NEWS |


Contract awards on Toulouse metro


NG plans for Wiltshire


power cable tunnel UK – National Grid (NG) plans to replace 4.6km of overhead electricity line and 13 pylons with underground cable north of Devizes, in Wiltshire, England. The aim of the project is to enhance the visual landscape by removing eyesores of tall steel pylons and long power cables. Formal application to the local


authority for approval to build the cable tunnel follows more than three years of consultation with stakeholders. NG has given funding plans to the industry regulator Ofgem. The project was one of five such


proposed major schemes in England. Pending approvals, work on the project could start on site this year to finish in 2026. Last year Hochtief UK was awarded a


Above: Line C contract awards on Toulouse metro, France


FRANCE – Toulouse’s metropolitan transport authority has awarded contracts on three lots of Line C on the city’s metro network. A consortium of French


construction companies Eiffage and NGE won the civil works contracts for Lot 1, valued at €233m (US$255m), and Lot 2, valued at €590m (US$646m), respectively. A joint venture of Implenia and


Demathieu Bard Construction was awarded the €331.4m (US$363m) contract for Lot 3. Line C, Toulouse’s third metro


line, will run from Colomiers to Labège. Around 20km of the 27km- long line, and 17 of the 21 new stations, will be underground. The total project cost is approximately €2.7bn (US$2.96bn) and Line C is to open in 2028. Lot 1 of Line C comprises the civil


engineering work for the tunnels, stations, and structures on the new Line C between the Colomiers ancillary structure, located 100m from Colomiers Gare station, and the Laporte ancillary structure. The Eiffage/NGE consortium,


which is represented by Eiffage through its Eiffage Génie Civil subsidiary, will plan and construct a 3.85km-long tunnel, three stations, and four inter-station ancillary structures. The contract also includes the construction of three galleries that


8 | April 2023


will be used for connecting the shafts to the tunnel. Lot 2, between the Laporte


ancillary structure and Raynal station, extends Lot 1. It comprises construction of an 8.4km-long tunnel and six stations. Further works include five intersection structures, a tunnel connected to the maintenance area, and construction of nine safety galleries connecting shafts to the tunnel. For both contracts the


consortium says it will employ “various advanced techniques”, such as a “next-generation tunnel boring machine” and fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) segmental lining, using less steel in most of the project. The consortium plans to cast the segments at a new plant in the Toulouse region. The Implenia/ Demathieu Bard


Construction JV is to build a 3.8km-long tunnel as well as other civil engineering works for four underground stations at depths of 24m-39m, and three ancillary structures. The 50/50 joint venture has


proposed using the variable density excavation to help mitigate the challenges of different soil conditions. Tunnel lining is also to be FRC segments. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is being used for project planning and works execution.


seven-year contract for a 3.4km-long new cable tunnel contract in Wales, also involving removing pylons and overhead power lines.


NZ’s CRL seeks extra funds, time after covid impacts NEW ZEALAND – City Rail Link Ltd (CRL Ltd) has asked for more funding from its sponsors – the New Zealand government and Auckland Council – and rescheduled the completion date. The cause is blamed primarily on Covid impacts – time lost on- site and the knock-on effect on the supply chain, resourcing, materials, and labour costs.


CRL Ltd’s revised cost of the rail tunnel


project is estimated at NZ$5.493bn (US$3.36bn), an increase of 24.3%. It has revised the completion date to November 2025 from late 2024. The project includes a 3.45km-long twin


tunnel, completed in September 2022. CRL Ltd’s CEO, Dr Sean Sweeney, said:


“We endured two Level 4 lockdowns, a further 280 days of restricted working conditions (Covid traffic light system) and we lost 3.2 million hours through illness among staff, with 800-plus workers infected,” he said. “The request for extra funding has not


and will not delay continuing work on the project, which is progressing well,” he added. The project is being built by Link


Alliance – comprising City Rail Link Ltd, Vinci Construction Grands Projets, Downer NZ, Soletanche Bachy International NZ, WSP NZ, Aecom New Zealand, and Tonkin + Taylor.


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