News

A German team has developed a new long-life lithium ion battery suitable for use in electric vehicles. Criticisms of existing electric vehicles have highlighted factors such as the need to replace batteries during the life of the vehicle, at substantial cost to the owner. However this new technology is said to be able to deliver 85% of the original battery performance even after being charged 10,000 times, or around 27 years. This development suggests that the batteries could even outlast the vehicles being

Around US$388.39 million (HUF 87bn) will be spent on road repairs in Hungary during 2013, according to State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of National Development (NFM) Sara Hegmanne Nemes. As a result, country roads with a total length of some 600kms will be repaired. The project will be financed from EU funds in line with the country's New Szechenyi Plan (USZT). In Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok county, some 28.4kms of road will be renovated from $14.11 million (HUF 3.18bn). This includes the upgrade of a 5.4

A study by the RAC Foundation in the UK has raised doubts about the usefulness of speed cameras. The research has prompted the RAC Foundation to write to seven local authorities about 21 camera sites where there has been a noticeable increase in the number of accidents since the installation of speed cameras. The study based on speed camera data going back to 1990 identified nine risky camera sites in Merseyside, north-west England and three in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent, both in central England.

Authorities in the Bashkortostan Republic (Volga) in western Russia have approved a strategy that could see investments of between US$7.77 billion (RUB 249.7bn) and US$19.04 billion (RUB 612.2bn) to develop and improve regional and inter-municipal public roads by 2030.

A Mexican contractor is now carrying out construction work on a new 8km road tunnel in the country’s Guerrero State. The project is expected to cost some US$272.6 million. The work is being carried out by the contractor ICA. The project will help improve connectivity for Acapulco. The country is pushing through a series of major infrastructure works in order to improve connectivity. Mexico’s vehicle population is also growing fast, reflecting the country’s economic development. The country’s capital, Mexico

The tender process will open shortly in Bangladesh for the construction of the new Padma Bridge project. The project is expected to be worth in the order of US$ 1.18 billion. The tender process will open on 30th June 2013 and this will be the country’s biggest infrastructure project. Meanwhile the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will supply a series of loans worth $198 million to Bangladesh, which will be used to upgrade two ports and an existing highway link. The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (

Japan is providing funding for infrastructure works in Tanzania. A grant from Japan will fund the construction of the Tazara flyover. Work on the project is expected to begin in July-December 2013. Meanwhile the Japanese Government is also funding a road project close to capital Dar-es-Salaam. This project comprises construction of a new dual-lane bridge in Gerezani as well as widening a 1.3km section of road that lies between the of Kilwa and Kamata intersections. The road will become a dual carriageway. I

Interest is said to be strong for the Pacífico 1, Pacífico 2 and Pacífico 3 highway concession projects in Colombia. At present the country’s national infrastructure agency, ANI, has 56 expressions of interest for the three highway concessions in Antioquia Department. The projects feature a total estimated investment of US$2.16 billion.

The Tunisian Government is setting out plans for a new ring road to be constructed in the Greater Tunis area. This 80km ring road project is expected to cost in the region of US$365 million to construct. The project forms part of a series of works in the country intended to improve connectivity. Tunisia is being connected to the new North African highway, which will run some 5,600km in total from Morocco to Egypt when it is complete. However Tunisia, like many North African nations, does have a comparativel

A new report by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) in the US reveals that injury severity has increased in the US state of Michigan following a change to helmet laws. The study is based on data taken from insurance claims and shows that these costs have increased substantially since the helmet law was changed in Michigan back in 2012. Previous to the law change motorcyclists in Michigan were required to wear helmets whilst riding, which had been in place for over 40 years. The law was changed and only m

In Peru, the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima is expected to approve in August 2013 a US$400 million underground viaduct project, including a 10km double-carriage way road and a 1.5km tunnel under the Cerro Centinela. The private initiative submitted by Spanish construction firm OHL will connect the La Molina and Miraflores districts. Once approved, the proposal will be tendered for 90 days, and should no other company bid for it, OHL will negotiate the contract and begin construction immediately. Work on

Austrian transport club VCÖ has called for the number of kilometres travelled in private vehicles to be reduced by 55% by 2050 to cut time lost by goods transporters in traffic jams - said by VCÖ to be costing the Austrian economy US$5.23 billion (€4 billion) a year. According to VCÖ spokesperson Christian Gratzer, non-passenger transporters must be able to complete their journeys on time in order to improve competitiveness. Gratzer said the 55% reduction in private vehicle journey distance was particular