Tunnelling start of the 7.6 km 5.5 m-diameter water tunnel to link the Talave and Cenajo dams delayed due to possible cancellation of phase 2 and because TBM to be used by Dragados still boring a tunnel in Italy. Limestone, marls and clay. Contract value of Ptas5.9 billion and time frame of 24 months. 50/01.Obstacles to the construction of 7.6 km-long 5.5 m-diameter Talave-Cenajo tunnel have been lifted, clearing the way for construction. A EUR37 million contract was awarded to Dragados at end-2001. A double shield TBM will be used. Excavation diameter is 5.2 m and inner diameter is 4.8 m. Segmental lining with six segments per ring. Spoil removal with a conveyor belt up to the rear of the back-up and then loading on muck cars. Visit www.dragados.com 21/04.Dragados won the contract to build the 7.6 km Talave-Cenajo water tunnel already four years ago but the project never really started, due to political and environmental problems. The project is typical of the so-called water war which has been causing friction between Castilla La Mancha and Murcia regions about the sharing of water resources. Visit www.dragados.comThe Ministry of environment has accepted the demands of the Castilla-La Mancha government to reduce the transport capacity of the Talave-Cenajo tunnel. The Ministry, the government of Castilla-La Mancha and the City of Hellín agreed in mid September to pursue the construction of the water transfer tunnel between the Talave and Cenajo reservoirs, in Albacete. The tunnel will transfer 10 cubic metres of water by second instead of 60 cu m/s planned in the initial project. The water is meant only for human consumption and not for irrigation, as previously envisaged. A few days before the agreement between the three administrations, the Castilla-La Mancha government ordered for the second time to hold up the preliminary works. These works had already been stopped by the Castilla-La Mancha executive in December 2004. In June 2005, it decided to lift the suspension and construction could resume. The revised project, recently submitted by Dragados for approval by the Ministry of environment, reduces the excavation diameter of the tunnel from 5.2 m to 4.04 and the lined diameter from 4.8 m to 3.5 m. Tunnelling is scheduled to start in 2006. The budget amounts to EUR42 million.Dragados will use a Robbins double-shield hard rock TBM to drive the tunnel. The tunnel will be lined with concrete rings, made up of four hexagonal segments instead of six as initially planned. The reinforced concrete segments will be produce by Drace, a Dragados subsidiary. The TBM has been used last time to drive the 5,373 m Piedilama tunnel in Italy, which forms part of the Piceno aqueduct, and before to bore the 10 km Pieve Vergonte hydroelectric project. Both were projects subcontracted to SELI. Visit www.robbinstbm.com and www.drace.comMuckaway by belt behind the cutterhead up to the rear of the back-up, then loco and muck wagons up to a pit and eventually from there by dumpers until the final disposal site. The owner is Aguas de la Cuenca del Segura (Acsegura), affiliated to the Ministry of environment. 52/05-01/06.Open call for tenders, deadline 5th September, 2007 for project design and construction of section II of the supply system from Cenajo dam to the basin of Taibilla canals, including a 5,950 m-long water tunnel and connecting pipe to the Cenajo water treatment plant. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=135416-2007, OJ S 110, or contact Aguas de la Cuenca del Segura, Murcia, fax +34 968222325. 25/07.Open call for tenders, deadline 4th October, 2007 for construction supervision and health and safety coordination during construction of section II of the supply system from Cenajo dam to the basin of Taibilla canals, including a 5,950 m-long water tunnel and connecting pipe to the Cenajo water treatment plant. Visit http://ted.europa.eu/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=185654-2007, OJ S 149, or contact Aguas de la Cuenca del Segura, Murcia, fax +34 968222325. E-mail acuasegura@acuasegura.es 33/07.Dragados scooped a EUR33 million contract for project design and construction of section II of the supply system from Cenajo dam to the basin of Taibilla canals, including a 5,950 m-long water tunnel and connecting pipe to the Cenajo water treatment plant. Visit www.dragados.com 02/08.Ayesa landed a EUR840,000 contract for construction supervision and health and safety coordination during construction of section II of the supply system from Cenajo dam to the basin of Taibilla canals, including a 5,950 m-long water tunnel and connecting pipe to the Cenajo water treatment plant. Visit www.ayesa.es 04/08.
