Call for bids imminent for construction of the 4 km Bracons tunnel. Budget of €150 million. Completion end of 2005. Visit www.gencat.es 30/02. Open call for bids, deadline 11th November, 2002 for work control and supervision of the new road between Vic and Olot, section Torellí³-La Vall d'en Bas including the 4 km Bracons tunnel. Tender value €3.3 million. Visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int/udl?request=Seek-Deliver&language=en&docid=148407-2002, OJ S 188, or contact GISA, Barcelona, fax +34 934300124. E-mail dlh@gisa.es 40/02. The eight bidders to build the Torellí³-La Vall d'en Bas section of road C-37, which includes the 4 km Bracons tunnel, are ACS; Comsa (highest bid with €162.8 million); a JV of Copisa, Sorigué, and Construcciones, Materiales y Pavimentos; Corsí¡n-Corviam; a JV of Dragados and Necso; FCC in JV with Guinovart; Ferrovial-Agromí¡n (lowest bid with €141.3 million); and Sacyr in partnership with Regadios & Scrinser and Cavosa. More from www.gisa.es 47/02.A joint venture of FCC and Agrupacií³n Guinovart & Obras y Servicios Hispania won a €155.9 million contract to build the 4.3 km Bracons tunnel. Visit www.fcc.es 50/02.The Catalan government decided in March to resume construction of the Vic-Olot road link and Bracons tunnel but changes to the alignment have been introduced reducing the number of lanes and the gradient. There will be three lanes instead of four, one for each direction, plus an acceleration lane at each end of the Bracons tunnel. The tunnel has been lengthened to 4,388 m, which is a gain of 50 m, and will run at lesser height (minus 18 m). The gradient will be changed to 2.15% instead of 1.7%. On the Olot side, decisions have not been made yet. On the Torello side, there will be four bored tunnels and two cut-and-cover tunnels. The bored tunnels are in Sala (529 m), Salinas (148 m), San Andreu de la Vola (406 m) and La Rierola (106 m). The cut-and-cover tunnels are in La Cavorca (155 m) and San Andreu de la Vola (113 m). The builders are a JV between FCC and Agrupacií³n Guinovart & Obras y Servicios Hispania, while GPO Ingenierí­a is in charge of the construction management. The excavation radius of the Bracons tunnel is 7.27 m for an average section of 112.5 sq m. Progress has reached 450 m at mid-April. An Atlas Copco XL3 C Rocket Boomer drill rig is used. Support with Swellex Mn 24 and shotcrete layers reinforced with 35 kg/cu m fibres. In weaker zones, TH 29 steel ribs will be installed. Mucking-out with dumper trucks. Extra cost of EUR14.3 million. Read E-News Weekly 3/2004 & 46/2003. Visit www.gpo.es and www.atlascopco.com 19/04.