Restricted invitation to tender, deadline 10th June, 2001, for construction of four 2.5 m-diameter tunnels with total length of 12 km for Agence Nationale des Barrages, fax +213 212 99471. Published 10th May, 2001 at http://ted.eur-op.eu.int 22/01. €225 million loan approved by the European Investment Bank for the construction of a pipeline to supply drinking water to Greater Algiers and several towns in Kabylia. Project to link the Taksebt dam and Algiers. Involves construction of four tunnels with a total length of 12 km. Works between 2002 and 2006. Visit www.eib.org 48/01. Bids invited for work supervision of the Taksebt-Algiers water transfer including the Tizi Ouzou tunnel, length 3 km, the Draa Ben Khedda tunnel, length 1319 m, the Naciria tunnel, length 2621 m, and the Thénia tunnel, length 4820 m. Diameter 2.5 m for all. Bids also invited for technical consulting. Visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int/ojs/en/frame.htm, OJ S 93-72813 and -72815 or contact Agence Nationale des Barrages, Algiers, fax +213 21299471. 21/02.Agence Nationale des Barrages (ANB) has shortlisted two consortia, one headed by Dragados and the second led by SNC-Lavalin, for the construction of the water transfer from the Taksebt dam to the cities of Tizi Ouzou, Boumerdès and Algiers. Dragados proposed 10 billion dinars, taxes and tariffs not included, and €272 million for construction. SNC-Lavalin offered 23 billion dinars with taxes included and €386 million for construction. The project requires two treatment stations, two pumping stations, ducts, 30 reservoirs approximately, and four tunnels totalling 12 km. Work to start in February 2003. Both consortia proposed 37 months to complete the job. European Investment Bank to finance €225 million and French Development Agency (AFD) €30 million. 49/02.SNC-Lavalin, Ondeo Degremont, Enac (Entreprise Nationale de Canalisation), GTP (Entreprise Nationale des Grands Travaux Petroliers) and Inerga (Entreprise Nationale de Realisation d'Infrastructures Energetiques) have been awarded a CAD750 million contract to design and build the 600,000 cu m/day water treatment plant and pumping station at Taksebt, about 100 km east of Algiers. The contract with the Agence Nationale des Barrages also includes the operation and maintenance of the facilities for a five-year period once construction is completed. SNC-Lavalin will design several water treatment plants, supply and install 90 km of ductile iron pipes, and construct four tunnels, each 2.5 m in diameter, totalling 11.7 km. The pipe and tunnel systems from the treatment plant will supply water to the provinces of Tizi Ouzou, Draa Ben-Khedda and Boudouaou, as well as Algiers. Design and construction work on the plant and pumping station will be completed in different stages, with full completion in the fall of 2007. Visit www.snclavalin.com 05/05.The two Lovat TBMs, Isabella and Susanna, are ready to drive the Tizi Ouzou aqueduct. At end-December, the first TBM had already arrived in Algeria. Its assembly was scheduled in January 2006 for tunnelling start at end-January 2006. The assembly of the second TBM is programmed from end-January 2006 and tunnelling will commence in mid-February 2006. The two shielded TBMs, 3.7 m in diameter, will excavate 11.35 km of tunnel for a drinking water line from Taksebt dam near Tizi Ouzou to Algiers. The first TBM will drive the 2,377 m Tizi Ouzou tunnel and the 2,600 m Naciria tunnel. The second TBM will excavate the 1,208 m Dra-Ben-Kedda tunnel and subsequently the 4,768 m Thenia tunnel. Click dz/13 and here. Visit www.lovat.com and www.cmcra.com 07/06.