News

The Zambian Government is launching its Link Zambia-8000 project, which is intended to improve transport within the country. Costing US$5.37 billion this is a five-year project intended to improve connections between the country's 10 provinces. Outlying areas will be provided with better transport links to major conurbations under the scheme, which will also help the country’s extraction industry. Of the total $5.37 billion, $1.57 billion will be for the first phase, $2.24 billion for the second phase and $

A key highway project worth in excess of US$364 million has been revealed in Vietnam. The first package of works for the upgrades to National Highway 20 was awarded by the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam to contractor, Management Board 7. The company will carry out work worth some $220 million, which involves building a 123km road as well as 16 bridges that will link Highway 725 in Lam Dong to Dau Giay Junction in Dong Nai Province. The work is being carried out under a build, operate and transfer type con

Concern has been expressed in the UK over the release of accident statistics for 2011 that reveal an increase in road fatalities over the previous year. This is the first national rise in road deaths and serious injuries in 17 years. In all 1,901 people died on the UK’s roads in 2011, an increase of 3% of the figures for 2010 while those seriously injured rose 2% to 23,122. Interestingly, the number of fatalities fell for three types of road user, with a fall of 22% for bus and coach occupants, 10% for moto

The authorities in Algeria are planning major road network upgrades for the country’s Sétif Region. Some US$387.5 million has been budgeted for a programme of works that will see a series of major improvements to National roads that connect Sétif Region to Constantine, Bejaïa and M'sila. The Sétif Region has a road network comprising some 3,560km in total.

China is reported to be willing to fund the construction of the Limon road in Costa Rica, on the condition that a Chinese company is responsible for the key infrastructure project. It is understood that China would grant a 20-year loan of US$ 400 million, with a low interest rate, if their condition is met. The Congress of Costa Rica is expected to decide on the matter in November 2012. The Limon road project involves the expansion from two to four lanes of the 70km road from Rio Frio to Limon, and the dev

Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos has made a pledge to have over 3,200kms of double-lane roads in Colombia by 2018. A total of 1,700km will be built by 2014. Santos has announced 30 infrastructure projects which form part of the fourth round of road concessions. Six tenders involving works worth an estimated US$ 4.44 billion will be launched before the end of this year.

Nurol-Özaltn-Makyol-Astaldi-Yüksel-Göçay consortium says it will provide half of the US$ 2.7 billion required to build Turkey’s new Gebze-Orhangazi-zmir motorway from its own combined funds. The other half of cost will be covered by a bank loan agreement secured by the consortium.

Talks between the Chinese Development Bank and the Serbian Government could result in Chinese funding for Serbian highway projects. The Danube coast project and the Corridor 11 highway project have been identified. Some €400-€450 million of Chinese financing could be made available to Serbia for highway projects following the most recent series of discussions. Serbia’s Ministry for Transport is also in talks with Chinese partners for the construction of a series of highway projects.

Two major awards have been given to the Gateway Upgrade Project in Queensland, Australia. One of these was for engineering excellence while the other was the overall RW Hawken Award. These were given as part of the Engineering Australia Awards Queensland Division) scheme. Following this, the Gateway Project will now be a contender for the national Australian Engineering Excellence Awards being held in November 2012.

Work is progressing on track for construction of the new highway linking Albania’s capital Tirana with the city of Elbasan. The Albanian Public Works Ministry expects the Tirana-Elbasan highway to be opened in the second quarter of 2013. Contractors Aktor and Copri are working on the project and most of the major engineering work has been completed. The project is being funded by backers including the Islamic Bank of Development and the OPEC Fund, as well as the Albanian Government.

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Cummins are setting up a joint venture to produce engines in South Korea for the earthmoving equipment market. The two companies are investing US$33 million each into the project, which will be called Hyundai Cummins Engine Company and will have its factory located in Daegu. Production is scheduled to commence in 2014, with capacity reaching 50,000 engines/year once the facility is fully commissioned.