News

The Transport Research Arena 2016 event is being held in the Polish capital Warsaw April 18th to 21st. The TRA2016 conference is the most important transport research event in Europe and is held every two years. The conference is aimed at stakeholders including researchers, experts, operators, industry and policy-makers. The event is being backed by the European Commission, in cooperation with the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR) and the European Technological Platforms. The Ministry of Infr

An agreement has been made between the authorities in Thailand and Myanmar concerning a new bridge that will link the two countries. The bridge will span the Moei River. The project will cost over US$44 million and includes the bridge as well as border checkpoint buildings. Connecting roads are also included in the project, which is being handled by Thailand's Highways Department. The construction work should take around 24 months. Once complete, this new route will form part of an east-west link from Myanm

Greek contractor Terna is heading a joint venture that will construct a major road project in the Middle East. The US$340 million road project is for the rebuilding of a 40km link in the Doha industrial area. The contract was awarded by Qatar's Public Works Authority (Ashghal). Terna is leading the joint venture, which also includes Gulf Consolidated Contractors and Wade Adams Contracting, will rebuild a 40-kilometre long road stretch in Doha industrial area. The work is expected to take three years to comp

A key bridge project is expected to commence in Chile in January 2016. This will be for the second Bicentario Bridge, as well as a number of connecting roads that will link San Pedro de la Paz and Concepcion in Biobio. Construction of the second Biobio Bridge has been delayed due to an earlier tender award being cancelled. The first bridge has already been completed. According to Chile’s Ministry of Public Works (MOP), four firms have placed bids to build the second Bicentenario Bridge and the aim is to hav

Engineering firm Siemens is part of the team constructing an electric road project in the Swedish town of Gävle. A section of the E16 road outside of Gävle is being fitted with overhead electrical wiring, which will be used to power trucks. The project means that Sweden is likely to be the first country with a public electric road. The first electric truck is expected to be taken into operation in April 2016. Gävleborg Region, truck manufacturer Scania and other industrial companies are also involved in the

The minister of equipment, transport and logistics has launched a US$154 million project to improve the road linking Marrakesh to Ouarzazate. The four-year project will be financed two thirds by the equipment ministry and one-third from the provinces through which runs the 146km route. The project includes plans to double a 27km stretch of road between Marrakesh and Aït Ouri, as well as widen the pavement between Tadart and Aït Ourir over 63km. The 81km section between Tichka summit and Ouarzazate

Construction of Adelaide’s Northern Connector project will start early next year after financing was recently agreed between the federal and South Australia state governments. The federal government will pay for 80% - US$562 million - of the cost, with South Australia picking up the remaining 20% of the estimated US$702 million price tag. The road will not be a direct toll highway but the country’s first network fee expressway where trucks are charged on the basis of road use. The road is proposed

India’s ministry of transport and highways is seeking an additional US$1.17 billion on top of a record spend for road construction and maintenance. The ministry has already earmarked nearly $11 billion for the year 2015/16. The government recently announced plans to build a new 600km highway connecting Katra with New Delhi. The route, costing around $2.25 billion, will run through Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir states. A consultant is being selected to carry out a feasibility study for the project

Infrastructure software provider Bentley Systems has acquired Paris-based e-on software for an undisclosed amount. The company becomes a Bentley subsidiary and will continue to focus on creating 3-D virtual environments for highways as well as other major infrastructure projects. VUE and PlantFactory products are some of e-on’s main products used by computer graphics professionals in the media and entertainment, science and education industries.

Concern is being expressed in France at the increase in the country’s road fatality rate. Data shows that for August 2015, the number of people killed on roads in the country rose 9.5% compared to August 2014. This increase in road fatalities continues the worrying trend seen earlier in the year. During the first eight months of 2015, the number of people killed on French roads was 2,253, an increase of 99 over the same period in 2014. This increase in the death rate comes after several year of reducing the

A series of road projects in Uganda will benefit from funding supplied by Japan. Around US$168 million in loans from the Japanese Government will be used to improve the roads in and around Uganda’s capital Kampala. The Japanese Government has pledged to assist the Ugandan Government in developing its economy, with road infrastructure improvements seen as a major step along this path. The next Tokyo International Conference on African Development will be held in Kenya in 2016. The two countries have also agr

Strong interest is being shown in the tender process for a major highway project in Portugal. The Portuguese Road Agency, Infraestruturas de Portugal - IP, has so far received 11 bids for the construction of the first section of the Via dos Duques highway. This route will connect Coimbra between the junction of the main road A13 and the A25 highway in Mangualde and also through Viseu. The bids were well below the initial reference price and 72km of highway will cost an estimated €320 million.

Photo of the month September 2015, Don’t encourage bad driving – image courtesy of World Highways reader Albert Muloiti