Three tunnels along 160 km alignment: Botlek, Sophia and Pannerdensch. Botlek is 1.74 km and is being built by BTC consortium using a Herrenknecht TBM. Sophia is 6 km and will be built by the Tubecon consortium. Clays and peaty layers under high water tables. Netherlands Railways Betuwe Management Group is the responsible authority through the offices of Rene Buvelot and Jan Jonker. Consultant: Professor Bernard Maidl, Ruhr University. Completion for 2005. March 1998.   Invitation to tender for design and construct of line south including tunnels. August 1999.   Contract award to jv of Heymans, Strukton, Boskalis and CFE for 22 km-long Papendrecht-Lingeval section of the Betuwe line from Rotterdam to Cologne value $220 million. Includes 1.4 km Giessen tunnel in cut-and-cover. November 1999.   Award of $160 million contract to Comol jv for 1.85 km-long, 8.65 m-diameter twin-tube tunnel on Betuwe line to cross beneath Pannerdensch canal and main Zevenaar railway lines for a start in April, 2000. Comol comprises Dumez-GTM, Campenon Bernard, TBI Betonen Waterbow, Welling Didam and CFE. January 2000.   The Betuwe line will be twin track throughout and parallels the A15 highway across Holland. It involves some 130 structures, which include five tunnels totalling 18 km in length. Total project cost estimated at $4.5 billion. Zevenaar tunnel near Emmerich will be 1.5 km-long cut-and-cover using sheet piling with underwater concrete. Giessen tunnel base will have to be supported on piles because of poor support characteristics of ground in this area. Currently in design to cross beneath small waterway. March 2000.  Consortium Comol led by Vinci allied with CFE, TBI Beton-en Waterbau and Welling started excavating beneath Pannerdensch Kanaal near Arnhem using Herrenknecht Mixshield from Cairo metro. Two 9.8 m-diameter bores of 1,600 m to be driven in tricky conditions consisting of sand and clay together with crossing of a dyke and a flooded sand quarry. Contract value is Euro160 million. Visit www.groupe-vinci.com and www.herrenknecht.com 42/01.