In design, new interceptor system approximately 16 km-long with i.d. 1.9 m to 2.5 m to replace a portion of existing 70 year-old north outfall sewer. Soft, mixed ground conditions with boulders and featuring high water table. Alignment passes through some contaminated areas and seismically-active faults, so watertight construction techniques mandatory. Jacobs Associates leading team of 16 subconsultants. Visit www.jacobssf.com for progress updates. October 1999.   Capital improvement programme includes construction of a new deep-level 35 km interceptor sewer with internal diameter ranging from 2 m to 4 m. Project to provide additional conveyance capacity for an existing deteriorating sewer that is scheduled for rehabilitation will be constructed concurrently in two phases: 18 km east-west and 17 km north-south. October 1999.   URS Greiner Woodward Clyde is a key member of the Jacobs design team for the NEIS project. Also, through associated firm, Dames & Moore, URS Greiner Woodward Clyde is also providing geotechnical engineering support to the City for the NEIS and ECIS (East Central Interceptor Sewer) projects. Visit www.urscorp.com December 1999.   Frontier-Kemper will undertake 4.2 km drive starting February, 2000 using refurbished CTS TBM (ex Portland, OR) downsized to 6 m diameter. Long Airdox 24 inch conveyor belt pack will be installed in starter tunnel presently under drill/blast development following extensive excavation to establish portal.   Prequalification for 18.4 km-long, 3.35 m-finished diameter North Outfall Sewer – East Central Interceptor Sewer (NOS-ECIS) underway to be notified no later than 17th February, 2000. Contract will be advertised 1st March, 2000 for bids within two months and award 1st July, 2000. Project will be let in one lot and includes 8 shafts, 23 maintenance holes with 8 junction structures, a 90 m-long siphon, 250 m of microtunnelling, and conduits for fibre optics. Multiple new EPB or slurry TBMs required for predominantly soft ground and sandy soils in the Lakewood Formation and hard clay and soft rock in the San Pedro Formation. Isolated occurrence of nested boulders noted. All work above groundwater table. Three faults at Newport, Inglewood and Baldwin Hills. Project contact Baron Miya, e-mail bmiya@eng.ci.la.ca.us January 2000.East Central Interceptor Sewer tenders low bid: Kenny-Kiewit jv $235 million; Shea/Traylor/Frontier Kemper jv $261 million. For contact visit www.kiewit.com and www.frontier-kemper.com July 2000. Rebid award of NORS II project, 18.5 km-long, 4.77 m-diameter interceptor to Kenny/Shea/Traylor and Frontier Kemper Constructors jv at $239 million following withdrawal of Kenny/Kiewit jv. Visit www.frontier-kemper.com December 2000.Lovat will supply four 4.7 m-diameter TBMs to the jv of Kenny, J.F. Shea, Traylor Bros, and Frontier-Kemper for the 18.5 km-long NOS-ECIS project. The machines can operate in EPB, open, or closed modes to bore through the expected soft ground and boulders, with seismically active faults. First delivery is scheduled for October, 2001, and will be the 200th TBM manufactured by Lovat. Visit www.lovat.com 09/01.