News

Nearly €323 million will be spent by Hungary on road renovation projects in 2017, according to the Ministry of National Development. Tenders will be called by the Hungarian national road management agency Magyar Kozut. In June, a Colas Hungaria-Colas Ut consortium started work on a new stretch of M35 motorway, a deal worth up to €55 million.

Construction work on Serbia’s Ljig-Preljina highway, the Corridor 11 Project, is being delayed. The delay has been caused by complications involving the construction of the tunnel and bridge sections. The construction work is being carried out by the Azerbaijan contractor Azvirt, with local firms carrying out sub-contracting projects. The new route is expected to open around 40 days later than originally expected as a result. Meanwhile the improving political relations between Serbia and its neighbour Ko

Plans are being set out for an important new highway link in the CIS. This new link will connect the M-5 and M-7 highways, close to the city of Ufa and the project is expected to cost US$1.12 billion to carry out. The work will require the construction of a tunnel stretch carrying four traffic lanes, as well as two highway sections and an overpass in the city itself. Ufa is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, which is part of the CIS. The city is linked to Russia’s capital Moscow by the M-7 highwa

The Czech Republic is planning a major programme of road upgrades. This will target secondary roads in the country, improving road surfaces as well as safety features. Some €155.45 million is being provided by the Czech Ministry for Local Development for the work. Much of the funding is being sourced from EU financing, with the programme of road repair and upgrade works scheduled to take place from August 2016 until October 2022.

Dutch construction and related services group Royal BAM posted improved half-year results, despite Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. Half-year results to June showed pre-tax profit to €45 million, up from €4 million the previous year. However, group revenue slipped back €3.4 billion, down from around €3.5 billion. Construction and mechanical & electrical services suffered a €23.8 million loss, blamed on poor trading in Germany. But civil engineering and property helped profitability.

US group Jacobs Engineering has been appointed by Highways England to develop preferred options for multiple highways schemes. The projects are in the east, southeast and northwest regions of England, according to statement by Jacobs. Contract value has not been given. Jacobs senior vice president for buildings and infrastructure, Bob Duff, said that the award “builds on our long established relationship with Highways England”. Highways England is the new government company charged with operating E

The World Bank agreed to finance construction of Kenya’s first double deck highway, according to media reports. Construction is set to begin by the end of this year on the toll road to link Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. Peter Mundinia the director-general of the Kenya National Highways Authority, explained that construction of the all-elevated dual carriageway will be in three phases. The first will begin with 6.5km running from the airport to Likoni Road and the

The Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) has awarded Poyry detailed engineering planning work for the upgrading of operational and safety equipment in two major tunnels on the A2 motorway. The A2 forms the main north-south motorway in Switzerland, connecting Basel with Chiasso. The Schänzli and Hagnau tunnels have been in operation for four decades and are being completely refurbished. Pöyry has already been handling the structural measures and ventilation systems in the tunnels, said Marcel Winter,

German engine manufacturer Deutz has agreed a key supply deal with Chinese construction machinery manufacturer SANY. The agreement will see SANY fitting its wheeled loaders with the TCD 7.8 diesel engine from Deutz. These engines feature diesel particulate filters and are Stage V ready. Deutz has been supplying diesels to SANY Heavy Machinery for use in other machines for some time. However this latest agreement strengthens the supply deals between the two companies. These engines meet the Tier 4 Final/Stag

Global infrastructure services firm AECOM and the UK’s University of Salford have launched a research partnership with the aim of improving understanding of how major infrastructure programmes interact with the natural environment. A statement from AECOM said that the two organisations will jointly fund environmental research on topics directly applicable to major infrastructure projects. “Research areas will be chosen to provide benefits to particular schemes and to help reduce adverse impacts and im

An umbrella body of 370 local authorities in the UK wants towns and cities to charge utility companies for digging up roads and disrupting traffic. The Local Government Association, representing English and Welsh members says too many roads are blocked due to lane closures because of digging to repair pipes and communication lines. The LGA said it should be easier for local councils to introduce lane rental schemes if needed, without the requirement to get approval from the central government. A la