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Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) reported 9% improvement in North American sales for the third quarter 2014. However, the manufactures said it was not enough to overcome uncertainty and negative growth elsewhere. Net sales in the three months July to September increased to US$1,735 million (SEK 12,582 million), up from $1,692 million (SEK12,278 million) for the same period last year. However, when adjusted for currency movements, net sales were down by 3% during the period. Volvo’s statement said “

A major programme of PPP road construction concession contracts is due for Colombia. This has been given the go ahead by Colombia's National Council for Economic and Social Policy (Conpes). The programme is for a second round of 4G highway concessions through PPPs, worth up to US$16.5 billion in all, with 10 highway projects to be built. These are: the Autopista Mar 1; Autopista Mar 2; Neiva-Girardot; Villavicencio-Yopal; Rumichaca-Pasto; Puerta de Hierro-Palmar de Varela-Cruz del Viso; Santana-Mocoa-Neiva/

Work on the Trans-Sahara highway is on track with its construction schedule.

The authorities in Uzbekistan have plans in hand to construct some 423km of roads in 2015. Funding for a considerable portion of the construction work will come in the shape of loans. The Asian Development Bank is one of the funding sources and is providing loans being sued for financing 85km of the work required. The country has budgeted around US$1.17 billion for purchasing of road building equipment, an increase of 35% from the previous year.

A new 2.85km bridge is being built in Vietnam to span the Red River at Hung Ha. The Thai Ha Bridge will connect Thai Binh Province and Ha Nam Province with the Ninh Binh highway in Cau Gie Province. The link will be constructed under the build-operate-transfer model and the concession deal means that from 18th October 2016, investors will collect toll revenues from the bridge for 19 years and two months. The highway itself will feature four lanes with a maximum travel speed of 80km/h.

The Bulgarian and Romanian Governments have agreed over projects to build new bridges crossing the Danube River and linking the country. One of the two bridges will be constructed between Nikopol and Turnu Magurele while the other will connect Silistra and Calarasi. Funding for the projects will be provided by the Cross Border Cooperation Programme Bulgaria-Romania 2014-2020. The work to upgrade to the existing bridge at Ruse-Giurgiu will be included in the EU's operational transport programme for 2014-2020

Cat Financial Services, the finance arm of Caterpillar Inc., reported third-quarter 2014 revenues of US$743 million, an increase of $44 million, or 6%, compared with the third quarter of 2013.

Azerbaijan’s minister of transport, Ziya Mamedov, said construction and renovation of all trunk roads of international importance will be completed by 2017. Around US$2.86 billion (€2.25 billion) will be needed for development of Azerbaijan's transport sector in 2015 as a part of a state investment programme, he said. World Highways reported earlier this month that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is supplying $350 million for road construction in the country for work between 2015 and 2017. Meanwhi

In Nigeria plans are in hand for the rebuilding of two key connections, the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. Contractor Julius Berger is carrying out the work on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and this should be complete before the end of 2014. Meanwhile Lagos State looks set to handle the widening and improvement work required for the Lagos-Badagry Expressway project. At the moment the Lagos-Badagry Expressway features two lanes in either direction, however this is proving unable to c

Data from China reveals that manufacturing output of electric, hybrid and other new energy vehicles in the country has grown by a factor of 11 for September 2014 compared with the same month in 2013. China produced 10,113 units of new-energy vehicles in September 2014. The output of hybrid passenger cars and electric passenger cars stood at 2,369 and 3,589 units respectively. For the period from January to September 2014, Chinese production of these low impact vehicles increased by a factor of four to 41,30