News

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

A series of major highway infrastructure projects are planned for the Philippines. Plans are in hand for the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) project, with MPCALA Holdings calling on the authorities to give final approval so that construction can commence before 2017. MPCALA Holdings is a subsidiary of conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments (MPIC) and won the 35-year contract to build, operate and maintain the CALAX in June 2015. The CALAX project is worth US$754.6 million. At present, the company is lookin

Overpass projects are being planned for Myanmar to help cut traffic congestion in key areas around the country’s commercial centre, Yangon. One project proposal has been submitted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This will see the development of elevated roads on the Wai Zayandar Road. The cost of constructing the elevated roads has been estimated at some US$2 billion. The project looks likely to be carried out under build-operate-transfer model.

The US state of Missouri said it is fighting a losing battle to maintain its 641 bridges that are listed in critical condition - one-step away from being closed to traffic. Engineers in the southern state’s department of transportation said around US$820 million is needed to repair or replace the 641 bridges, three of which were closed to traffic last year. The critical list has expanded with the addition of 50 more bridges since last year. And the critical list is expected to grow to around 1,500 bri

A two-day unreserved public auction in Dubai set a record for number of bidders, according to the auction organisers by Ritchie Brothers. More than US$42 million worth of construction equipment including trucks went under the hammer on September 8 and 9 in the United Arab Emirate member state. Eduard Faig, regional sales manager for Ritchie Brothers, said the event set new Dubai records for the total number of on-site bidders, reaching just over 920, and for the number of online bidders, more than 400

A novel tunnel project has been proposed in Brazil. The local infrastructure group Contern has suggested building a tunnel underneath the Serra do Mar nature reserve along the coast of Sao Paulo. The new link would improve access to the southern coastal area of that state, including to Santos port and the industrial area known as Baixada Santista. The project would be carried out under the PPP model so as to provide the necessary funding. The tunnel would have to be 21-23km long and would feature twin tubes

Rebuilding work is planned for a historic bridge in the US state of Pennsylvania to ensure it remains able to carry current traffic volumes. The work is being managed by consulting engineer Michael Baker International. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) selected Michael Baker International for the US$5 million engineering and design project that will focus on the western spans of the Market Street Bridge in Harrisburg. Rehabilitating this critical traffic artery in Pennsylvania's capital re

The European Parliament has accepted that powered two-wheelers will play a significant role in sustainable mobility, helping reduce both traffic congestion and pollution. The European Parliament adopted Wim van de Camp’s “Report on the implementation of the 2011 White Paper on Transport: taking stock and the way forward towards sustainable mobility”. In the report motorcycles are seen as part of the solution to solving the problems in urban transport. Powered two wheelers can help tackle congestion and park

The European Parliament has reiterated calls for a pan-European target to cut serious road injuries. In a vote on a review of European transport policy since 2011, MEPs called for, “the swift adoption of a 2020 target of a 40 % reduction in the number of people seriously injured, accompanied by a fully-fledged EU strategy.” Since 2010 the number of people seriously injured on EU roads has been reduced by just 1.6%, compared to an 18% decrease in the number of road deaths. Last year the numbers actually

The long running saga of Algeria’s East-West Highway should come to a key point soon, when most of the route will finally be open to traffic. The 1,216km-long route will be fully operational at the end of October 2015. This is of course with the exception of the Lakhdaria section, which still requires rehabilitation work to be carried out. The repairs are expected to carry on until May or June 2016. Contractors from all over the world have been involved in the East-West highway project but certain stretches

Official data from the UK reveals the scale of the safety problem facing pedestrians on the country’s road network. This shows that nearly 18,000 pedestrians were injured in an incident involving a vehicle in 2013, the most recent year with full analysis currently available. The charity is calling for an even greater focus on pedestrian protection to make cars safer and raise awareness of the risks.