Abstract Taiwan High Speed Rail Project，with the biggest total budget among the public works in the world today，is joint-invested by the government and private sectors. Ever since the signing of the contract in July 1998，Taiwan High Speed Corporation，the private investor，has finished the contracting and procurement of civil work，station，track，core electromechanical system and maintenance base，and the designing and construction of these constructions are going on. By the end of September 2003，the overall project payment was 50%. The target date for completion will be in October 2005. The geology information，construction method and construction status about the 5 long-length tunnels along the HSR line are introduced. In addition，the experiences in contracting and public construction that are implemented by the private sectors are described.
2004, Vol. 23 
