Features

Taking a road and rail link across one of the biggest rivers in South America, together with its swamps and flood plain, calls for a new crossing of superlative dimensions. Two 135.5m pylons for the third bridge across the Orinoco River in Venezuela are taking shape with the Venezuelan government investing in the showcase project at Caicara del Orinoco. The bridge will have an overall length of 11.125km on completion, which is scheduled for 2015. The main bridge is 2.28km long, and the roadway is 55m above

A wave of vandalism has hit a new superhighway from Nairobi as Shem Oirere reports. The newly opened 45km superhighway in Kenya’s capital Nairobi is facing a new challenge that threatens to erode its international standards and compromise the benefits it is meant to generate. A wave of vandalism targeting road fittings has hit the US$360 million highway linking Nairobi to Thika Town, posing a new challenge in the maintenance of the new road infrastructure in Kenya. The destruction delayed the completion of

Market conditions are tough, according to Jean-Claude Fayat, executive managing director of the Fayat Group. He said, “From my point of view this crisis is not over. We have a slow recovery but this is a structural crisis and a new balance has to be found.” Despite the difficult conditions, the company is performing well and Fayat said, “Our group turnover is around €3.7 billion/year. We are a family group and we have never wanted to be on the stock exchange.” The European market has become less important

Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems, has been a busy man at bauma. As well announcing the release of the new DC61 PXi Komatsu bulldozer, the Topcon boss also found time to comment on world markets and talk up a number of the products on the company’s stand.

Soaring over 271m above the Colorado River, the Hoover Dam Bypass overlooks one of America’s greatest icons and assets. The October 2010 opening of the bypass improves the security of the historic Hoover Dam by removing through traffic from US Route 93. This has reduced its vulnerability to a terrorist attack against an international landmark and guarded the most sustainable source of electricity and the scarce water supply for the entire southwestern United States. By diverting traffic from the hairpin tur

A series of dynamic meetings in Marrakech signal the forward direction of IRF Geneva as it gears up for a bright new era as a global voice of the road sector. As these pages go to press, IRF Geneva is just emerging from a very rewarding regional conference focusing on North Africa and the Mediterranean that took place from 19-20 March, 2013. The success of this high-level gathering, organised in association with the Moroccan Road Association and Moroccan Motorways (Autoroutes du Maroc), reflects IRF Geneva’