British Waterways has awarded the contract to construct a $2.4 million, 150 m-long, 7m-diameter tunnel to connect the disused Forth & Clyde and Union canals near Falkirk to regenerate the canal corridor across the Scottish Lowlands, from Glasgow through to Grangemouth and Edinburgh. Main contractors for the scheme are a jv of Morrison Construction Ltd and Bachy-Soletanche. The tunnelling work is sub-contracted on a design and construct basis to Spray Concrete Ltd in association with Joseph Gallagher Ltd whose tunnel designer is High-Point Rendel. Excavation in boulder clay overlying coal measures strata will be carried out using a Schaeff ITC 112 E3 backhoe/loader and the tunnel will be lined with sprayed concrete. A novel feature of the tunnel will be that it will pass above abandoned claystone workings and will be required to withstand possible future collapse. To achieve this the tunnel, and canal base, will be specially strengthened to bridge an anticipated maximum void created by a roof failure in the room and pillar workings some 20m below the tunnel invert. The tunnel also passes below the remains of the Antonine Wall, a 60 km-long Roman earthworks structure dating from the second century AD and constructed some 160 km north of the more famous Hadrian's wall. More from hprendel@btinternet.com March 2000.  Good progress reported on 147m-long, 7m-diameter Roughcastle tunnel, part of the new Millennium Link Canal connecting the Forth & Clyde and Union canals. Classical NATM method with single side drifts in the boulder clay of the upper half excavated using a Schaeff ITC 112 E3 backhoe/loader with a rock breaker attachment. Holethrough of first side drift expected next week. Bench to be excavated in sandstones and mudstones using a road planer. This method used successfully on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link North Downs tunnel in chalk (see uk/20). August 2000.