Two drives totalling 8 km using two Lovat RME 131SE earth pressure balance machines with mixed face cutting heads capable of operating in open or EPB mode. First drive 4.2 km through predominantly chalky formations with flint content of 5% to 60%; dense calcareous sands, gravels and shelly beds; and very stiff clay with silty, sandy composition. Second drive 3.8 km through chalks with flint content of 5% to 14.4%. Both drives beneath water table at average depth of 21m. Nov 1998.  $40 million transfer tunnel nearly complete, with overall contract completion scheduled for January, 2001. At the mid point of the 8 km-long, 2.85 m i.d. tunnel two 7 m-diameter drive shafts lined with pre-cast concrete segments were sunk in chalk using the dry caisson technique and local dewatering. Reception shafts 25 m-deep x 6 m-diameter were sunk at Budds Farm by dry caisson in chalk with flints, and 35 m-deep x 6 m-diameter at Eastney by wet caisson in sands, silts and clays, and a 10 m-diameter pumping shaft has also been built at Eastney. Lovat 3.36 m RME131SE series 18900 EPB has completed and has been upsized and transferred to Cork ie/15, while sister machine series 18800 EPB has 200 m to go to breakthrough. Six-piece bolted, trapezoidal, segmental, steel fibre reinforced tunnel lining rings, nominally 1 m-long, supplied by Macrete of Northern Ireland. Visit engineering consultants www.halliburton.com, contractor www.edmund-nuttall.co.uk, segment supplier www.macrete.com and TBM supplier www.lovat.com August 2000.