this year. Bouygues beat the Balfour Beatty-led Connect North East consortium, which has been placed on stand-by should agreement not be reached with Bouygues. The Bouygues team includes Parsons Brinckerhoff, Wood Holmes Group, Hall Construction, Clancy Dowcra, Faber Maunsell, Insite Environments, Colas and Able UK. The New Tyne Crossing is a 1.5 km immersed tunnel and major and complex civil engineering project which will complete the dualling of the A19, a strategic road that links the North East's three largest conurbations. Click uk/36. Read E-News Weekly 6/2007, 5/2006, 44/2005, 34/2005 & 5/2003. Visit www.newtynecrossing.info, www.bouygues-construction.com, www.pbworld.com and www.fabermaunsell.com 17/07.After being named preferred bidder a few months ago, Bouygues Construction has signed the contract worth more than EUR500 million to build and operate the new Tyne crossing under-river tunnels in Newcastle. A concession operator named TT2 and made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, HSBC Infrastructure Fund II and Bank of Scotland Corporate was selected to carry out the work, which is expected to take four years, followed by the operation of the tunnels. The contract includes the design and construction of a new tunnel, the renovation of the existing tunnel, financing and the operation of the whole system for 30 years (including the duration of the works). Visit www.newtynecrossing.info and www.bouygues-construction.comMotorway A19 that links Newcastle's north and south is a dual two-lane carriageway that narrows to one single lane in each direction in the tunnel. This bottleneck causes important disruptions. The new tunnel, which will duplicate the existing tunnel link, is 1,600 m long, whereof 360 m under the Tyne. For its crossing of the river, the tunnel will consist of 90 m-long precast concrete caissons. Bouygues proposed the TIMBY (standing for Tunnel IMmergé BouYgues) process developed by its engineers Pierre Longchamp, Philippe Autuori and Patrick Palbras in conjunction with Herrenknecht but the caissons will be built in the classical manner in a dry yard. Click here. The TIMBY concept has received in January this year the first innovation prize from the French federation for public works (FNTP). Visit www.fntp.fr/actualite/dp/DPinnovation26012007.pdfTyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA) is to provide a subsidy of EUR160 million, HSBC Infrastructure Fund II, Bank of Scotland Corporate, and Bouygues Travaux Publics will provide EUR54 million in capital, and TT2 has contracted a EUR290 million senior debt loan from banks HSBC, Bank of Scotland Corporate and Natixis. Construction of the new tunnel, worth EUR355 million euros, will start first. When finished, all traffic will be diverted through the new tunnel while the existing tunnel is renovated and upgraded to current safety standards. Work is slated to commence in March 2008 for opening of the new tunnel and the renovated existing tunnel in December 2011. 49/07.In December, Arup has been appointed technical advisor during the construction phase which will see the existing Tyne tunnel double in capacity by introducing a new 1.6 km tunnel, including an immersed tube tunnel. The new tunnel will carry two lanes of southbound traffic while the existing tunnel will be converted to carry two lanes of traffic travelling northbound. Arup worked with the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA) for the last eight years to develop designs for the crossing and to help procure a concessionaire for the project. Construction of the new Tyne crossing is scheduled to begin next spring and take four years. Read E-News Weekly 4/2008. Click here. Visit www.arup.com and www.newtynecrossing.info 08/08.The contract to build the immersed tube section of Newcastle's GBP260 million Tyne tunnel has been awarded to specialist contractor Volker Stevin Marine by tunnel concessionaire TT2, a consortium led by French contractor Bouygues Travaux Publics. It handed Volker Stevin Marine the GBP16 million contract to manufacture, transport and submerse the tunnel units that will form the structure's 360 m immersed tube section. The contract involves the construction of four 90 m-long split sections of rectangular precast and reinforced concrete, which are 8.5 m by 15 m in size and altogether will require 14,400 cubic metres of concrete. The tunnel sections will be built in the dry dock before being floated down the Tyne adjacent to the existing tunnel where they are expected to be submerged in Autumn 2009. TT2 began preliminary works on the 1.6 km tunnel in April and is set to begin the cut-and-cover section of the structure this summer. The new Tyne crossing will run parallel to the existing Tyne tunnel between East Howdon on the north bank of the river Tyne and Jarrow on the south bank. The new tunnel will carry all southbound traffic, whilst the existing tunnel will carry all northbound traffic. Visit www.volkerstevin.co.uk and www.newtynecrossing.info 24/08.Meanwhile, consultant Halcrow has also been appointed to design the mechanical and electrical systems for the new Tyne crossing. The M&E design will include tunnel-related aspects of ventilation, fire and incident detection, fire suppression, traffic control, electrical supply arrangements, drainage and lighting. Visit www.halcrow.com 24/08.French-owned Bouygues Travaux Publics has appointed consultants HPR to design and manage the new Tyne crossing. The brief will include design coordination and designing components of the scheme, managing regulatory approvals and consents for the scheme, and design of highway works, the immersed tunnel, cut-and-cover tunnel approaches, bridges and buildings. The new Tyne crossing will deliver a second two-lane 1.6 km vehicle tunnel under the River Tyne to ease traffic congestion between East Howdon and Jarrow, and will complete the dualling of the A19 from its junction with the A1 in southeast Northumberland to north Yorkshire. The new tunnel is expected to open in 2010 and the refurbished existing tunnel complete in late 2011 to bring it up to modern safety standards. Construction costs are estimated at GBP260 million. Visit www.hprconsult.com and www.newtynecrossing.info 27/08.Restricted invitation to tender, deadline 26.01.2009, for asbestos removal and encapsulation works on caulking in central Newcastle tunnels owned by Nexus, the Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive. Contract commencement 01.04.2009. Prequalification requirements, together with specs and docs, from Paul Claughton at Nexus, tel +44 19 1203 3355, e-mail paul.claughton@nexus.org.uk. http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=336748-2008 01/09.

  Westminster, the final station on the Jubilee Line Extension, opened on 22nd December just in time to ferry members of Parliament to the Millennium Dome for the New Year celebrations. The line had been opening in sections since 14th May, 1999 and trains had been running along its full length since 20th November without stopping at Westminster. The new station extends 38.2 m below street level to service the JLE lines (which are stacked at this point) and interchanges with the existing Circle and District line. It has 17 escalators, two elevators and four fixed stairways from the JLE platforms to the ticket hall, and another two elevators and two staircases from the Circle and Disrict line. The station forms the foundation for Portcullis House, a new office block opposite Big Ben reputed to be the most expensive accommodation in London at $1.6 million/room. January 2000. The Crossrail and Chelsea-Hackney underground railway proposals have received a $200 million allocation to fund further design work, for which tenders will be invited soon. Administrators will be Sir Alastair Morton's Strategic Rail Authority and Mayor Livingstone's Transport for London, run by Bob Kiley. Both schemes have been on the back burner for years, with Crossrail having completed its final design in the early nineties. Mott MacDonald and Maunsell designed the Crossrail tunnels; Symons/Travers Morgan, Liverpool Street station; Babtie, Farringdon station; Mott MacDonald, Tottenham Court Road station; Halcrow, Bond Street station; and Benaim/Golder, Paddington station. Dr Sauer was NATM consultant. Halcrow had earlier completed the preliminary design for the Chelsea-Hackney line.Crossrail was kicked into touch in favour of the Jubilee Line Extension, a project subsequently consigned to the Chamber of Horrors on account of its time and cost overruns. Before Crossrail can be tendered, Messrs Morton and Kiley have to overcome the public resentment generated by the JLE debacle. In the meantime, they have briefs to remedy the infrastructural dereliction of both Railtrack and London Underground. With the best will in the world, they cannot do both, and Crossrail will be the inevitable loser. Visit www.dr-sauer.com 27/01.A team led by Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering including Balfour Kilpatrick for the mechanical and electrical works and Stent for ground improvement, has secured a GBP115 million contract. The scope of the work is predominantly below ground and comprises the construction of the Northern ticket hall adjacent to King's Cross main railway station. It includes construction and fitout of a three-storey concrete box which will provide improved access to the Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines via new escalators and accessible lifts. Fitout works include both architectural finishes and the installation of a full range of building services.Mobilisation has already started and work will start in the summer. The works will be undertaken without impeding the station's 80 million annual passengers. Partial completion of the works in 2008 will allow access for Network Rail to proceed with the redevelopment of the mainline station. When finished in 2011, the station is estimated to be handling 92,000 passengers during the daily morning peak. Works at both the underground and mainline stations will be completed for the 2012 Olympics. Visit www.balfourbeatty.com 23/06.The Morgan Est / Beton- und Monierbau joint venture (MBJV) has been awarded a GBP55 million programme of tunnelling works by Metronet Rail to provide additional underground pedestrian links at King's Cross station. The tunnelling works form part of the new Northern ticket hall that will link the metro station to the King's Cross and St Pancras main line stations and the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link terminus at St Pancras. The contractors will build over 300 linear metres of tunnels ranging from 4 metres to 9.5 metres in diameter. These will then connect and provide passengers with new underground links from the Northern ticket hall to the deep-level Piccadilly, Northern and Victoria lines. The works will also include the construction of stairways, escalator shafts and an elevator shaft which will provide lifts for the mobility impaired within the underground station. The project involves building new works underneath King's Cross main line station and adjacent to St Pancras Chambers, which are Grade I listed, and the Great Northern Hotel, which is Grade II listed. The tunnelling project is due for completion in spring 2008. View schematic here. Read E-News Weekly 23/2006. Visit www.morganest.com and www.bemo.net 23/06.Negotiated call for bids, deadline 4th February, 2008 for the Victoria station upgrade, comprising civil engineering, fit-out and services installations for a new subsurface Northern ticket hall, for extension to existing subsurface Southern ticket hall, new subsurface tunnels to provide access to existing platforms, and other minor works. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=7696-2008, OJ S 7, or contact London Underground Ltd, London, fax +44 2079183800. E-mail chris.eaglen@tube.tfl.co.uk 05/08.Negotiated procedure, deadline 03.11.2008, for design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance of integrated distributed control system (TCCS) for cooling and ventilation equipment for a number of ventilation shafts and stations on the London Underground system, value STG4 million, duration of contract 48 months. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=260596-2008, OJ S 197. Contact Julian Frost at LUL, julian.frost@tube.tfl.gov.uk More at www.tfl.gov.uk 44/08.Invitation to tender by negotiated procedure, deadline 20.02.2009, for repair and maintenance services of underground installations operated by Metronet. Five year overall value of contracts ranges from EUR517 million to EUR595 million. Companies expressing interest will be sent a prequalification questionnaire. Further information from Alan Chowles at Metronet, tel +44 2070 384504, e-mail TPSInfo@metronetrail.com. http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=008978-2009 03/09.

This section will run for 39 km from Southfleet Junction to Ebbsfleet and under the River Thames to West Thurrock and Dagenham from where it will be in tunnels 19 km long to London St Pancras. Design work commissioned by Union Railways North for tunnels under the Thames and east London and acquisition of land and underground rights are proceeding, all under a $440 million contract for preliminary works. Construction starts in mid-2001 with completion in 2007. June 1999.   Union Railways proposes to compensate landowners for subterranean rights of way by paying a guaranteed minimum of $850 each to avoid protracted negotiations. October 1999.   Invitation to qualify for list of contractors for 40 km of 7.8 m-diameter soft ground tunnels with 5 x 35 m-deep x 200-300 sq m ventilation structures. Five separate contracts: from King’s Cross station in central London to Stratford east of the city 2 x 7.5 km tubes requiring two TBMs and including two ventilation structures; construction of 1 km-long Stratford station 54 m-wide at 18 m depth; from Stratford to Barrington Road 2 x 4.7 km tubes requiring two TBMs and including two ventilation structures; from Barrington Road to Ripple Lane 2 x 5.3 km tubes using two TBMs and including a ventilation structure and a cut-and-cover section; and the twin-tube 2.5 km Thames tunnel between Swanscombe and Thurrock requiring a single TBM. Depositions should include details of the machines to be used. The first preferred contractors announcement in January, 1998 nominated Tracklink, a jv of Mowlem, Holzmann and Besix for Contract 210 London Tunnels West, and a jv of Nuttall, Wayss & Freytag and Kier for Contract 250 London Tunnels East. This programme was aborted by the government in favour of a two-stage approach that resulted in the North Downs tunnel and Kent stretch of the new line being built first. More information from www.ctrl.co.uk December 1999.   First contract awarded to AMEC Civil Engineering for preliminary works including three pipejack tunnels for electricity and gas main diversions, commencing January, 2000 value $1.6 million. Information from PXJESSEL@ctrl.co.uk January 2000.   The major construction companies have been invited to a London briefing on 29th February to outline the civil engineering contracts that will make up Section 2 of the CTRL between Southfleet in north Kent and St Pancras in central London. CTRL developer Union Railways and project manager and designer Rail Link Engineering will unveil the contract packages on which design work is well advanced and invitations to tender will be issued this summer. Work is scheduled to begin in mid-2001 for commissioning 2007. More from PXRAVENS@ctrl.co.uk March 2000.   Prequalification underway for supply of 26,700 rings comprising 9+1 segments with i.d. 7.15 m, thickness 35 cm, length 1.5 m and 700 rings comprising 7+1 segments with i.d. 6 m, thickness 30 cm. Contact through PXJESSEL@ctrl.co.uk March 2000. Rail Link Engineering announced that 12 organisations have been invited to tender for five contracts worth $900 million for 20 km of tunnels from St Pancras station, through east London, and under the Thames river into North Kent. Contract awards scheduled early 2001 with construction commencing mid-year. Contract 220 from St Pancras to Stratford: Balfour Beatty/Amec; Miller/Dumez GTM/B&M; Nishimatsu/Kvaerner; Necso/Galliford. Contract 230 Stratford Box: Carillion/Bachy Soletanche; Mowlem/Bouygues/Besix; Kvaerner; Necso/Galliford. Contract 240 from Stratford to Barrington Road: Balfour Beatty/Amec; Campenon Bernard SGE; Nishimatsu/Kvaerner; Costain/Skanska/Bachy Soletanche. Contract 250 Barrington Road to Ripple Lane: Nuttall/Wayss & Freytag/Kier; Miller/Dumez/B&M; Hochtief/Murphy; Costain/Skanska/Bachy Soletanche. Contract 320 Thames tunnels: Nuttall/Wayss & Freytag/Kier; Campenon Bernard SGE; Hochtief/Murphy; Mowlem/Bouygues/Besix. Information from PXRAVENS@ctrl.co.uk May 2000. Union Railways reports value of contracts as: contract 220, $280 million; contract 230, $135 million; contract 240, $170 million; contract 250, $143 million. Contact PXJESSEL@ctrl.co.uk May 2000.Tenders issued for CTRL contract 103 for civil works to build new tracks for CTRL and connections to West Coast and East Coast main lines to the north of Kings Cross and St Pancras stations, including realignment of the Midland main line and construction of new tunnels for Thameslink 2000 project. Four organisations will bid: Kier/Nuttall; Tracklink (Mowlem/Bouyges/Besix); Alfred McAlpine/Amec; and Hochtief/Norwest Holst. Contract award Spring, 2001 with work commencing six months later. Client is Union Railways (North) Ltd. Visit www.ctrl.co.uk August 2000. Prequalification underway for contract 105 for Union Railways at St Pancras to include deck extension of station and train shed, and refurbishment of station including Thameslink tunnels. For documents fax +44 (0)207 681 5546 or visit www.ctrl.co.uk November 2000. Contractor prequalification announced for design/construct contract 310, Thames to Dagenham as: Balfour Beatty; Eurolink (Miller/Dumez GTM/B&M); Hochtief/Norwest Holst; Necso/Galliford; Tracklink (Mowlem/Bouyges/Besix); and Alfred McAlpine/Amec. Preferred bidder will be announced late-2001 with site open Spring, 2002. Visit www.ctrl.co.uk and www.balfourbeatty.com 03/01. CTRL Shortlist AnnouncedUnion Railways (North) Ltd has announced the shortlisted tenderers for five contracts worth over $750 million to construct major elements of Section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL). The contracts include 20 km of tunnels that will carry the CTRL from north Kent under the Thames and through east London into St Pancras Station.The shortlisted organisations for each contract are:Contract 220 - West London Portal (edge of Kings Cross Railway Lands) to Stratford Box: Balfour Beatty Group Ltd/Amec Capital Projects Ltd; Nishimatsu Construction Co Ltd/Skanska Construction UK Ltd.Contract 230 - Stratford Box: Tracklink (J Mowlem and Co PLC/Bouygues SA/Besix SA); Skanska Construction UK Ltd.Contract 240 - Stratford to Barrington Road, Little Ilford: Nishimatsu Construction Co Ltd/Skanska Construction UK Ltd; Costain Ltd/Skanska Construction UK Ltd/Bachy Soletanche Ltd.Contract 250 - Barrington Road, Little Ilford, to Ripple Lane, Dagenham: Edmund Nuttall Ltd/Wayss & Freytag AG/Kier Construction Ltd; Hochtief AG/J Murphy & Sons Ltd.Contract 320 - Thames Tunnels including northern and southern approaches from Swanscombe to Thurrock: Edmund Nuttall Ltd/Wayss & Freytag AG/Kier Construction Ltd; Hochtief AG/J Murphy & Sons Ltd.Preferred bidders for C230 and C320 are scheduled to be announced later this month (January) with the three remaining contracts awarded in February. All are scheduled to start on site in mid-2001. 03/01.Shortlist for contract 103 to be awarded Spring, 2001 are Kier/Edmund Nuttall and Hochtief/Norwest Holst. Work involves new tracks, connections and realignment together with new tunnels for Thameslink. Visit www.hochtief.de 04/01. Award of contract 230 for Stratford station box to Skanska/Nishimatsu/Cementation, value $150 million. Contract 320 including 2.5 km-long Thames twin-tube bored tunnels awarded to Hochtief/Murphy, value $185 million. Visit www.ctrl.co.uk 07/01. Latest contracts awarded:Contract 135 (St Pancras - Highways and Utilities) - approx. value £11.5 million, let to Edmund Nuttall Ltd; Contract 220 (Stratford to West London Portal) - approx. value £145 million, let to Nishimatsu/Cementation Skanska; Contract 240 (Stratford to Barrington Road) - approx. value £125 million, let to Costain/Skanska/Bachy Soletanche; Contract 250 (Ripple Lane to Barrington Road) - approx. value £115 million, let to Edmund Nuttall/Wayss & Freytag/Kier. More from www.ctrl.co.uk 09/01. Announcement of 8.1 m-diameter TBM orders as follows: contract 220 (Nishimatsu, Skanska) Stratford to Kings Cross, two Kawasaki dual mode EPBs; contract 240 (Costain, Bachy Soletanche) Barrington Road to Stratford, two Wirth EPBs; contract 250 (Nuttall, W&F, Kier) Ripple Lane to Barrington Road, two Lovat dual mode EPB/Open; contract 320 (Hochtief, Murphy) Thames Tunnels, two Herrenknecht Mixshields. Machine deliveries start May, 2002. Visit www.ctrl.co.uk 27/01. Tunnelling on Contract 240 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) project was halted as engineers investigated the appearance of a huge crater across several gardens along the tunnel route. The collapse of old water wells built in the 1860s is believed to be the most likely cause of the landslip, which forced 50 people to evacuate their houses in Stratford, east London on 8th February. All but two of the households were allowed back on 10th February. The 10 m-deep crater happened more than a day after a 120 m-long TBM - nicknamed Hudson - boring a 8 m-wide tunnel passed below the houses on Lavender Street. The tunnel remained intact. A joint venture involving Costain, Skanska and Bachy Soletanche was awarded a £125 million contract for the section between Stratford and Barrington Road and started work last November. The tunnel is the first of two being bored at 85 metres per week by the 1,100-tonne machine carving through chalk, sand and London clay. A second TBM, named Brunel, is working in conjunction with Hudson. The tunnelling work, 20 m below the surface, is pending the outcome of an inquiry. Hundreds of tonnes of concrete were poured into the 10 m-wide hole. Officials said they knew of the wells but residents accused London and Continental Railways (LCR) of ignoring their warnings. The £5.2 billion CTRL is being constructed in two sections. Work on the 74 km stretch from the Channel tunnel entrance to Fawkham Junction in North Kent began in October 1998. It is now 92% complete and should open next year. The second phase - 39 km between Southfleet, North Kent, and the terminal at St Pancras - got under way in July 2001 and is more than a third finished. Visit www.ctrl.co.uk. 08/03. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has given the go-ahead for tunnelling to restart on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link west to east tunnel between Stratford and Barrington Road (contract C240). Digging work resumed on 30th April after a ground collapse damaged homes and swallowed gardens in Lavender Street, Stratford (east London) last 8th February. The decision has triggered protests from residents who say they have yet to receive any credible explanation as to why the first collapse happened, or guarantees that there will not be a recurrence.In a letter, the HSE says that "further anomalies in the ground ahead of the down line and up line tunnels cannot be ruled out" and adds "We recognise that there is no technique available for reliably determining the location of each and every significant anomaly that may be in this area". The HSE has told the contractors to improve testing and monitoring procedures and to be ready with "emergency procedures in the event of any sudden collapse of ground".The area being tunnelled is dotted with underground wells and streams. There are also believed to be a number of unexploded bombs from the second world war. Work on the 4.5 km stretch of tunnel in Stratford may be especially risky because the plan is now for one EPB tunnelling machine to overtake the other. Previously they were set so that one was always 50 metres behind to avoid too much ground disruption at the same point. One Wirth TBM is still underneath Lavender Street, where the ground collapse occurred. The other machine, which is the first to be reactivated, is 150 metres away, beneath the car park of a warehouse. The machine involved in February's ground collapse is expected to be reactivated in mid-May. 19/03.Second breakthrough completed 2.5 km-long Thames tunnel 50 days ahead of schedule. Hochtief-Murphy jv 8.15 m-diameter Herrenknecht TBM negotiated water-bearing alluvium, terrace gravels and chalk at rates up to 170 m/week at up to 40 m below surface of river. Total 560,000 cu m excavated in two tunnels. Visit www.herrenknecht.com 42/03.Nishimatsu-Cementation Skanska jv has passed the 5 km mark on the 7.5 km-long Stratford tunnels of Contract 220, from which 1.6 million t will be excavated to breakthrough in early-2004. Visit www.ctrl.co.uk 42/03.

Rail Link Engineering designing and managing construction for Union Railways South for section from Folkestone to Fawkham junction. Contract 410 is for tunnel 3.2 km-long with 160 m2 excavated section using sprayed concrete awarded to Eurolink jv. Completion 2003. May 1999.   Contract to supply steel lattice arches awarded to ROM Tunnelling. October 1999. Kvaerner Construction reports that it is working on a $225 million section of CTRL at Ashford, Kent which includes 17 km of civil engineering with cut-and-cover tunnels through the town centre, a three-span bridge and links into the existing international station without interruption to the railway timetable. Details from www.kvaerner.com April 2000.North Downs tunnel breakthrough reported by Rail Link Engineering (RLE) two months ahead of schedule and $7.5 million under budget. The 13 m-wide x 3.2 km-long structure installed at maximum depth of 90 m is the largest mainline train tunnel in the UK. 500,000 t was excavated in chalk as a 66 sq m crown heading followed by bench and invert, using 4 m rockbolts, mesh, lattice girders and 40,000 cu m sprayed concrete. Best progress was: crown 81 m/week or 14 m/day; bench 181 m/week; and invert excavation and blinding 1,322 m/week. RLE comprises Bechtel, Ove Arup, Halcrow, and Systra and is responsible for the design and project management of the rail link. Visit www.ctrl.co.uk June 2000.74 km-long Section 1 of CTRL officially opened by prime minister on 16th September, 2003 and commenced operation on 28th September, 2003, on time and within budget. Journey time London-Paris now around 2.5 h. Eurostar train set new British speed record of 334.7 km/h on safety test 30th July, 2003. Visit www.ctrl.co.uk 42/03.

  Crossing under Thames to connect with City Airport promoted by London First. March 1999.   Docklands Light Railway estimates that its passenger volume in Docklands, east and south-east London will reach 60 million/year by 2004, by which time extensions to City Airport and North Woolwich will be in operation. Further extension of the railway to Woolwich Arsenal by 2006 will require a tunnel under the Thames. Visit www.londonunderground.co.uk August 2000.  Feasibility study for 2.5 km-long tunnelled cross-Thames extension from Beckton to Woolwich completed by W S Atkins. Construction start mid-2004 for completion in three years. Mowlem and Amec bidding for concession. Visit www.dlr.co.uk 44/01.Negotiated procedure, deadline 23rd January, 2004 for design, build, finance and maintenance contract of an extension of the Docklands Light Railway between King George V and Woolwich Arsenal including twin bored tunnels under the Thames. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=211530-2003, OJ S 237, or contact Docklands Light Railway Ltd, London, fax +44 2073639708. E-mail dkeep@dlr.co.uk 51/03.The Woolwich Arsenal Rail Enterprises (WARE), a 50/50 joint venture between Amec and the Royal Bank of Scotland, has been appointed preferred bidder for the GBP200 million extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Woolwich Arsenal. Under the terms of the contract, WARE will manage the design, build, finance and maintenance of the 2.5 km extension from King George V station under the Thames to Woolwich Arsenal station. This includes overseeing the twin bored tunnel excavation under the Thames and the construction of a new station integrated with the existing Woolwich Arsenal Network Rail station. Each of the twin tunnels will have a diameter of 5.2 m and a length of around 1.8 km. The remainder of the extension runs in cut and cover. The JV is expected to reach financial close on the PPP scheme in time for construction to begin in spring 2005. Completion is due in winter 2008/09. Visit www.amec.com and www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr/index.shtml 53/04-01/05.AMEC has contracted with Lovat for the purchase of a new TBM for the Docklands Light Rail (DLR) extension from King George V station to Woolwich Arsenal in east London. Lovat is to design and custom manufacture a 6 m-diameter soft ground machine. Crossing the Thames, the TBM model ME238SE series 21800 is to bore a 1.83 km twin tunnel. The machine will be erecting and installing prefabricated concrete segments, forming an 8-piece, tapered trapezoidal ring, having an outside diameter of 5.8 m and an internal diameter of 5.3 m. The machine features a screw conveyor with a peripheral drive mechanism for a rear discharge to a muck pump. This approach will be taken for material removal for the first 300-500 metres, then switched to a continuous belt conveyor for the remainder of the drive. The geology expected along the tunnel alignment will generally consist of terrace gravels, chalk and Thanet sands. This EPB machine is expected to encounter pressures of 4 bar. Delivery to the site is expected by November 2005. Visit www.lovat.com, www.amec.com and http://developments.dlr.co.uk/extensions/woolwich/index.shtml 25/05.

  Proposal for self-financed tolled second crossing of Thames put forward by London First, a business organisation. March 1999.Restricted procedure, deadline 19th April, 2004 to undertake preliminary design and feasibility studies, prepare a detailed design specification and contract documents and then, in the construction phase, act as the client's representative for the refurbishment contract or contracts on the existing 1.2 km Blackwall tunnel northbound. Works will include refurbishing and upgrading the tunnel services, including ventilation, control of mechanical services, tunnel lighting and communications systems, and works to the tunnel structure, including the walkway, lining and road surfacing. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=045743-2004, OJ S 53, or contact Transport for London, London, fax +44 2070279861. E-mail meeramajithia@streetmanagement.org.uk or johnnewham@streetmanagement.org.uk 14/04.Restricted procedure, deadline 3rd March, 2006 for refurbishment work of the A102 Blackwall tunnel northbound tube (1,360 m) in London, including mainly as follows: removal of cladding and replacement with a fireproof lining; lighting; communication; traffic control signals; drainage; fire and incident detection; fire main and hydrants; escape route signing; and PTZ and fixed cameras amongst others. The contract value is estimated at GBP40 million. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=019592-2006, OJ S 18, or contact Transport for London, London, fax +44 2076543773. E-mail lilianwong@streetmanagement.org.uk. Read E-News Weekly 4/2006. 06/06.Restricted call for tenders, deadline 7th September, 2007 for the 1.4 km Blackwall northbound tunnel refurbishment on motorway A102. This is a re-bid. Read E-News Weekly 33/2007. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=178762-2007, OJ S 144, or contact Transport for London, London, fax +44 2071261002. E-mail lilian.wong@tfl.gov.uk 34/07.Restricted call for tenders, deadline 30th September, 2008 for the 1.4 km Blackwall northbound tunnel refurbishment on motorway A102. This is a second re-bid. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=191658-2008, OJ S 143, or contact Transport for London, London, fax +44 2030542006. E-mail christopher.carroll@tlf.gov.uk 31/08.

Flakt Woods, in conjunction with the M&E sub contractor VVB Engineering Services Ltd, has been awarded a EUR600,000 contract to supply the fans for the ventilation system for the contract to upgrade the 113 year old northbound bore of the 1364 m Blackwall tunnel in London. The Blackwall Tunnel runs underneath the River Thames, linking Tower Hamlets with Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. Work includes installing new ventilation fans in the tunnel's four shafts as well as new lighting, upgraded CCTV and new communications systems installed throughout the tunnel. The client, Transport for London(TfL) has also begun installing 26 safe areas or niches inside the tunnel, including emergency phones and fire extinguishers.Flakt Woods is providing 16 of their 160JMFTS vertically mounted smoke vent category: 400 degrees C for 2 hour type fans, as well as JM type axial fans.For more click here, here and uk/18. Visit www.flaktwoods.com/it and http://vvb-eng.com/business-sectors/roads-highways/blackwall-tunnel-northbound-refurbishment/. 31/11

  $82 million contract awarded by Yorkshire Water to Miller Civil Engineering and Birse Construction joint venture for 10.5 km tunnel, 3.6 m diameter and some 22 m deep with 10 shafts to connect sewers in west and east Hull passing beneath the river, the marina and the docks. Two new Lovat 4.24 m mixed-face TBMs will bore through alluvial sands, glacial clays and tills, silts, sands and gravels with groundwater pressures of 1.9 to 2.3 bar. Maximum cover 16 m and minimum radius 300 m. Three sections to be bored: 5.5 km, 3.33 km and 1.78 km. Machines powered at 672 kW and can run in open or closed mode. Six-piece 3.6 m i.d. segmental trapezoidal lining in rings of 1 m width. March 1998.   Ten 25 m-deep shafts constructed as jacked wet caissons using Charcon segments. Two identical Lovat mixed face EPBs delivered October, 1998. Bore diameter 4.24 m, maximum thrust 2,400 t with 672 kW cutterhead power through ten variable displacement hydraulic motors. Six-piece Charcon trapezoidal segmental lining in 1.0 m rings of 4.1 m outside diameter and 3.6 m internal diameter. Schoma locomotives and UMD rolling stock. Sept 1999.   Collapse of 15 m-long section of segmental lining occurred 150 m behind one of the TBMs in mid-November without injury or loss of life. January 2000.  Yorkshire Water has decided to recall its Lovat EPB Gloria to complete the final section of its stricken 10.6 km Humber wastewater tunnel at Hull in the north of England. Some 80% of the tunnelling had been successfully completed when a section of the 3.6 m i.d. segmentally-lined tunnel mysteriously collapsed some distance behind the face. Investigations are continuing into the cause of the incident, and there is presently no indication of anything other than a localised situation. The affected area has been stabilised using compressed air, and will be dug out and relined conventionally. A 22 m-deep retrieval shaft will be sunk 50 m ahead of the idle face, and TBM Gloria will drive towards it in an easterly direction from an existing launch shaft. Because the tunnelling was running three months ahead of schedule at the time of the incident, the original project deadline of November, 2000 is not affected. More at www.yorkshirewater.co.uk March 2000.Extensive ground investigation since the collapse has identified a layer of heavy peat at 40 m depth, some 18 m below the tunnel alignment, which may have caused the ground movement that resulted in failure of the non-bolted segmental concrete lining, trapping the TBM. The final 2km of the drive has since been completed by Miller Tunnelling using its second Lovat TBM. Work is proceeding to recover the trapped TBM. Visit www.millerconstruction.co.uk August 2000.

Design/build contract for TBM-driven, segmentally-lined 7.5 km x 7.3 m-diameter Blue Plains Tunnel (23,600 ft x 23 ft-diameter) awarded by DC Water to Traylor/Skanska/JayDee JV with design engineer Halcrow, value EUR235 million. Construction start expected in July, 2011. More from Ronald Bizzarri at DCWASA in Washington, e-mail rbizzarri@dcwasa.com. For full project details visit tunnelbuilder archive us/109 and www.dcwater.com/site_archive/news/documents/DC WASAs Long Term Control Plan_2009.pdf. 13/11.

The JV Impregilo (65 percent)/Healy-Parsons (35 percent) secured the EUR193 million (US$254 million) contract for the design and construction of the second portion of the massive tunnel system that will bring relief from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to the Anacostia River. Named the Anacostia River Tunnel, this will be 7 m-diameter and 3,810 m-long beneath the Anacostia River. It begins at Poplar Point and ends near RFK Stadium. Construction will start at the north and work south, connecting to the Blue Plains Tunnel in 2017. The contract also includes six shafts with a depth of approximately 30 m and three diversion structures. The first tunnel portion of the Clean Rivers Project is already underway. For more click here. For tunnelbuilder archive click here and us/109. Visit http://www.dcwater.com. 19/13.

Award of contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff/LiRo for construction oversight and resident engineering services for new water siphon between Brooklyn and Staten Island in New York to be EPB-driven as 3.85 m-diameter, 2,883 m-long segmentally-lined tunnel which will house 1.8 m-diameter water column. Project completion late-2013. More from Judy Cooper at PB in New York, tel +1 212 465 5332. Visit us/107 and www.pbworld.com. 19/12.

  Invitation to tender, deadline 1st October, 2008 for construction of the new Crystal Springs bypass (Polhemus) tunnel in San Mateo County. The contract consists of the excavation and construction of approximately 1,380 m length of tunnel and associated shafts, initial lining, and monitoring instrumentation/system and other associated works. The project is expected to employ a tunnel boring machine. Contact San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Contract services, tel. +1 4155514603, e-mail rfp@sfwater.org. Visit http://sfwater.org/custom/bid/detailbyplan.cfm/bidid/2423/bidtype/1/MC_ID/15/MSC_ID/149/MTO_ID/331 39/08. The currently prequalified contractors are listed at http://sfwater.org/msc_main.cfm/MC_ID/15/MSC_ID/150 clicking on SFPUC Pre-Qualified Contractors (the list of approved contractors can be found at the bottom of the page). 39/08.The SFPUC selected Jacobs Associates on 27th May to perform construction management services for the project. The 1,380 m new Crystal Springs bypass tunnel (NCSBT) will replace the existing Crystal Springs bypass pipeline and will provide residents in the southern San Francisco area with a more reliable drinking water pipeline. This tunnel project is part of the SFPUC's USD4.3 billion capital improvement programme to repair and seismically upgrade their aging pipelines, tunnels, reservoirs and dams that provide drinking water to more than 2.4 million customers in the San Francisco Bay area. The bedrock is within the Franciscan complex, classified as melange and sandstones. Under San Mateo Creek, the tunnel may require pre-grouting. The primary liner will be precast concrete segmental lining and the secondary liner a 2.44 m ID welded steel pipe. The estimated cost of the project is USD57 million. Construction is set to start in October 2008. Visit www.jacobssf.com 39/08.