Today Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) awarded FCC's Austrian subsidiary, ALPINE, a contract to build two new sections of the Metro totalling 4,000 metres; the contract is worth 334 million euro.

In May, ALPINE completed the construction of a previously-awarded section, worth 74.3 million euro, and last week achieved breakthrough in tunnelling work on another section, worth 190.6 million euro.

The contracts awarded today are for sections C-917 (1,800 m) and C-918 (2,200 m) of Line 2. Both sections will be built almost entirely as twin tubes with an external diameter of 6.6 m and will be lined with prefabricated concrete segments. Construction should be completed in 46 months.

• Section C-917 will include the Blackmore and Sixth Avenue stations, each of which will measure approximately 183 m.

The tunnel's twin tubes will be created using two tunnel boring machines (TBM) and will be lined with prefabricated concrete segments.

• The second section, C-918, will consist of a 920-m twin-tube tunnel; Duchess station, which will measure 234 m; a 445-m section of cut-and-cover tunnel; and 560 m of twin tube with an external diameter of 6.6 m.

Two slurry-type TBMs will be used to build the two 920-m tubes, while one Earth Pressure Balance TBM will be used for the 560-m section; again, these sections will be lined with prefabricated concrete segments.

ALPINE's experience in tunnel construction

ALPINE has extensive experience in tunnel construction worldwide. It is currently building the Pfänder, Katschberg and Lainzer tunnels in Austria. It has been involved in the construction of Switzerland's Gotthard Base Tunnel and in India it is building part of the new subway network in New Delhi and the intake tunnel for the Tapovan power plant.

It is also building tunnels for power plants in Bulgaria and Turkey. ALPINE also recently obtained a contract to build a water supply tunnel in China. It is providing consulting services for tunnel construction projects in the USA, Russia, Kazakhstan and Great Britain, offering know-how and planning expertise.

Alpine operates all over the world. With construction revenues amounting to 3.5 billion euro in 2008 and a staff of roughly 15,530, ALPINE is the second biggest construction group in Austria.