Construction of Jucar-Vinalopo Water Transfer Scheme to Start Soon The Spanish government repealed four sections of the Jucar-Vinalopo water transfer scheme a year and a half ago after deciding to modify the project. With the final award of the five new sections of the project, the government will comply with its commitment to transfer up to 80 cubic hectometres of water to the Vinalopo to mitigate the problems caused by the very serious overexploitation of aquifers in the area.Among the five sections (A to E) on the new alignment, there is only one with tunnels. It is section B awarded to OHL, Serrano Aznar Obras Publicas, and Ocide. The contract, awarded for EUR32.6 million, has been reduced to EUR31.9 million and 20 months for construction. The tunnels are the 2,720 m-long Sierra de Corbera tunnel and the 2.950 m-long Barxeta tunnel. There will be no tunnels on section C, as was initially planned, i.e. the 3.540 m-long Sierra Requena tunnel and the 3.920 m-long Sierra Grossa tunnel. Click es/124.Aguas del Jucar, the owner, has settled the predicted clash with the contractors who were awarded the construction of the three sections including tunnels (II, III and IV) in the previous version of the project by agreeing to pay EUR28,892,796 for works already done, installations, machinery, materials intended for the project, loss of profit and damages. The damages claimed by the contractors included labour costs, installations, logistics, etc. affected by the stoppage of the works. Visit www.aguas-jucar.esIn addition, the contractors accepted not to claim their loss of business, so that after taking off this item, the ordinary compensations already paid and the pending compensations, the net financial settlement for the sections amounts to EUR12,179,394.As to section II, awarded to the OHL-Serrano Aznar Obras Publicas joint venture for EUR41,931,130, the financial close totals EUR14,126,993, whereof EUR483,925 corresponds to works executed. On section III, awarded to Acciona for EUR33,692,443, the works executed amount to EUR 659,515 out of a financial settlement of EUR7,686,589. Lastly, as for section IV, awarded to Ferrovial Agroman and Sedesa Obras y Servicios for a contract value of EUR23,815,657, the works executed by the contractor when the project was held up has been assessed to EUR205,758.For the three cancelled sections, payments for works done add up to EUR1,349,198, which accounts for 4.6% of the financial settlement.The negotiated solution stipulates that the TBM purchased for section II will be re-used on the new route. Its value of over EUR5 million has been deducted by the contractors who pocketed the contract to construct the new section B, which requires the use of the machine. Moreover, the OHL-Serrano Aznar Obras Publicas joint venture, who bought the machine included in the financial settlement, pledged to buy it back for EUR894,957 at the end of the job since the TBM will still have a service life to be re-used on other tunnelling projects. This is a double shield TBM. The cutting head features an external diameter of 3.2 metres approximately. The final diameter after lining with precast segmental rings is 2.8 metres. A muck train will be used to move materials in and out, and to transport crews, debris and equipment. Construction is scheduled to commence by mid-March more or less. The total time limit for completion of all the sections is 20 months. Click here. Visit www.herrenknecht.comAs for the second Herrenknecht TBM, purchased by Acciona for section III, Aguas del Jucar compensated for the transport from Germany to the portal of the tunnel that was supposed to be bored through the Caroche massif and for revamping it to meet the needs of a project that Acciona will construct in Extremadura, where the TBM has been transferred.Construction of the Jucar-Vinalopo water transfer project, which has been widely approved by the EU, will begin at the end of January or in early February. The water line will be completed before the end of 2008. Click here. 03/07.