News

Many large concessionaires have shown interest in the construction of the Corridor Vc motorway, according to Bosnian Minister of Transport and Telecoms, Damir Hadzic. When completed, the Bosnian section of the international Corridor Vc is planned to run for 330km through Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Bolivian Road Administration, ABC, has a 2013 state budget of US$611.98 million (BOB 4.29bn) for 2013, according to the firm’s president, Luis Sanchez. Bolivia has 16,000kms of roads. Work on a new section of the road between La Paz and Ilo is underway.

The first five sections of Colombia’s Autopistas de la Prosperidad have been put out to tender. The contracts, worth a combined US$3.52 billion (COP 6.4tn), will be awarded in November 2013. Overall, all nine sections of Autopistas de la Prosperidad are estimated to cost COP 13tn. The four remaining sections will go under the hammer in September 2013.

Roads in Tanzania will be upgraded with funding from Japan and the African Development Fund (AfDF). The US$80 million of funding will be used to improve roads in Mtambaswala, Tuduru and Mangaka, and between Bonga and Mayamaya. The road rehabilitation work is expected to help boost transport demand by a factor of four by 2030. The development follows the Comprehensive Transport and Trade System Development Master Plan prepared by Japan.

A report from market analysis specialist Timetric has highlighted increased demand for machines in the Asia-Pacific region. This report shows that the Asia-Pacific region has overtaken Europe and North America in demand for heavy construction machinery and earthmoving equipment. The 57.8% market share of the Asia-Pacific market for these machines makes it the largest in the world, followed by Europe with 22.0% and North America with 12.4%, according to the report. Economic uncertainty in Europe and slow gro

The Oman Government has cancelled work on Package Two of the Batinah Expressway project. This was for a 45km section of highway worth US$327 million. The eight lane highway was to have been built over a three year period. It is not clear when work will recommence and whether or not the original firms involved will be re-engaged but under different terms.

In Algeria, a series of road projects are underway, as well as in neighbouring Tunisia. A key development in Tunisia is that work is ongoing for an 80km stretch of highway that will connect with Algeria’s East-West Highway. This will further elevate the importance of the East-West highway in Algeria as it already connects with new links in Morocco. The new section in Tunisia will be the next step in this northern route providing connectivity right across North Africa. When the entire 5,600km route is comple

Plans are in hand in Indonesia for the Sunda Strait Bridge project. The Indonesian Government intends construction work to commence in 2014. The project will be funded by private investors which will also be given concessions to develop Lampung and Banten. Foreign investment will be required, no matter which firm wins the project. Chinese and South Korean investors are likely to be interested in financing the project.

The number of trucks passing the Alps will rise to 1.51 million a year by 2030, compared to 1.2 million in 2012, according to a survey carried out by the research institute INFRAS on behalf of the Swiss transport office OFT. In 1994 the aim was to reduce the truck passing figure to 650,000 by 2018, but in 2011 this was said to be too ambitious. INFRAS suggests that container traffic over the Alps will grow by 50% to 1.3 million units by 2030. While truck transport will increase, the planned transfer of good

Some of the biggest international construction firms are among agencies and companies reportedly interested in funding or developing a new US$2.5 billion Brent Spence Bridge on Interstates 71/75 in the US state of Ohio.

Urban motorways generated profits of US$ 113.21 million (CLP 53.46bn) in Chile in 2012 - 105% higher than 2010, and 52% higher than 2011. The country’s urban motorways also generated revenues of $523.755 million (CLP 246.06bn) in 2012, 14% higher than 2010. An increase of 23% in car sales between 2010 and 2012 is thought to be behind these excellent results.

In Turkey plans are now in hand for the country’s first Highway & Road Technologies Exhibition. This will be held from 6th-8th February 2014 at the Istanbul Expo Center (IFM) in Istanbul, Turkey and will be organised by Türkel Fair Organization. The event aims to attract international and domestic key manufacturers and industry players. The exhibition is set to be held in halls with a gross area of 10,000m2, plus outdoor exhibition areas. The organisers expect more than 200 companies to exhibit and 10,000 e

A person who spends 30 minutes a day driving to get into Brussels loses four days, or 101 hours-a -year in traffic jams, according to the 2012 Congestion Index compiled by TomTom. During rush hour a journey by car is said to take almost a third - 31.8% - longer than normal. Roads are busier in the evening rush hour than the day time rush hour.

The Czech Transport Ministry is considering the adoption of car-sharing scheme as one of the solutions to reduce traffic congestion and lack of parking spaces in towns and cities across the country. Research shows that one shared car could save between five to twenty parking spaces. According to the ministry's proposal for transport policy until 2020, a car-sharing system could be most beneficial when complemented by a combined public transport ticket. The Ministry is said to have been inspired by the car-s