News

Angola has awarded the contract for a major road project intended to improve transport for its capital, Luanda. Portuguese constractor Mota Engil will handle the project for the Via Expressa/Camama/Avenida Pedro de Castro Van-Dúnem Loy road. The deal is worth some US$178 million and as well as building the road itself, the work will require the construction of extensive drainage systems as well as redesigning and rebuilding an existing roundabout. Financing for the work is being provided through the Portugu

A new bridge spanning Sri Lanka’s Mahaweli River and close to the city of Kandy has been officially opened. The bridge link connects the neighbouring villages of Dodanwala and Halloluwa in Sri Lanka’s Central Province and was opened by Maithripala Sirisena, the country’s president. The bridge is nearly 105m long and replaces a 75 year old suspension bridge that was no longer fit for purpose. The old structure carried pedestrian traffic only while the new bridge carries two lanes of vehicle traffic, as well

A new tunnel in Poland is being proposed to improve transport links between Uznam Island, Woznin Island, Karsibor Island and the country’s mainland. The EU is supplying funding worth close to €179 million, which should pay for 85% of the costs associated with the project. The project will be of major benefit to the town of Swinoujscie, which has been instrumental in planning the works and will pay for the majority of the remaining sum. The town is split between Uznam Island, Woznin Island and Karsibor Islan

China’s Guizhou Province looks set to gain from a major new highway construction programme. A budget of close to US$24.9 billion has been set for the construction of 11 highways in Guizhou Province. One of the priority projects will be the construction of a new highway connecting Anshun with Duyun. In all the highways will measure a total length of around 1,000km. Guizhou Province currently has some 6,100km of highways.

Major new highway projects are now underway in the Philippines. The tender process is opening for the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway-Dike project, which will be worth some US$2.59 billion in all. The new expressway will connect Los Banos with Taguig City and when it is complete, will improve journey times from Laguna to Metro Manila by cutting congestion. Just over half of the sum will be used to build the expressway itself, while the rest will be used to construct a new flood control dike as well as to carry

Colombia's Ministry of Finance is evaluating the use of project finance arrangements to fund the government-backed 4G road development schemes. However, regulations will have to be put in place before such arrangements can be made, according to a report by the Colombian financial newspaper Portafolio. The 4G programme consists of 45 road projects divided into three waves of development under the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme, with another category set up for private initiatives. The budge

The Czech Transport Ministry has re-tendered for legal, technical and financial consultancy services regarding the first public-private partnership for a road project. The contract is for construction of a 32km section of the D4 motorway between Pribram and Pisek in South Bohemia. A previous tender for the €3.8 million project was cancelled by the Czech Anti-monopoly Office (UOHS) that suggested it contained flaws. Deadline for bids for the new tender is February 15 with construction of the remaini

Topcon Positioning is broadening its solutions to the construction sector with a combination of partnerships and acquisitions. The firm has acquired a significant share of Finnish design software specialist Viasys VDC, adding to its portfolio of (BIM) technologies. This firm offers a comprehensive suite of tools and services for building Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) models for infrastructure and site-work projects. The VDC models from Viasys can be used to optimise the construction process through

Kohler Engines is preparing its dealer network for further emissions regulation with increased training, including the use of its iService multimedia platform. The company offers service training courses throughout its network, in branches, distributors and authorised workshops. In addition it is offering distance learning through the iService portal. This combines the traditional viewing of service manuals with interactive content including 3D movies. This can be accessed on computers, tablets and smartpho

Massenza is broadening its range of capabilities with the acquisition of the Strassmayr business.

The Volvo Group has removed Olof Persson from the role of president and CEO of the company. This move came following pressure from certain shareholders due to the group’s weak financial performance in recent years. Instead the Volvo group plans to appoint Scania’s head Martin Lundstedt to the role. Lundstedt will take the post in October 2015, with the Volvo Group’s chief financial officer, Jan Gurander, standing in as temporary president and CEO.

The new Mecalac 12MTX features all the versatility of previous machines, with enhanced capabilities. The result is user-friendly, offering efficiencies in productivity and even fuel savings. “It has a very intuitive operating concept,” said Bianca Sierks-Schilling of Mecalac. “It’s a very versatile and efficient machine.”