Extension from Paulista through Republica to Luz under the city centre commenced and conversion of two suburban railway lines to metro operations under consideration by secretary for metropolitan transport. Existing metro network will increase by 85 km to 134 km by 2004. April 1999. Suburban rail authority Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos reports that construction is pushing ahead on the first stage of Sao Paulo metro Line 5 to serve six stations with 6.7 km elevated, 2 km at grade and 0.7 km underground for completion 2002. The line will later be extended to Embuacu on Line 2 via an interchange with Line 1 at Santa Cruz. December 1999.   Prequalification bids have been invited by the end of May, 2000 for construction of the 13.5 km-long underground section of Line 4, part-financed by the World Bank and Brazil's National Bank for Economic & Social Development with the balance from the private sector on a modified BOT basis. The US$2 billion, 12-station line will run from Luz in the city centre to the southwest and is expected to carry about one million passengers a day. The winning private-sector company will build the line and then operate it and keep the profits for a period to be negotiated before handing over all fixed and moving assets. January 2000.   Prequalification for the 12.8 km Yellow Line 4 between Luz and Pí¡tio Vila Sônia. 10.3 km to be shield-driven, of which 5.2 km in soft soil and rock between Fradique Coutinho and Vila Sônia plus 5.1 km in soft soil only between Fradique Coutinho and Luz. Also 1.6 km in NATM and 800 metres in cut-and-cover. First phase, to be completed in 2006, includes five stations in Luz, Repíºblica, Paulista, Pinheiros, and Butantí£ for US$934 million. All stations in NATM except Repíºblica. Prequalifiers to be disclosed on 21st March, 2002. Awarding expected for June, 2002. Second phase includes stations in Higiení³polis, Oscar Freire, Fradique Coutinho, Faria Lima, Tríªs Poderes, and Morumbi. Civil works represent 60%, financed by the World Bank, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and the State Treasure. Finishing works, systems and rolling stock to be financed under a 30-year BOT agreement. Total cost of US$1.3 billion. Visit www.metro.sp.gov.br and www.stm.sp.gov.br 51/01.   Lot 1 Luz-Fradique Coutinho has received 15 bids, lot 2 Fradique Coutinho-Vila Sônia has received 14 bids and lot 3 Pí¡tio Vila Sônia has received 16 bids. The bidders are: Fiat / Ivai / Comsa; Hochtief / T'Trans / Pem / Scheider; Impregilo; Ingenieros Civiles / MPE Serveng Civilsan / EBE; Somague / Efacec; OHL / Encalso / Isolux; Dywidag / Cartellone / IECSA / Impulse; Dragados / Techint; CBPO / OAS / Alstom; Bouygues / Carioca Engenheria Construbase; Camargo Correa / Siemens / Mitsui; Andrade Gutierrez / Cobra Instal. Queiroz Galví£o, Wayss & Freytag / Schahin / Constran / Cegelec; Necso / Elecnor; Obayashi / Estacon / Sumitomo; Modern / Construcap / Edwards; Mendes / Balfour Beatty. Preferred bidders to be appointed in November, 2002. Visit www.metro.sp.gov.br 17/02.   $934 million necessary to build the 14 km line, of which $418 million will come from the World Bank, $322 million from the Treasury and $194 million from private investors. Work to start in 2003. Visit www.metro.sp.gov.br 22/02.   The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (BIRD) has granted a US$209 million loan for the construction of the US$934 million 12.8 km-long underground Yellow Line 4. Visit www.worldbank.org 28/02.   Metro company Companhia do Metropolitano de Sao Paulo (CMSP) has suspended the process for a tender to build the first phase of the 12.8 km-long Line 4. Nine consortia that prequalified in September 2002 purchased bidding rules. Offers were due on 14th March, 2003. The new date to submit offers is still unknown but will be set within one month. The decision gives the company time to answer the 700 queries regarding the tender process and to sort out legal proceedings from companies who failed to prequalify. Visit www.metro.sp.gov.br 13/03.  Consortium Via Amarela (CBPO Engenharia, OAS, Alstom and Queiroz Galví£o is the lowest bidder for contracts 1 and 2 of the first stage of the line, with bids of US$304 million and US$254 million approximately. A three-month period has now open to analyse the bid. The first stage of Line 4, with a budget of US$1.26 billion, requires 12.8 km of tunnels and five stations in Butantí£, Pinheiros, Paulista, Repíºblica and Luz. It is planned to be ready in 2006. The second stage will add six more stations. Visit www.stm.sp.gov.br 28/03.Consortium Via Amarela including CBPO Engenharia, OAS, Queiroz Galví£o and Alstom will be responsible for the construction of the first stage of line 4. This first stage includes 12.8 km of tunnel between Vila Sonia depot and Luz station. There are five stations (Butantí£, Pinheiros, Paulista, Repíºblica and Luz). The Camargo Corríªa-led consortium including Andrade Gutierroz and Siemens will build the Vila Sonia rolling stock maintenance depot. The contracts should be signed within 30 days. Work will start in November 2003.The second stage includes six more stations (Morumbi, Tríªs Poderes, Faria Lima, Fradique Coutinho, Oscar Freire and Higiení³polis), which will take 36 months to build. An extension of the line to Taboao da Serra is under study. Visit www.stm.sp.gov.br and www.metro.sp.gov.br 38/03.The Via Amarela consortium, comprising of Odebrecht, Queiro & Galvao, OAS and Alstom, subcontracted to SELI part of the construction of Line 4 Yellow. It is a 12.8 km line between Vila Sonia and Luz, fully underground, which consists of a single-tube tunnel, whereof approximately 7.7 km by an Herrenknecht EPB TBM, 4.5 km using three-boom jumbos as per NATM and 800 m in cut-and-cover. The TBM diameter is 9.5 m. Precast concrete segments reinforced with fibres, using Same moulds. Conveyor belt behind the TBM and Schoema muck haulage equipment. TBM to start in September 2006. Visit www.herrenknecht.com, www.schoema-locos.de and contact s.a.m.e@samesnc.comThere are also 11 stations (using the cut-and-cover method at Morumbi, Tres Poderes, Faria Lima, Fradique Coutinho and Republica and NATM at Butanta, Pinheiro, Oscar Freire, Paulista, Higiení³polis and Luz) and 11 shafts. Geology is gneiss saprolite, gneiss, clay, alluvium and sands. SELI's part of the EUR480 million contract amounts to EUR30 million. First phase underway, including construction of Butanta, Pinheiros, Paulista, Republica and Luz stations, Vila Sonia rolling stock depot and cut-and-cover stretch. Second phase will include Morumbi, Tres Poderes, Faria Lima, Fradique Coutinho, Oscar Freire and Higienopolis stations as well as TBM and NATM tunnels. Line 4 Yellow will intersect with Line 1 Blue in Luz, Line 2 Green in Paulista and Line 3 Red in Republica. Visit www.selitunnel.com and www.metro.sp.gov.br/expansao/amarela/teamarela.shtml 41/05.Agencia Estado has reported progress on Line 4 extension to connect Lux district with Vila Sonia district with total length of 12.8 km and 11 stations. The SELI EPB www.selitunnel.com has completed 5.8 km from Faria Lima to Republica, and is under maintenance ready to relaunch in February, 2009 for the remaining 1.6 km run to Luz. Completion expected end-July, 2009. The 5.4 km section from Faria Lima to Patio da Vila Sonia is under construction using NATM techniques. For details of geology visit tunnelbuilder archive br/11 and for alignment map visit www.metro.sp.gov.br/ingles/expansion/sumary/alignment/tealignment.shtml. 04/09.