Bangkok Transit System received first $87 million to commence construction of 23.7 km Green Line. North and south sections of Blue Line scheduled for completion 2003. NATM consultant: Geoconsult E-mail office@gcs.co.at contact F L Jansky. Nov 1998.   $650 million 10 km-long twin-tube 5.7 m-diameter south section with nine stations under construction by jv of Bilfinger & Berger, Ch Karnchang, Kumagai Gumi and Tokyu Construction and will use two Herrenknecht EPBs ex-Taipei and two new Kawasaki machines. The Herrenknechts will start in July 1999 from Queen Sirikit station and will bore 4.8 km to Hua Lamphong station by mid-2001. The Kawasaki machines will start from the Rama IX station and drive 3.4 km to Queen Sirikit. Precast segmental concrete lining comprising 1.2 m-wide rings of five segments and key with hydrophilic gaskets. Rates of 15 m/machine/24h day are expected in the homogeneous, low-abrasive, boulderless clay. Principal design engineer Maunsell Asia. $770 million 10 km-long north section of similar dimensions with another nine stations under construction by ION jv comprising Italian-Thai, Obayashi and Nishimatsu using four dual-mode open/EPB machines from Kawasaki. Two machines launched from Ratchada station box early-1999 and two from Thiam Ruam Mit station box in April, 1999. Diaphragm walling and core excavation of station boxes is well underway along the route and will be completed ahead of each TBM arrival. Main consultant Ove Arup, sub-consultant for tunnels Geoconsult. Handover scheduled for 2002. June 1999.   First TBMs commissioned for 11 km Bangsue-Lat Phrao-Depot northern section of planned 20.5 km MRTA Blue Line by ION joint venture under $1 billion contract. 9 km of 6 m-diameter twin-bore tunnels and 9 stations designed by Arup Transport. ION comprises Italian Thai, Obayashi and Nishimatsu. Planned southern section of line will extend via Bon Kai to Hua Lum Pong station. August 1999.   Bilfinger & Berger reports completion of 190,000 sq m of diaphragm walls up to 1.2 m-thick for the stations using special equipment in restricted working heights. Foundation levels of stations up to 46 m below ground, with centre columns resting on 1.8 m-diameter piles, 70 m-deep. Dewatering avoided because of fears of settlement. Jet grouting employed to strengthen ground around TBM launch and reception positions and at pump sumps and adits between main tunnels and intervention shafts. Visit www.bilfingerberger.de for further information. October 1999.   SNC-Lavalin awarded three-year, $150 million lump-sum contract in joint venture with Ch Karnchang of Bangkok for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of trackwork and power systems for the whole 20 km-long metro system. More details at www.snc-lavalin.com November 1999.Total length of eight twin tunnels connecting stations is almost 15 km. Four 6.3 m-diameter EPBs have been used: two launched from Phra Ram 9 station in May/June, 1999; and two from Queen Sirikit National Convention Center station in Sept/Oct, 1999. By April, 2000 nine of the sixteen drives were completed with a peak advance of 35 m/day, erecting 1.2 m-wide, 30 cm-thick, 5 + 1 concrete segment rings. Visit www.bilfingerberger.de and www.herrenknecht.com August 2000.   BMCL Co, a subsidiary of Ch Karnchang, together with Mitsubishi Electric and Alstom, to raise funds for provision of services under its 25-year MRTA contract for the 20 km-long subway being built from Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue, opening end-2002. Visit www.alstom.com 15/01.   CKSL consortium, comprising Ch Karnchang and SNC Lavalin, has completed laying 1 km of track from Rama IX maintenance centre to Thiem Ruam Mitr station. The 60 km tracklaying contract from Bang Sue to Hua Lamphong is progressing at 50 m/day for completion May, 2002. Visit www.snc-lavalin.com 40/01.   MRTA planning 13.8 km-long extension of metro from Hua Lamphong to Bang Khae, beneath Ratanakosin Island. Soft loan sought from JBIC, with 0.75% interest, 10 year grace period, and repayments over 40 years. Economic internal rate of return for extension is 14%. 44/01.  Phase I of a 8.7 km blue Line extension from Hua Lamphong to Bang Wa is awaiting approval by the Committee for the Management of Land Traffic (CMLT). The project includes 4.9 km of tunnels and four underground stations. The MRTA has completed the preliminary design. Project to be implemented under design/build contract. A single tunnel will be located in east Bangkok while a twin tunnel will be built in the west side in Thonburi. The line will cross underground the Chao Phraya river at Pak Khlong Talart. Visit www.mrta.or.th 04/02.