Invitation to tender for 2.25 km Monte Mario tunnel. August 1999.   ANAS, the national roads agency; has given the go-ahead to the 32.5 km Variante di valico between Sasso Marconi and Barberino di Mugello on highway A 1 linking Bologna to Florence, including a twin two-lane 8.6 km tunnel running under the Appennines between La Quercia and Aglio. There will be eight drives. Bids will be invited by the summer. The tunnel will cost €720 million. Time frame for construction of five years, commissioning in 2008. Visit www.enteanas.it 28/02.The European Investment Bank has loaned €450 million to Dexia-Crediop SpA who will grant the loan to Autostrade to build the highway. This is the first tranche of a €900 million loan. Visit www.eib.org 28/02.   Open call for bids, deadline 20th September, 2002 for construction of the 2 x 8.6 km La Quercia-Aglio basis tunnel through the Apennines between Sasso Marconi and Barberino di Mugello. Tender value €555.7 million. Visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=125810-2002, OJ S 157, or contact Autostrade, Rome, fax +39 0643634288. E-mail amanno@autostrade.it 34/02.   On section Casalecchio di Reno-Sasso Marconi, lot 3 has been awarded to Toto Costruzioni Generali and Carena, requiring two bored three-lane tunnels in Alloco (1.7 km) and Vado (1,130 m). Contract value €126.4 million. Lot 4 has been commissioned to Nino Ferrari and IRA. Includes the 2 x 240 m Campolungo bored tunnel and the 2 x 840 m Gardelletta cut-and-cover tunnel, with three traffic lanes and an emergency lane for each direction. Contract value €83.5 million. Work to last four years. Visit www.autostrade.it 40/02.   Tenders have been opened for the €555.75 million 8.7 km dual-lane twin-tube tunnel under the Appennines between La Quercia and Aglio required for the dualling of motorway A1 between Sasso Marconi and Barberino di Mugello (32.5 km). The lowest bidder is Consorzio Risalto, a consortium including contractors Rizzani, Salini and Todini, which proposed a -11.11% discount, followed by CCC, Grandi Lavori Fincosit, Coestra and SELI (-8.16%); Vianini, Toto Costruzioni, Cir and Carena (-7.26%); Condotte d'Acqua (-7.01%); Astaldi (-6.03%); and Strabag with Torno Internazionale and Lombardini (-5.3%). The best bid was actually proposed by a JV led by Baldassini-Tognozzi including Ira, Ferrari, Giustino and Locatelli (-13.59%) but the JV has been eliminated for failing to present a document. They have asked their bid to be reassessed and threatened to appeal. 15/03. Risalto, a consortium between Rizzani de Eccher, Salini and Todini has won the €555.7 million tender to upgrade the La Quercia-Aglio section of motorway A1 in the Appennines. The consortium proposed a 11.11% discount. The Lazio administrative court rejected shortly before the appeal presented by Baldassini Tognozzi. The scheme, better known as Variante di Valico, requires a double 8.6 km-long base tunnel. Visit www.autostrade.it, www.rizzanideeccher.com, www.salini.it and www.todini.it 31/03.Restricted procedure, deadline 18th September, 2003 for widening to three lanes of the Barberino del Mugello-Incisa Valdarno section, subsection Florence north-Florence south, stretch C, contracts 7 and 8. Includes the excavation of the Pozzolatico single-tube tunnel, length 2,255 m, cross section 170 sq m and the lenghening of the Brancolano tunnel, 17 m for the tunnel itself and 35 m for the portal. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=142307-2003, OJ S 156, or contact Autostrade, Rome, fax +39 0643634288. E-mail amanno@autostrade.it 35/03.Restricted procedure, deadline 19th September, 2003 for upgrading of the Sasso Marconi-Barberino del Mugello section, subsection La Quercia-Aglio, contract 12. Includes three twin cut-and-cover tunnels: Bollone 1 (81 m + 36 m); Bollone 2 (251 m + 180 m); and Bollone 3 (2 x 110 m). Width 13.7 m, cross section 75 sq m. Also includes two twin bored tunnels: Buttoli (510 m + 545 m) and Largnano (713 m + 680 m). Width 13.86 m, cross section 94 sq m. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=142312-2003, OJ S 156, or contact Autostrade, Rome, fax +39 0643634288. E-mail amanno@autostrade.it 35/03.Restricted procedure, deadline 26th July, 2004 for design and construction of section La Quercia-Badia Nuova, contract 5a, on the Bologna-Florence motorway A1, including tunnels. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=102947-2004, OJ S 122, or contact Autostrade per l'Italia, Rome, fax +39 0643634288. E-mail amanno@autostrade.it 29/04.Restricted procedure, deadline 26th July, 2004 for design and construction of section La Quercia-Badia Nuova, contract 5b, on the Bologna-Florence motorway A1, including tunnels. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=102948-2004, OJ S 122, or contact Autostrade per l'Italia, Rome, fax +39 0643634288. E-mail amanno@autostrade.it 29/04.Restricted invitation to tender, deadline 15th September, 2004 for construction of the 11.5 km Florence north-Florence south section on motorway A1. This tender includes three subsections. Subsection 4 spans 4,655 m and includes the Casellina cut-and-cover tunnel, a 2 x 460 m-long 17.5 m-wide 5.2 m-high tunnel. Subsection 5 spans 3,492 m and includes the 1,096 m 160 sq m three-lane Melarancio bored tunnel, the 77 m-long 14.7 m-wide 5.2 m-high Melarancio II cut-and-cover tunnel and the 160 m-long 14.7 m-wide 5.2 m-high Lastrone cut-and-cover tunnel. These three tunnels are single tubes. Subsection 6 includes bored tunnels in Le Romite (260 m, 85 sq m), Poggio Seco (1,231 m, 85 sq m) and Del Colle (678 m, 85 sq m). These three tunnels are single bores for two 3.75 m-wide lanes. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=135369-2004, OJ S 156, or contact Autostrade, Rome, fax +39 0643634288. E-mail amanno@autostrade.it 36/04.The design and construction of subsection 5A (7,638 m) on section La Quercia-Badia Nuova of the Bologna-Florence motorway A1 includes three bored tunnels, a single bore and two twin tubes, respectively located in La Quercia (332.5 m), Rioveggio 1 (347.3 m / 347.4 m) and Grizzana (2,321 m / 2,342.5 m) and two twin cut-and-cover tunnels in Casino (332.2 m / 353.45 m) and Rioveggio 2 (57 m / 70 m). The bored tunnels will accommodate two 3.75 m lanes and an emergency lane of the same width and a 0.7 m left shoulder. The cut-and-cover tunnels will accommodate two 3.75 m lanes and two 3.75 m emergency lanes and a 0.7 m left shoulder.The design and construction of subsection 5B (2,412 m) on section La Quercia-Badia Nuova of the Bologna-Florence motorway A1 includes a twin bored tunnel in Val di Sambro (877 m / 873.2 m) and a 75 sq m cross passage. The tunnel will accommodate two 3.75 m lanes, an emergency lane of the same width and a 0.7 m left shoulder. The bids are being assessed. Visit www.stradeanas.it 37/04.Ing. Nino Ferrari Impresa Costruzioni Generali, IRA Costruzioni Generali and Maire Lavori secured a EUR195.8 million contract for the design and construction of section La Quercia-Badia Nuova, contract 5a, on the Bologna-Florence motorway A1. This is a 7,638 m section including three bored tunnels: La Quercia (332.5 m), Rioveggio 1 (347.3 m / 347.4 m) and Grizzana (2,321 m / 2,342.5 m) and two twin cut-and-cover tunnels in Casino (332.2 m / 353.45 m) and Rioveggio 2 (57 m / 70 m). Visit www.ninoferrari.it 22/05.Autostrade per l'Italia has awarded a EUR97.2 million contract to CMB, CCC (Consorzio Cooperative Costruzioni), CFM, Electrowatt Infra and Politecnica Ingegneria ed Architectura to design and build subsection 5B (2,412 m) between La Quercia and Badia Nuova on the Bologna-Florence motorway A1 across the Apennines. This section includes a twin bored tunnel in Val di Sambro (877 m / 873.2 m) and a 75 sq m cross passage. The tunnel will accommodate two 3.75 m lanes, an emergency lane of the same width and a 0.7 m left shoulder. Visit www.cmbcarpi.it and www.ccc-acam.it 33-34/05.Restricted call for tenders, deadline 16th September, 2005 for construction of lots 6 and 7, section La Quercia-Badia Nuova on the Sasso Marconi-Barberino di Mugello section of motorway A1 Bologna-Florence. The length of lots 6 and 7 is 7.5 km, including the 3 km Val di Sambro tunnel (in addition to the 880 m built as part of lot 5b) and the approx. 2 km Sparvo tunnel. Visit http://ted.publications.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=153845-2005, OJ S 154, or contact Autostrade per l'Italia, Rome, fax +39 06436342060. E-mail amanno@autostrade.it 35/05.Baldassini Tognozzi-Pontello secured a EUR220.9 million contract to build the 11.5 km Florence north-Florence south section on motorway A1. Subsection 4 spans 4,655 m and includes the Casellina cut-and-cover tunnel, a 2 x 460 m-long 17.5 m-wide 5.2 m-high tunnel. Subsection 5 spans 3,492 m and includes the 1,096 m 160 sq m three-lane Melarancio bored tunnel, the 77 m-long 14.7 m-wide 5.2 m-high Melarancio II cut-and-cover tunnel and the 160 m-long 14.7 m-wide 5.2 m-high Lastrone cut-and-cover tunnel. These three tunnels are single tubes. Subsection 6 includes bored tunnels in Le Romite (260 m, 85 sq m), Poggio Seco (1,231 m, 85 sq m) and Del Colle (678 m, 85 sq m). These three tunnels are single bores for two 3.75 m-wide lanes. Visit www.baldassinitognozzi.it 42/05.Contract package 7-8 for widening the roadway between Florence Certosa interchange and South Florence and building a new south carriageway farther north has been awarded to Baldassini Tognozzi-Pontello for EUR103.4 million. The contract includes the Pozzolatico single-tube tunnel (2,255 m, cross section 170 sq) and a 50 m extension of the Brancolano tunnel. Click here. Visit www.baldassinitognozzi.it and www.osservatorioterzacorsia.it 17/06.Toto secured a EUR142.3 million contract to build lot 13 of the 'Variante di valico' bypass through the Apennines between Aglio and Barberino di Mugello (6.1 km), including three tunnels: Puliana (1,353 m), Alteta (240 m) and Poggio Manganaccia (2,037 m). Read E-News Weekly 37/2005. Click here. Visit www.totospa.it 28/06.Vianini Lavori, Toto and Profacta signed a EUR361.1 million contract to build lots 6 and 7 as part of the upgrading of highway A1 Milan-Naples on its Apennine section between Sasso Marconi (Emilia Romagna) and Barberino di Mugello (Tuscany). This 7.5 km section includes the Val di Sambro and Sparvo tunnels, the latter having a length of 1,950 m, and the Molino di Setta cut-and-cover (360 m). The length of the Val di Sambro tunnel is 2,900 m, i.e. the length which is not part of lot 5B. Click here.Visit www.vianinigroup.it, www.gruppototo.it or www.totospa.it 23-24/07.