News

Newly available data reveals that South Korea’s road fatality rate is worryingly high. The research reveals that South Korea’s roads kill 105 people/1 million of population/year. This compares poorly with the average for nations that are members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with 65 people/1 million of population/year being killed in road traffic crashes. Pedestrian fatalities in South Korea stand at 4.1/100,000 of population compared with the average 1.4/100,000 for n

Financing has been found for a major highway upgrade project for Pakistan. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is lending US$197 million to Pakistan’s National Highway Development Project for Balochistan. The loan will be used to upgrade the Zhob-Mughal Kot and Qila Saifullah Waghum highways. At present these highways feature just two lanes, but the improvement works will see them being widened and improved, so as to increase capacity and also upgrade safety. The wider aim of the project is to help generate ec

Plans are in hand in East Africa for a new 1,600km highway that will boost trade and transport in the region. The new road will run from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The highway will be of particular importance to landlocked Rwanda as it will provide an important new route for trade and transport. The Transport ministries of Kenya and Rwanda will work together on the project, which will also involve the transport ministry in Uganda. The six lane highway will feature sophistic

Work is now underway on Algeria’s new 62km highway in Batna. The project was opened officially by the Algerian president. The US$567 million project will connect with Algeria’s key East-West highway and forms part of the president's 2005-2025 programme of works. The first section of the new highway will be split into two lots, linking the provinces of Batna, Khenchela and Oum El Bouaghi.

A loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) worth US$800 million will help pay for a series of major road upgrades in Sri Lanka. The remaining $106 million required for the project will be provided by the Sri Lankan Government. The funding will pay for works to 2,200km of provincial and local roads as well as 400km of national roads. The work will help provide proper road connections to around 1,000 villages, with the loan being supplied in a series of payments. The first $100 million payment will be made

A new survey of car crashes cites inattention as the leading cause. The study was carried out by Allianz Global Assistance and the Allianz technical centre and focussed on driver behaviour. The report revealed that around one third of car accidents are due to inattention, with 60% of drivers admitting that using mobile phones while driving is the leading reason for inattention. Meanwhile a further 40% of drivers admitted they talk on the phone while behind the wheel. Even more worryingly, 30% of drivers adm

The Australian National Road and Motorists Association (NRMA) has published a report highlighting a widening gap in national funds available for road maintenance, a gap which the motoring group says has already reached Aus $3.78 billion. The association is calling on the Federal Government to allocate more fuel excise revenue to road projects, saying up to half of the current 38.1 cents per litre is required to fund the ‘black hole’.

Colombian contractor Mario Huertas Cotes and Costa Rican company MECO will carry out construction work on Costa Rica’s Cartagena to Barranquilla highway. The highway stretch measures some 146.7km long and the contract is worth US428.9 million. The two construction companies have come together to carry out the contract jointly and won the deal with a low priced bid.

Thailand’s Highways Department is asking the country’s interim military government to decide on a planned US$2.59 billion highway project. The four-lane highway runs along a 196km route, connecting Bang Pa-in in Ayutthaya to Nakhon Ratchasima via Saraburi. The Highways Department wants to include the project in the eight-year strategic infrastructure development plan put forward by the military government. The project could be partly funded from the 2015-2016 budget as well as through loans and a joint publ

Plans are in hand in Paraguay for the new Carmelo Peralta-Pozo Hondo highway stretch. This route lies in the country’s Chaco region and is expected to cost in the region of US$500 million to construct. Spanish contractor Ohl-Sato has shown strong interest in the work to build the new Carmelo Peralta-Pozo Hondo road. The firm does have experience of projects of this type. The route revamp is required to help regional connectivity.