News

The latest IRF Bulletin is wholly devoted to issues of Environment & Climate Change as they impact on the road infrastructure sector. It features an authoritative but highly readable set of articles contributed by IRF members throughout the world. A comprehensive range of topics is covered in-depth, including policy & regulatory measures, tools for assessing, quantifying and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, technology advancements and mechanisms for adapting to climate change impacts.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Transport has awarded Traffic Tech (Gulf) – Abu Dhabi a traffic signal maintenance contract for the Al Ain Municipality. Valued at over US$ 4.5 million, the contract will run for two years covering maintenance and development of all traffic signals throughout the city. Recently, Middle East Integrated Systems (MEIS), Traffic Tech Group’s Bahraini based company, has also been awarded Bahrain’s traffic signal maintenance contract covering over 280 intersections. Currently, the grou

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved two loans worth €85 million for Croatia's road infrastructure. The first part of the loan is worth €60 million and will be used for construction of the Corridor Vc highway. The deal was signed between the EIB and Croatian motorways company Hrvatske Autoceste (HAC). The loan will finance 50% of the construction of the Corridor Vc highway. This includes a 12.5km section of the highway along the southern and northern part of the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina

The introduction of diesel hybrid vehicles in Europe will help reduce CO2 emissions. Automotive OEMs are now developing and introducing low-emission vehicles and by 2015, every other new car sold in Europe will have CO2 emissions in the range of 101-120grammes/km, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan.

The UK Highways Agency is urging drivers to take extra care at roadworks. This moveis intended to reduce deaths and injuries among roadworkers and road users. The issue of safety in workzones is a serious one and has been highlighted in other European countries as well as in the US. Highways Agency research shows that over 80% of UK drivers say that their driving changes at roadworks, including slowing down and being more careful and attentive.

The organisers of the PLANTWORX exhibition have carried out a Grand Stand Draw for exhibitors at the Heritage Motor Museum, in the UK. Following a conference hosted by the Construction Equipment Association, the organisers of PLANTWORX, over 60 guests from the construction industry witnessed the PLANTWORX Grand Stand Draw.

Europe’s road building contractors are likely to see a drop in activity levels in Poland in coming years. This is likely to spark concern in the industry as Poland has been a major source of revenue in recent years due to the expansion of its road network. The country’s expenditure on road building may well shrink in the next EU budget. Poland’s Infrastructure Ministry GDDKiA has said that the pace of road building in the country will drop considerably after 2013. GDDKiA said that it had no information as y

Frost-heaving continues to be a problem on Norwegian roads despite the introduction of tougher regulations for building and frost securing over the last 20-30 years. An expert group at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen) has reviewed the problem and concluded that lacking technical competence among road builders and those controlling construction is the main problem. Norway’s Directorate of Public Roads (Vegdirektoratet) admits that there are problems with the lack of competence but

Preparation work is expected to commence in 2012 on the new bypass around Swedish capital Stockholm. This project has now been delayed by one year although the work will go ahead, following a series of appeals over various contract issues. The major works for the Förbifart Stockholm project will commence in 2013 and the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) and its consultants are now trying to catch up with the schedule to ensure that the work can be completed on, or at least close to, the origin

Plans are in hand in Romania for the upgrades to the Bucharest ring road. This work is due to be completed by 2014, according to the country’s Transport Ministry. Reconstruction and modernisation of the Chitila-Voluntari segment of the ring road was completed in 2010 and the modernisation of another two segments were completed in 2011. Also, the upgrading of two further segments will be finished by mid 2013. The investment in the five segments of the ring road is expected to reach €100.17 mill

The Russian highway authorities intend to invest a massive €16.78 billion (US$24.23 billion) in road construction and repairs during 2011. This investment will come from federal and regional budgets and represents a 40% increase over spending made in 2010. The plans involve repairs to 5,500km of road surface at a cost of €2.11 billion ($3.046 billion).

Recently (18th-19th October), over 180 road research experts met in Brussels to discuss more than 25 road research projects. Experts from Europe, the USA, Australia, India, Japan and South Africa discussed the themes of Resources, Recycling and Alternative Materials (on the first day) and Implementation (on the second day) using the road research projects as case studies. The event opened with the final conference of the DIRECT-MAT project to share knowledge and practices on DIsmantling and RECycling Techni