News

Plans are being worked on in Norway for a new tunnel development for part of capital Oslo’s ring Road. The Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property (Statsbygg) has proposed that part of ring road Ring 1 in Oslo should be placed underground where it runs close to the government quarter. The proposed changes are part of a risk assessment for the government quarter decreed by the Defence Estates Agency (Forsvarsbygg). Knut Jørgensen, project manager in Statsbygg, says that Statsbygg recommends

A series of major road rebuilding projects in Bolivia look likely to be handled by Chinese contractors. The Bolivian Government is deciding on the Chinese firms that will carry out road infrastructure works in the country. This decision follows from a loan provided via the Chinese Government loan worth US$7.5 billion. There have been criticisms of the link between the loan and Chinese firms being allowed a greater chance of winning repair contracts. But this has been deflected by the Bolivian Government, wh

Skanska has won the T02 Sørkjosfjell Tunnel Contract as part of the government’s Highway E6 improvement project in the county of Troms, northern Norway. Norway’s rail administrator Statens Vegvesen awarded the €50 million contract for the 4.6km Sørkjosen Tunnel -- its common name -- and work is scheduled for completion in July 2018. According to the OJEU document Contract T01 consists of the open air road from the breakwater in Sørkjosen to tunnel portaling at Mølnerelva, a length of 870m, as well as

Investment bank Bankia and Spanish construction firm FCC have sold their 50-50 joint venture infrastructure management firm Globalvia to three pension funds for €420 million. Madrid-based Bankia and FCC -- Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, based in Barcelona -- said their decision to sell their holdings was part of their plans to divest non-strategic businesses. Globalvia manages public-private partnerships, of which 90% are in Spain. Purchasers are UK-based USS, OPTrust in Canada and Netherlands-ba

India will carry out a feasibility study on a road link between Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu state and Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka, a federal government minister has said. "It needs the consent of both countries,” said Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping, Pon Radhakrishnan. “The project needs to be discussed at various levels," according to a brief report by India’s Hindu newspaper. Radhakrishnan told the reporters that federal government had begun consultations to carry out a

The Asian Development Bank will loan US$800 million to Sri Lanka toward phase three of the country’s Integrated Road Investment Programme. The programme will improve more than 3,100km of rural roads and nearly 250km of national roads at a total cost $906 million. Work will take place in Sabaragamu provinces, Kaluthara District, Central, North Central and North Western Provinces. Sri Lanka recently announced that $292 million has been secured from the Japan International Cooperation Agency for a new

In Bangladesh, the draft detailed design of the US$5.14 billion Dhaka-Chittagong highway has been approved by the government. The feasibility study to execute the plan has already been completed. The highway will measure 198km in length. The project is to be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) basis.

The Chilean government has announced around 800 road projects for 2016, mostly linked to road concessions, costing about US$1.44 billion. Schemes include those on the Autopista del Sol motorway, such as a third lane between Santiago and Talagante, an alternative access to Penaflor, improvements to the Talagante link and a control centre. In addition, a $5.2 million stop-and-go tag-type toll payment system will be introduced for Autopista del Sol, which will be similar to ones on Ruta 5 Sur between Angost

Nicaragua has boosted it budget by $84 million for 2016 in an effort to stimulate the construction sector, local media report. Public resources will reach around US$600 million and will be aimed to fund infrastructure work such as the Rio Blanco Mulukuku road and the Naciones Unidas-Bluefields road. The Ministry of Transport will receive $200 million of the budget of which $46 million will be earmarked for the road maintenance fund – Fomav – concerning nearly 2,600kmn or roads. In addition, money w

A pilot programme to develop safer roads is being planned for India’s capital Delhi. The Indian Government is developing the programme which will see 10 roads in Delhi being redesigned in a bid to boost road safety, particularly for vulnerable road users. Once the eight month pilot programme has been completed, the aim is to introduce similar measures right across the city. In all the city-wide road revamp for Delhi will cost some US$772.14 million and will involve improving around 1,200km of roads. The aim

Bhutan has had some success in controlling road safety but could further reduce its death tool, according to the Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015. The report, published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), says that the country has more than 15 road deaths/100,000 people. This is higher compared than Pakistan at 14.2 deaths/100,000 people and 13.6/100,000 people in Bangladesh. However, India has a higher fatal crash rate than Bhutan with 16.6 deaths/100,000. A total of 3% of the total deaths in B