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A framework document has been set up for public organisations and private companies to work on pilot projects under the SOCRATES2.0 interactive traffic management programme. The pilots will start in June next year in the regions of Amsterdam, Munich, Antwerp and Copenhagen. The framework is the result of an agreement last year by six road authorities from four countries and some international service and traffic information providers.

Technology groups and agencies have until August 16 to enter the Transport-Technology Research Innovation for International Development (T-TRIID) competition. Under the Applied Research Programme in High Volume Transport (HVT), the competition funds short projects for safer and more efficient transport within low-income countries in Africa and South Asia. The programme is implemented by development and infrastructure agency IMC Worldwide, supported by the Knowledge Transfer Network – a UK agency for p

A special course being held at Newcastle University in the UK is intended to help road construction professionals with knowledge on asphalt road paving. The course is being managed by Roger N Bird, Senior Lecturer in Highway Engineering at Newcastle University. The course will run from the 3rd September to the 7th September 2018 at the university. This course is being run by Newcastle University’s Transport Operations Research Group.

Road widening on the Tullamarine Freeway in the Australian city of Melbourne is helping to cut congestion. The US$962 million (A$1.3 billion) project is nearly complete, but the sections finished already are now having a positive benefit for traffic flow. This has reduced journey times to and from the city’s main airport, with further benefits expected once the work on the route is completed in August 2018.

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