News

The Technical Standards Development and Application Demonstration Base of Graphene-Modified Lubricant, was launched at LiuGong’s Global R&D Centre in Liuzhou. Co-built by the China Innovation Alliance of the Graphene Industry and Guangxi Liugong Machinery, it marks the first base in China that concentrates on the transformation of graphene’s scientific research into real world applications. The partnership also includes building a joint laboratory and undertaking independent test tasks from other companies

New cross-border road connections are being planned between South Korea and North Korea. The two governments have set up a joint study group to discuss new road links across the border as well as upgrades and improvements to key roads in North Korea. One road link being prioritised for improvement works is the Musan to Kaesong route. Upgrading this route would boost transport between South Korea and China, as well as between South Korea’s capital Seoul and the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

Financing now looks to be secured for two major infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. The US$300 million Tamabil to Sylhet highway looks likely to receive a funding package from the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank (AIIB) in China. The feasibility study for the Shambhuganj Bridge also looks likely to receive funding from the AIIB.

Newly available data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Studies (IIHS) shows the most dangerous days for drivers on US roads. The research studied fatal crashes that occurred between 1998 and 2014, revealing that summer and early Autumn have the highest rates of fatal road crashes. The risk of crashing is higher at the weekend than during the working week, with the 3pm to 7pm time slot having a particularly high risk of road fatalities. Most dangerous of all are New Year’s Day and the US Independence

Dutch construction company Heijmans has been awarded the final contract for the A1 motorway project between Apeldoorn and Azelo in the Netherlands. The €127 million contract will see the widening of 28km of motorway between Twello and Deventer to eight lanes and the road between Deventer-Oost and Rijssen widened to six lanes. Works is expected to start in spring 2019 for completion in the autumn 2020.

New Zealand is increasing its budget for road safety measures. Included in the plan for the 2018/2019 period will be a series of upgrades to noted danger spots on local roads as well as improving intersections. The budget will now be US$2.76 billion (NZ$4 billion), an increase from the $2.48 billion (NZ$3.6 billion) for the 2017/2018 period.

The dangers of drugged driving are being revealed in stark form in US states where the use of cannabis has been legalised.

In Panama work is being planned to upgrade the country’s stretch of the important Panamericana Highway. The upgrade will improve capacity and safety on the Panama stretch of the highway, which provides a key link through Central America, connecting South America with North America. Work on the Panama stretch of the Panamericana is expected to cost some US$543 million in all. The contract for the engineering services work will be carried out by Viaponte.