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Raising the motorway speed limit in Norway to 120kph could mean four deaths annually, according to research by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen). It could also cost up to €504 million to build or upgrade 460km of motorways to withstand the wear and tear caused by having a 120kph limit. State Secretary Tommy Skjervold said that the government will analyse the research before making a final decision about raising or not the speed limit on some motorways. Norway has some of

There is concern at the ongoing road safety problems for Germany, with preliminary data showing worsening casualty statistics. During 2018, 3,270 people were killed in road crashes in Germany. A further 68,000 people suffered serious injuries in road crashes in Germany during 2018, with 328,000 having minor injuries. This data was compiled by Germany’s official statistics body, Destatis. The results from Destatis reveal a notable drop in road safety in Germany when compared with the previous year. In 20

Financing worth over US$705 million (A$1 billion) has been secured for road projects in New South Wales, Australia. This budget is for the 2019-2020 period and will pay for over 40 separate road projects. One of the key road projects targeted in the programme of works is for the M4 Smart Motorway, connecting Parramattta and Penrith. The work to the M4 is expected to cost $75.75 million (A$107.4 million). Meanwhile in Adelaide, South Australia, plans are in hand for a $283.5 million (A$402 million) grade

Russia’s Sochi highway project will not now be completed by 2024. The original plan was to build a 119.km new route to replace the existing A147 route that connects Dzhubga with Sochi. Because of the challenging terrain, this project to build a new four lane highway without the twists and turns of the existing route would have been extremely costly, with a pricetag of as much as US$18 billion. However the project has now been downgraded as being of a lesser priority than other Russian road projects ongoing

A finance package worth US$63.4 million has been secured for upgrade work to the ring road around Ghana’s second city, Kumasi. This financing will help to pay for the first stage of the ring road improvement project, for a 100km stretch of the route. Funding for the second stage of the project, measuring 143km, has yet to be secured however.

Russia’s Federal Road Agency, Rosavtodor, has awarded the contract to upgrade the second stage of the Scandinavia highway. The US$130 million package of works will be carried out by the local firm VAD. The contract includes building an overpass, two road bridges and a pedestrian bridge. The work is due for completion in late 2021. In all, the widening of the Scandinavia Highway is expected to cost $1.35 billion. The work has been split into five main sections and this work is due for completion in 2030.

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and other agencies involved in the US$4.25 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge have pledged millions of dollars in community support. WDBA, contractor Bridging North America, the US state of Michigan and the federal Canadian government announced the support plan, which involves more than 30 agencies and organisations, according to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The plan includes a $15 million Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy for both s

Road widening work will be carried out in the Australian state of Queensland as part of the Gateway Motorway project. A budget of US$141 million (A$200 million) has been set for the work by the Queensland State Government. Meanwhile the Australian Federal Government will contribute from $564 million to $705 million (A$800 million to A$1 billion) for the project. This latest stage of the massive Gateway Motorway project involves widening the stretch of the route between Bracken Ridge and the Bruce State High

The latest research reveals that the use of hands-free phone systems is just as dangerous as driving drunk. The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has carried out extensive research into the use of cellphones by drivers. Moves to improve road safety in the UK have seen a reduction in the casualty rate, with a notable drop in the 2007-2012 period. However in the last five years, there has been minimal progress, with the UK’s road casualty figures remaining broadly static. There is particular concern

France’s Transport Ministry has chosen construction and concessions group Eiffage as the single prospective concessionaire for the project to complete the Route Centre-Europe Atlantique. The east-west RCEA is considered to be one of the most dangerous routes in France, according to government statistics. Some sections of the route, also called the Route Nationale 79, has been upgraded into a four-lane motorway over the past several decades. The plan is make the remaining two-lane sections into four-lanes