NEWS |


Road-Rail river crossing greenlight in Assam INDIA - The Indian government has given the go-ahead for a twin-tube tunnel under the Brahmaputra River in Assam. The 15.79km-long road tunnel will


feature two lanes in each direction and provision for railway infrastructure. It is part of a new connection between


Numaligarh and Gohpur aimed at reducing the current six-hour journey time between the two cities. The Ministry of Road Transport &


Highways says it is India’s first underwater road and rail tunnel. “The project will provide significant


benefit to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and other north-eastern states. This will enhance the efficiency of freight movement, reducing logistics cost and driving socio-economic growth in the region,” the Ministry said. Cut and cover will be used to excavate


1.26km of the road tunnel and 4km of the rail tunnel.


Cowi wins Iceland contract ICELAND - Vegagerðin, the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, has awarded Cowi the preliminary and detailed design contract for the Fljótagöng tunnel project. The work includes the design of a


5.3km-long tunnel and approximately 24km of road infrastructure. The new route is intended to strengthen year-round connectivity between Siglufjörður and the Fljót district. Cowi’s role covers multidisciplinary


engineering and technical advisory services, including geotechnical engineering, road and bridge design, water and wastewater systems, structural design, electrical engineering, and tunnel control and safety systems. The design is scheduled to be completed


by November 2026. The new route will replace an


increasingly vulnerable mountain road affected by subsidence, severe winter weather, and periodic closures.


TBM passes under Panama Canal for metro line PANAMA - HPH consortium recently completed tunnel boring under the Panama Canal as part of the drive for a 4.5km-long section of a new metro line. The 13.5m-diameter Herrenknecht


Mixshield was launched in Q3 2024 and broke through at the Balboa jobsite in February.


8 | May 2026


Following the passage under the canal


there is 1.5km of the tunnel to complete before final breakthrough. The stretch of tunnel is the key


structure of the new metro Line 3, which will connect the western suburbs and downtown Panama City. It will provide a rail alternative to the road bridge currently used by 150,000 commuters a day. Traffic congestion means the 25km journey can take several hours. HPH comprises Hyundai Engineering


& Construction, Posco Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Engineering, had to adhere to strict specifications for tunnelling under the Panama Canal to ensure the waterway remained operational. Geology is complex and groundwater


pressure is high.


Tunnel Vision Challenge winners announced US - The Boring Company has selected three winners in its Tunnel Vision Challenge for project proposals up to 1.6km long and 3.65m in diameter. The three winners – NOLA Loop (New


Orleans); Ravens Loop (Baltimore); and ,University Hills Loop (Dallas) – were chosen from 16 finalists selected from 487 entries. TBC and the project stakeholders


will now engage in a diligence process, including consultation with regulators, and community and business leaders, and geotechnical, utility and subsurface investigations. If feasible, the projects will be built and


funded by TBC. The company says some other entries


were so compelling and will also be discussed further: Hendersonville Utility Tunnel (Tennessee); and, Morgan’s Wonderland Tunnel (San Antonio, Texas). Separately, the company was recently


chosen as preferred bidder for a project connecting Universal Orlando’s theme parks.


Chile mine conversion work CHILE - Strabag subsidiary Züblin has secured two underground contracts with Codelco for extensive tunnels to help transform the Chuquicamata Underground Mine Mina Norte. The initiative is part of the transformation


of Chuquicamata, the world’s largest open- pit copper mine, into a modern, long-term underground operation, with completion of the works scheduled for 2031. The contracts include the development of over 54km of tunnels and associated


critical infrastructure, aimed at extending the mine’s operational life for several decades while also improving its environmental performance. The project will require approximately


1,200 workers and will contribute to one of the largest mining construction projects currently under way in Chile. Strabag has nearly 40 years of


continuous presence in Chile and direct involvement in major mining projects such as Chuquicamata, El Teniente, and Candelaria. To date, it has delivered projects in Chile worth over €6bn, involving more than 380km of tunnels and the transport of several hundred million tonnes of excavation material.


Vietnam hydro cavern start VIETNAM - Construction of Vietnam Electricity’s Bac Ai pumped storage hydropower project is underway after preparatory and enabling works were completed ahead of schedule. Construction of the project’s main works


package – the powerhouse caverns – officially began in late January. Excavation and structural support for


the electrical cable tunnel and ventilation tunnel were fully completed in January 2025. The 1,200MW power plant in Khanh Hoa


Province is due to open in phases over late 2029 to late 2030.


 POLAND - Polish railway infrastructure administrator PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PLK) has terminated the contracts for the construction of the Łódź Fabryczna–Łódź Kaliska/Łódź Żabieniec underground railway connection. PKP withdrew three contracts with


Przedsiębiorstwo Budowy Dróg i Mostów (PBDiM) covering the construction of the main cross-city tunnel, the Łódź Koziny stop, and the Włókniarzy traction substation. In recent months, PLK had been


mediation with the contractor to resume construction but PBDiM was unable to overcome organisational, financial, and technical challenges, it said. Numerous construction errors were


noted during tunnel excavation and geotechnical incidents included part of an annex building collapsing in 2024. Investigations identified design errors,


insufficient geological exploration, and a lack of appropriate structural safeguards, it was added.


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