News

Reducing road noise is the target of a new programme of works from Highways England. The plans call for noise attenuation systems to be installed on many busy road links in England. This forms part of a wider plan of environmental works intended to lessen the impact of the road network, with a set budget of €350 million. Around 1,150 locations will benefit from the works, which will take until 2020 to be completed. Noise attenuating barriers will be installed on many key road links. Meanwhile new surfaces w

Major upgrades are being planned to Colombia’s road network. A report produced by Colombia's national road institute (Invias) has revealed that just 13.6% of the country’s 7,019km key road network is in very good condition. Of concern is that 17.7% of Colombia’s key road network is in poor condition, with 0.86% in very poor state. Around 33.6% is in good condition and 34.3% is in average condition. The report reveals that Colombia’s Cordoba Department has the worst roads, followed by Ocana Department. Me

Israel’s National Transport Infrastructure Company (Netivei Israel) is launching 23 tenders for transportation projects during 2019. The projects will be worth a total of US$1.52 billion in all. Netivei Israel says that a key focus is on urban traffic congestion, a chronic problem in the country’s major cities. Increased road capacity, new routes and improved public transport are all intended to reduce delays for the country’s commuters. New lanes will be built for buses only on some major routes, with the

A new report from Germany’s federal transport ministry has highlighted the problem of bridge wear in the country. According to the report, just 13% of Germany’s road bridges and bridge sub-structures are in good or very good condition. The report evaluated the condition of 39,600 road bridges and 51,600 bridge sub-structures and in 12% of cases, these structures do not have sufficient load-bearing capacity for the stresses they have to cope with. The report highlights also the worsening condition of the bri

Concern is being expressed in Australia over the cost of the new highway connecting Sydney International Airport with the city. The M12 highway project was originally expected to cost US$881.65 million (A$1.25 million). However some reports suggest that the work may now cost as much as $973.34 million (A$1.38 billion). New solutions are being sought in a bid to reduce the cost of the project. Additional financing solutions are also being looked into for the work, including revised tolling options.

A new report highlights the importance of recycled aggregates for the global construction market. The report has been compiled by research specialist Fact.Mr and shows that prospects remain bullish for the recycled construction aggregates market. According to the report, there were sales of recycled aggregates in excess of over 3.7 million tonnes estimated in 2018, with a 5% growth expected for 2019. The report highlights that the recycled construction aggregates market is influenced by various factors, ra

Renovation and widening of the A1 motorway in the Netherlands will start this month, according to the Dutch environment and infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat. The section covers 65km, between Apeldoorn and junction Azelo. Work is expected to take around 10 years and cost about €400 million. The A1 – 199km long - connects the capital city Amsterdam, near the interchange of Watergraafsmeer, with the German border near Oldenzaal and Bad Bentheim, and the German Autobahn BAB 30. On its way, it crosses

The UK’s Plantworx 2019 exhibition in June will be celebrating the heritage of the machines that have laid the foundation for today’s construction industry. In the outdoor arena at the heart of the show, near Peterborough in southern England, visitors will step back in time, revisiting the equipment that inspired modern day machines. Equipment – much of which was made long before the invention of hydraulics - will include vintage dumptrucks, excavators and loading shovels, explained Jeff Schofield,

The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) has highlighted key problems with road safety. According to the ARRB, these issues must be addressed if Australia’s road casualty rate is to be reduced. Road death tolls are being reduced as he latest results show, but more work needs to be done. According to the ARRB, the road death tolls in Victoria dropped 20% for 2018 when compared with the previous year. This is a major improvement, showing the gains made by Victoria’s road agency VicRoads and the state’s Tr

Interest is strong in the project to complete Colombia’s key tunnel construction contract. In all 23 firms have shown interest in the package of works to complete the La Linea tunnel project, according to the Colombian national road institute (Invias). The Colombian Government is providing US$204.5 million to complete the project. The current target is for the tunnel to be completed by 2020, although the link was originally supposed to be ready for traffic in late 2016. Construction work on the link commenc

Several major road projects are underway in Paraguay at present, though issues are afflicting some. Although the Rute del Este consortium comprising Sacyr, Mota Engil and Ocho A was awarded the PPP contract to upgrade Ruta 2 and Ruta 7, the necessary funding has yet to be delivered. The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the US Bank have both said that they would give the necessary funding. A new deadline has been set for the funds to be delivered at the end of March 2019. Meanwhile there are also d

A new highway is to be built in North Korea, connecting Hamhung with Wonsan. The 112km highway project is being split into five sections for the tender process, which is being handled by a Chinese firm. Funding is being supplied by China for the project. Construction is expected to start in the second quarter of 2019, with the completion date set for the second quarter of 2022. The project does face a number of challenges however, not the least of which is how equipment will be provided for the work give th

China has set out a programme of works intended to boost rural road connectivity in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Some 4,500km of roads will be either built or improved as part of the plan. The aim of the work is to link all of the region’s towns and villages to the road network by the end of 2019. This is the continuation of a plan to improve transport in the region, boosting economic activity. In 2018 34 towns and 533 villages were connected to the road network by links surfaced wither with asphalt or conc