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The world’s highway networks are facing “a major paradigm shift” from a past that was based on hardware, engineering, economic, analogue, vehicle and supply driven solutions to a future that will be based instead on software, social, environmental, digital, multi-modal demand-driven solutions. Think road users and the customers first if you want to help drive future road policy said Young Tae Kim, secretary general of the International Transport Forum (ITF), speaking at the opening ceremony of PPRS 2018

“The world is changing, mobility is changing and so roads must change and adapt for the future.” With this brief statement, Jacques Tavernier opened the second Pavement Preservation and Recycling Summit today. “At the same time there is a growing awareness of poor or non-existent maintenance for highways. The question for this conference is how to adapt road maintenance in the face of this challenge,” said Tavernier, addressing the opening plenary session. More than 100 speakers will present their latest

A new highway project is being planned for India’s Uttar Pradesh State. The US$522.7 million project will see a 100km section of the Hapur Bypass being widened, so that it will feature three lanes in either direction. This section of the route is from Moradabad to Hapur and the work will be carried out by IRB Infrastructure Developers. The contract was awarded by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the build, operate and transfer model.

A new bridge project will improve transport connections between China and Myanmar. The bridge will be located in Myanmar’s Shan area, bordering with China’s Yunnan Province. This will replace the existing bridge at Kunlong. The new bridge will measure 4.2km in length, spanning the Thanlwin River. This will form part of the route running through Theinni, Kunlong and Chinshwehaw and the project includes building 4km of connecting roads.

Bidding is strong for a project to build the new Karavanke tunnel in Slovenia, with the award due soon and construction expected to commence in 2018. So far nine bids have been received for the link, which lies close to Slovenia’s border with Austria. A bid of €89.3 million has been made by the Turkish contractor Cengiz Insaat, while at the other end of the scale a bid of €140 million has come from a partnership of Slovenian firm Pomgrad and Swiss company Marti. A partnership comprising Implenia Österreich

Work looks set to start during 2018 on Taiwan’s new Tamkang Bridge project. The construction is expected to cost in the order of US$429 million, with the work being carried out by the contractor, Kung Sing Engineering, with completion expected in 2020. The project has been split into three phases, constructing a road from the Port of Taipei, building the 920m-long bridge itself and a new road from the bridge to Bali. This last section of the project has already been completed however. Once the entire

Financing now looks set to be secured for a major bridge project for Uganda. A loan is being supplied by various European and Japanese banks will help pay for the new River Nile Bridge. In all the bridge project is costing US$125.7 million. The 525m-long by 23m-wide link is needed to replace the ageing xxx structure. After the new bridge opens to traffic, the old bridge will be decommissioned.

A finance package has been secured to help pay for the building of Turkmenistan’s Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway project. Worth US$2.4 billion, the financing comes in the shape of a loan and is being provided by the Central Bank of Turkmenistan. The finance package is being provided to the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan under a 20-year loan deal that includes a grace period of five years. The new Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway project will help to improve transport efficiency in

Qatar is planning a major programme of transport infrastructure development. Worth nearly US$6 billion, the plans will see just over half of the budget ($3.04 billion) being targeted at expressway construction. Meanwhile a further $2.5 billion will be used to improve Qatar’s network of trunk roads and minor roads, as well as to construct new connections. The remaining portion of the budget will include paying for new minor bridge works, underpasses and overpasses.

Australia’ Victoria State will see US$$548.5 million ($A711 million) being spent on widening and upgrading the Monash Freeway. This will be the second stage of the Monash Freeway upgrade project, building an additional two lanes. From Clyde to Cardinia, this will give three lanes in either direction while from Warrigal Road to the EastLink, this will deliver five lanes in either direction. The work will boost capacity and cut journey times at peak periods, further assisted by the use of sophisticated

Turkey’s programme of bridge and highway building looks set to continue with a funding package for the 1915 Canakkale Bridge and Highway project being found. The bridge will span the Dardanelles Straits and the funding package is worth US$2.83 billion. The financing will come in the shape of a loan has been secured by a group of 24 banks and institutions from 10 countries in all. The loan calls for a 15 year repayment period. The bridge will be a constructed by a consortium, Canakkale Otoyol.

Plans are being drawn up for the Bulan Bridge project for Indonesia. This 5.6km long bridge is expected to cost US$871 million to construct. Funding worth $31.6 million is being provided by the Chinese Government to help kickstart the project. Construction will be carried out by China Road and Bridge, which has signed agreements with the local authorities in Indonesia for the project. The work will also include building road links to the bridge. The structure will connect Kalimantan and Tarakan.

Colombia’s longest bridge is on track for completion shortly. The 4.7km-long bridge provides a connection over the Cienaga de la Virgen wetland area. The new bridge forms part of the dual carriageway road link between Cartagena and Barranquilla. When complete, it will also be the third longest bridge in Latin America. The project has been complex due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the area where it is being built. To minimise impact the builders have used pre-fabricated components and assembled