News

Discussions are underway in Switzerland at present over options for maintaining and upgrading the Gotthard Road Tunnel in the 2020-2025 period. One option is likely to cost some €539.65 million (CHF 650 million), requiring the tunnel to be closed for a 30 month period. The other option is likely to cost €752 million and will see the work carried out in stages over a 42 month stretch. For this second option, the tunnel would remain open during the summer period so as to allow it to carry the higher volumes o

National Post, 12 Jun 2012, online:- Up to US$535.76million (CAD 550mn) has been offered by the Canadian government towards the US$973.75million (CAD 1bn) construction of Detroit River International Crossing bridge between Windsor, Ontario and the US city of Detroit. The construction of the bridge is due for completion by 2016.

The New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia will invest AD $5 billion (US $4.95 billion) to build and maintain critical road and maritime infrastructure across NSW as part of the 2012/13 State Budget. “This year’s budget includes a significant investment aimed at tackling congestion in our busy city areas and improving our rural and regional network with major commitments to the Pacific, Princes, Hume and Great Western highways,” said NSW roads and ports minister Duncan Gay.

Emulbitume has opened a manufacturing plant in Brazil as it looks to develop its South American market position. The French firm, which specialises in the design, manufacture and commissioning of bitumen emulsion production units and macerator pumps, said its new production site in Uberaba, western Brazil, will enable it to offer a full range of products to Latin America customers, including units for laboratories and a wide range of production devices.

Funding for vital highway construction and repair projects in Rwanda has been approved as part of the country’s budget for 2012/13. The government will have more than US$ 2.18billion (RWF 1.30tn) to work with with the infrastructure sector, including highways development, being allocated just over 23% of that total. Among highways projects due to receive budgeted funding are:

A live crash demonstration of the Highway Care (HC) manufactured BarrierGuard 800 portable steel safety barrier was staged recently at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney, Australia. Organised by the Boylan Group, Highway Care International’s (HCI) partner, and Australia’s largest equipment hire company, Coates Hire, the event drew 200 Australian engineers, designers and road industry professionals and showcased technology already established throughout Europe.

New rules in the US mean that electric vehicles will require noise generation equipment. This covers electric vehicles and hybrids as well as motorcycles, medium and heavy trucks and buses. It specifies that the alert sound must be sufficient to allow a pedestrian to detect a nearby EV or PHEV operating at constant speed, accelerating, decelerating and operating in any other critical scenarios. It must reflect the minimum sound level emitted by a motor vehicle that is necessary to allow visually-impaired an

Nigeria’s Oyo State is planning to rebuild bridges damaged by flooding in Ibadan and Oyo town. Contracts have now been awarded for the work. The bridges identified for rebuilding are Apete Bridge, Ayeye Bridge, Osoro River Bridge, Ogbere Babanla Bridge, Olomi Bridge and Secretariat Road Bridge in Ibadan as well as Alaadorin Bridge and Sakutu Bridge in the town of Oyo.

The South African government is engaging with the private sector to review alternatives to the e-tolling system on Gauteng highways. The move was announced by the country's deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe, who repeated his earlier assertion that the "most equitable way" to fund the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) is via the user-pay system. He added that the underlying cause for frustration relating to the user-pay system should be resolved by engaging with the private sector.

In Panama the highway operator ENA is looking for funding for work to key road stretches on the North and South corridors. The work is expected to cost US$260 million. The work will include a new 10km stretch as part of Phase II of the Brisas del Golf - 24 Diciembre road at a cost of $114 million. The construction work will be carried out by Mexican firm Ingenieros Civiles Asociados (ICA), which will receive $52 million from the Fiduciary Fund for Development. The rest is still to be sourced. Various soluti