Feasibility studies in hand for two-lane dual carriageway along national road RN 75 with four tunnels including 2 x 2.35 km-long Jocou on the Croix-Haute pass, and Rochette (2 x 110 m), Rochasson (2 x 530 m) and Faye (2 x 700 m). Work also commencing on 2 x 1.3 km-long Sinard tunnel towards Coynelle. 43/01. Tenders for construction of the 990 m Sinard tunnel on A51 to be invited in March, 2002. Single bore with parallel service gallery. Tendering for preparatory works expired since 11th December, 2001. Visit www.area.fr 51/01. Preinformation notice for the construction of the Coynelle-Col du Fau section of the A51 highway. Includes the 1 km Sinard tunnel. Visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int/ojs/en/frame.htm, OJ S 11, document 8031-2002. Also visit www.area-autoroutes.fr 04/02. Restricted procedure, deadline 12th April, 2002 for the construction of the 1 km Sinard tunnel. Visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int/ojs/en/frame.htm, OJ S 52, document 40314-2002 or contact AREA, Paris, fax +33 147533820 / +33 1478718886. 12/02.Construction of the 945 m-long dual-lane Sinard tunnel on highway A 51 between Coynelle and the Fau Pass started on 17th November, 2003. The contractors Bec Frères and Carillion BTP are using a three-boom Robofore drill rig to blast the main tunnel in full section (80 sq m) from the south drive. As of 31st March, progress has reached 228 m. Half section excavation (50 sq m) of the parallel safety tunnel with a second three-boom Robofore drill rig. Progress has reached 184 m as of 31st March. A third three-boom Robofore will start at mid-April on the north drive to excavate some 20 m on the main tunnel and 50 m on the safety tunnel to clear space to allow for the construction of a viaduct. This third machine, like one of the other two, is on rental. Three ground profiles are encountered for the main tunnel. Profile 1.2 is good ground requiring 4 cm of fibre-reinforced shotcrete and 3 cm of non-reinforced shotcrete. Six to seven Swellex bolts every two metres vertically and horizontally. Profile 2.2 is ground of lower quality requiring 7 cm of fibre-reinforced shotcrete and 3 cm of non-reinforced shotcrete combined with Swellex bolts every 1.5 m. Profile 5.1 necessitates HEB 180 steel supports every 1 or 1.5 m, sheet plates or shotcrete filling. Drill rigs to be equipped with longer feeds to allow 5 m advances. The safety tunnel is supported with fibre-reinforced and non-reinforced shotcrete. There will be no lining. A Sika-PM500 shotcrete robot is used at the site. First cross passage between both tubes at 150 m and then one every 200 m. Excavation of first cross passage has just started. Visit www.robodrill-sa.com, www.sika-stm.com, www.becfreres.com and www.carillionbtp.fr 15/04.Restricted call for tenders, deadline 11th April, 2005 for firefighting equipment of the Sinard tunnel. This 945 m tunnel is a main tube, for bidirectional traffic, and a parallel safety tunnel, which will become the second tube when traffic increases once the highway is extended farther south. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=047077-2005, OJ S 38, or contact AREA, Bron, fax +33 472353201. E-mail dirc@area-autoroutes.fr 12/05.Restricted call for tenders, deadline 11th April, 2005 for high and low voltage equipment of the 945 m Sinard tunnel (electrical equipment, lighting, centralised management, video monitoring and automatic incident detection, signalling). Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=047075-2005, OJ S 38, or contact AREA, Bron, fax +33 472353201. E-mail dirc@area-autoroutes.fr. Subscribe E-News Weekly 8/2005. 12/05.Yvroud Europeenne des Fluides received a EUR178,000 contract for firefighting equipment in the Sinard tunnel (945 m) on the A 51 highway Grenoble-Sisteron, section Coynelle-Col du Fau. Read E-News Weekly 8/2005. Visit www.yvroud.com 09/06.