Features

In the middle of central Texas lies Blanco County, which is in the state’s Hill Country. West of Austin and north of San Antonio, the county is traversed by the Blanco River and the Pedernales River, and two major highways, US Highway 290 and US Highway 281. Because of the proximity to two major cities, the highways carry heavy traffic volumes and US 281 in particular was in need of repair.

With fuel-saving systems and measures to improve efficiency and safety, BOMAG hopes its second-generation pavers will make it a strong contender in the 17 to 20tonne class. Kristina Smith reports BOMAG has launched its second-generation of paving machines, the BF600-2 and the BF700-2. Unveiled at the recent manufacturer’s Asphalt Days event in Boppard, Germany, these pavers are the first to benefit from the fusion of Italian and German engineering, following the purchase of Marini in 2005 by Fayat Group whi

A bespoke formwork solution from RMD Kwikform is playing a key role in creating the largest ever airport cast bridge deck as part of the multi-billion dollar expansion of King Abdulaziz International Airport near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The firm is also a leading player in the creation of arterial tunnels under the airport’s elevated roads, another key part of the project’s first phase works due for completion in 2014. Guy Woodford reports

Michelin has partnered with IRF to mark the global launch of the 50th Anniversary edition of the World Road Statistics. The World Road Statistics (WRS) have now been published every year since 1964. To mark this half-century of achievement, IRF has released a commemorative 50th Anniversary edition that compiles 12 years of data to provide a comprehensive statistical review of the evolution of international road and land transport from the dawn of the Millennium to the present day.

IRF Geneva will be capitalising on its strategic position at the heart of the city’s international community to host an unprecedented opportunity for high-level dialogue with leading road-related UN agencies and international stakeholder organisations IRF’s rich programme of global events for 2013 will conclude with a rare occasion for both members and non-members to engage directly with key officials driving policy development within the United Nations and its specialised agencies.

26 countries participated in a ministerial roundtable on the occasion of the 17th IRF World Meeting & Exhibition in Riyadh on November 10-14, 2013. The roundtable was convened to address key challenges faced by the sector, and discuss a long-term agenda that builds on successful policies and programs.

The winners of the 2013 Global Road Achievement Awards were announced during the 17th IRF World Meeting & Exhibition gala dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. More than 800 delegates from around the world attended the ceremony, held on November 13, 2013, which celebrated the most comprehensive and well-attended IRF World Meeting in several decades.

The old Pakuria Bridge in Jharkhand, India, ran over a dry riverbed and railway line situated 20km from Calcutta. Now obsolete, the bridge has been brought to the ground in 60 days using Volvo construction equipment West Bengal in eastern India is the nation’s fourth most populous region, boasting more people than the whole of Germany. The state is bordered by Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and five other states of India with more than 91 million inhabitants spread over 34,267m².

New double deck roads could cut congestion in Kenyan capital Nairobi – Shem Oirere reports Arapid increase in urban population and diminishing land for infrastructure expansion has forced Kenya to devise ways of addressing the worsening human and vehicular traffic problems in its capital Nairobi. The country national highways agency recently announced progress in the planned construction of the country’s first double-decker highway.

The island of Mauritius is looking to expand its road links with upgraded highway infrastructure Aseries of road improvements are underway on the scenic island of Mauritius, which lies in the Indian Ocean around 2,000km off the coast of South-east Africa. Called the Road Decongestion programme, this has been set up by the Mauritius Government in a bid to improve transport and safety in this small island nation.

Road fatality rates are rising in East Africa, despite attempts to stem the tide – Shem Oirere writes When a passenger bus in Kenya killed 42 people on August 29th 2013, it coincided with the release of a World Health Organisation (WHO) report that painted a grim picture of the status of road safety in East Africa. The accident at Ntulele shopping centre along the Nairobi-Narok highway, 90km from capital Nairobi, occurred when the bus heading to western Kenya lost control and crashed. The driver is said to

Chinese quarry producer Beijing Xindadi Equipment Company is looking to increase the size of its Caterpillar machine fleet as part of its plan to increase output The company is based at Beijing Miyun Taishi Village and currently produces 1-1.5 million tonnes/year of limestone, which is used for general construction in the Beijing area. Zhang Guofeng is equipment manager for the firm and said, “Business is good because the market is not affected by the downturn.”