News

Financing is being secured for the project to build the third section of Moscow’s ring road. A loan worth around US$642 million will be provided by three banks, the Sberbank, Gazprombank and Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). This section of the ring road lies to the north of the city and measures 105.3km long. The loan for the PPP toll road will be for a 16-year period with the building work being carried out by the Road Construction Corporation. The ring road forms an important link in the chain for the roa

A series of major highway projects are now being planned in the Philippines. The largest of this most recent set of highway projects to be announced is for the US$1.24 billion NLEx-Cavitex Port Expressway Link put forward. Measuring 15km the route would be constructed featuring four lanes. This proposed link would connect the Cavite Expressway and North Luzon Expressway in Metro Manila. The proposal for the project has been made by Manila North Tollways, a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments.

India’s Maharashtra State is setting out a massive programme for infrastructure development. In all some US$47.08 billion of infrastructure works will be carried out. Transport development is a key priority, with a series of major highway construction projects now being planned.

Thailand’s road safety problem continues to worsen. The latest unofficial data from the Don't Drive Drunk Foundation reveals an increasing rate of road deaths. In the six month period from January to June 2017, 6,712 people were killed in road crashes in Thailand, a significant increase from the 5,308 who died in the same period in 2016. Meanwhile from the start of January 2017 to the start of August 2017, 7,925 people were killed in road crashes in Thailand.

Costa Rica will start construction of the Circunvalacion Norte, the northern ring road in the capital San Jose by the end of September. A new 5.8km road linking La Uruca and the Santo Tomas junction will be built as part of the project, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transports. Work will be carried out in five different phases over 28 months.

Italy’s Calabria region has estimated it will need around €150 million to create one of Europe’s longest paved cycle paths, the Magna Grecia. The 1,000km route would also need involvement from the neigbouring regions of Basilicata - also known as Lucania – to the north and the island of Sicily to the south. Calabria, which occupies the so-called toe of the country’s boot-shaped peninsula, is one of Italy’s sunniest and hottest regions. Geography ranges from rugged mountains to dramatic coastlines along the

UK output from companies involved in manufacturing equipment and parts turned down in June, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Output in June was 4.3% lower than May, but was still 3.3% higher than June 2016 levels. Output in June was the lowest for the past seven months - since November 2016 - and has resulted in the six-month moving average flattening out for the first time this year. Output in the second quarter of 2017 was 1% down on the first quarter, but was st

Highway widening projects will help cut congestion in and around Morocco’s key commercial city of Casablanca. A budget of US$158.2 million will be used to add additional lanes to the highway connecting Casablanca with the towns of Settat and Berrechid, which lie to the south of the city. The Casablanca to Settat stretch also carries traffic to Casablanca’s international Mohammed V Airport and is particularly prone to peak period congestion. The highway improvement work will also see the bypass around Casabl

A Turkish company will carry out a key construction contract in Qatar. The project is for the East industrial highway and the package of works was awarded to Tekfen Insaat, which won the tender process. The project is worth some US$200 million and is expected to 27 months to carry out. Once the highway is carrying traffic it will help reduce congestion at peak periods.

Construction work is now underway for new bridges carrying the I-74 Interstate highway across the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois in the Quad Cities area. The project forms part of a US$1 billion programme of works intended to cut congestion at peak periods along the route. This will improve traffic flow and reduce journey times for drivers. The project is being planned jointly by the Department of Transportation for Illinois and the Department of Transportation for Iowa. The highway bridges wil

A loan worth US$629 million will help pay for a highway upgrade for the I-405 route in Orange County, California. The stretch of I-405 connects with Costa Mesa, on the southern side of Los Angeles. The federal loan is being provided by the US Department of Transportation to the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). The work is to upgrade a 22.4km stretch of I-405 between its junction with the I-605 Interstate, close to Rossmoor, and the SR 73 route at Costa Mesa, which connects with the nearby John

A new road project is planned for Ufa, capital of Bashkortostan, which is part of the Russian Federation. A partnership between Turkish contractor Limak Holding and Russian firm VTB Capital will handle the project, which is expected to cost US$570 million. The project will see the construction of a 12.5km long highway and includes the construction of a 1.25km tunnel section as well as 2.6km of bridge stretches over a four year period. The partners have set up a joint business, Bashkir Concession Company, to