News

Building the North East Link in Melbourne, Australia, is expected to improve transport and reduce chronic congestion in the city. This will be Victoria State’s largest road building project and will cost US$11.14 billion (A$15.8 billion). The proposed alignment runs through the existing Bulleen Industrial Precinct, which will be relocated as a result.

The tender process is opening in Bosnia for a key tunnel project. The new Racin to Ivan Tunnel section will form part of the important Corridor 5C route. Financing for the project is being provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The work is expected to cost €50 million and the project will be managed by Bosnia’s state-owned road business, Autoceste FbiH.

The tender process is opening for a new road link to connect with Sydney International Airport in Australia’s New South Wales State. Called the ‘Sydney Gateway Project’ the new road link is expected to cost in the region of US$1.55 billion (A$2.2 billion) to build. The new route would improve transport connections between Paramatta, on the city’s western side, and the airport, located to the east. Building the new road connection is expected to help lower peak time congestion and journey times for drivers.

A key event is being planned for Europe’s asphalt industry. The European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA) will hold the 1st EAPA Workshop on the Use of Rejuvenators in Asphalt Mixtures on the 10th and 11th September 2019. The workshop will be held in the Italian city of Padova at the Caffe Padrocchi (Rossini room) - Via VIII febbraio, n. 15 - 35122 Padova. It will take place in the afternoon of 10th September 2019 and the morning of 11th September, followed by the 5th International ISAP Symposium on A

New data shows that Europe’s rural roads have seen a major improvement in safety levels. For the 2010 to 2017 period, road deaths on rural roads decreased more quickly than those for urban roads. Urban road safety is now becoming a key concern. Of particular concern for urban traffic is the high casualty rate amongst vulnerable road users (VRUs), which represent around 70% of those being killed. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists still face unacceptably high risks of being killed or seriously injured o

Two giant US-made 21m-long mobile barriers are now keeping highway maintenance workers safe in England. The 16tonne barriers were made in by Mobile Barriers, based in Denver, in the state of Colorado. They have been deployed in the West Midlands region of England in collaboration with UK highways maintenance contractor Kier. With yearly operating costs of US$17,000, the MBT-1 can pay for itself with nominal usage, according to the manufacturer. This could be in less than two years with 10-15 lane clos

Studies are underway for a major road upgrade project in Honduras.

Discussions are in hand for two major bridge projects in Indonesia. The larger of the two bridges would be a 13.5km structure to connect Bangka Belitung Province with Sumatra Province. The new Selam Bangka Bridge would improve transport between Sumatra, Belitung Island and Bangka Island, boosting the tourist trade as well as agriculture and fisheries. Meanwhile a new 6.4km bridge is planned that will connect Bintan Island with Batam Island. This project is expected to cost around US$198 million, although

A new programme of works will see huge jump in the number of road bridges in Russia’s capital, Moscow. At present there are just 35 main road bridges in Moscow, but the building plans will see a further 24 being built, bringing the total to 59. The plan is costing over US$450 million. A number of new bridges will be built to span the Moscow River. Bridges will also be built to span the Yauza River and Skhodnya River. Construction work is already underway for a number of the bridges.

Building work for the toll road connecting Cileunyi with Sumedang and Dawuan in Indonesia will now be complete ahead of schedule. The route will open to traffic in 2020, instead of 2021 as originally planned. The work is being carried out in six separate sections. The contractor Citra Karya Jabar Tol is currently building sections 4, 5 and 6, having completed section 3, with the work costing close to US$555 million. Work is also well underway on sections 1 and 2 for the project.

Gustavo Otero has been appointed president for Doosan Bobcat’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Otero, who previously served as vice-president of the compact and telehandlers division, will be based out of Doosan Bobcat’s EMEA headquarters in Dobris, Czech Republic. He has an extensive 20-year background in the global construction equipment and automotive industries. His positions include vice-president of Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment EMEA business and was general manager at ex

A major programme of road repairs and maintenance is planned for Russia’s Vologda Region. A budget of US$585.5 million has been set for the work. The plan is for 50% of the road network in the Vologda Region to meet necessary standards for quality by 2024. At present just 32% of the road network in the region meets with the required standards. A budget will also be set for building new roads in the region. One of the priority projects to be carried out under the road building scheme is for the Vologda Bypas

A new contractor will take over work for Colombia’s Santana-Mocoa-Neiva road. The project is worth around US$956 million and forms part of the country’s 4G infrastructure development programme. The work will now be handled by Grupo Ethus and involves a series of improvements, upgrades and widening to be carried out along 457km of the route, including building a 54km section. This project will be carried out in seven sections and is due for completion in 2023. The work was originally awarded to a concession