A BOLTON company has been awarded a £3.2 million contract to refurbish the Tilbury to Gravesend cable tunnel.

Amco Donelon -- a specialist tunnelling and civil engineering division of Amalgamated Construction Company of Barnsley -- will start work on the National Grid project next month.

The tunnel under the Thames is 1,600 metres long and 3.05 metres in diameter.

Work during the 50-week contract will involve relining the tunnel and will also see two major access shafts and the tunnel refitted with improved access facilities.