News

Volvo Construction Equipment reports share growth as overall market declines in Q2. Lower demand in most markets outside Europe weighed on Volvo CE’s second quarter 2016 revenue. But this was partially offset by gains in market share in the heavy equipment segment, according to a written statement from the Swedish manufacturer. Adjusted for currency movements, Volvo CE reported net sales down 7% in the second quarter of 2016, impacted by lower demand in most markets outside Europe. Weaker machine sal

Romania’s road building programme is moving forward, but perhaps more slowly than the country’s National Company for Highways and Roads (CNADNR) would prefer. At present a total of 733km of highways are open to use in Romania, but new sections measuring up to 260km in all should be ready for traffic by the end of 2017. A further 22km of the A1 highway connecting Orastie with Sibiu is expected to open in the third quarter of 2016. The Deva to Lugoj stretch of the A1 has also to be completed, while a section

A series of major road projects will be carried out by Portuguese contractor Mota Engil in Angola and Brazil. In all the work is worth in excess of US$419 million. The company is building a 10km section of the Via Expressa around capital Luanda, as well as upgrading another key route in the city. Luanda’s population has grown significantly in recent years and many existing roads are now proving unable to cope with demand.

Delays in buying properties in Detroit, Michigan, could hold up construction of the proposed 3.2km Gordie Howe International Bridge that will link the US city to Windsor in Canada. A report by the Detroit Free press said that around 30 of the estimated 900 parcels of land in the city’s Delray district could pose potential problems if owners resist selling the sites to the bridge’s developers. The newspaper noted that Dwight Duncan, interim chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority - the Canadian e

National Bank Financial and Axium Infrastructure have refinanced the Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project in the Canadian province of British Columbia. A statement from Axium said that the US$427 million 25-year public-private-partnership had “strong investor support and an A2 rating from Moody’s”. The Sea-to-Sky Highway Investment Limited Partnership - Axium Infrastructure, Régime de Rentes du Mouvement Desjardins and Nova Scotia Pension Agency - is the consortium in charge of the concession. In

An Italian roads company will handle the programme for a major road construction and management project in Iran. Anas International Enterprise (AIE), a subsidiary of Italian state-owned firm Anas, is in charge of the work. This contract is for the construction and management of 1,200km of motorways in Iran. The package of works was awarded by the Iranian Ministry of Roads & Urban Development, with a projected cost of US$3.98 billion in all to construct all the routes required. A feasibility study is planned

Volvo CE has appointed a new president to handle its Americas Sales Region. Stephen Roy will take over in the role from September 1st 2016. Roy previously held senior management positions in Volvo Financial Services and the Volvo Group’s North American commercial truck operations. He will be responsible for meeting the diverse needs of customers in North America and Latin America, strengthening Volvo CE’s market position in the region and boosting profitability.

Foreign funding will help pay for key road rebuilding work in Rwanda. Loans worth US$162.4 million are being provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with a $22 million development grant also coming from the EU. These financial sources will help pay for work to improve the 92km long link connecting Kayonza with Rusumo as well as the 116km road between Kagitumba and Kayonza. These road links are of importance as they help connect Rwanda to its nei

The opening of a new road link in Nicaragua will reduce journey times between capital Managua and El Guasaule, which lies on the border with Honduras. The road connects La Paz Centro, Malpaisillo and Villa 15 de Julio. Heavy vehicles previously had to take a more circuitous route that was also longer, so the new road will help cut transport costs. Funding for the project was provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). This new road is one of a series of projects Nicaragua’s Ministry of Transpo

SMT is supplying the Sandvik range of crushers and screens, as well as providing full aftermarket care, spare parts and dedicated customer service. SMT is an established name throughout Africa, being established in 1976, and has experienced continuous growth since then. From its headquarters in Belgium the company provides a variety of services and equipment in a number of countries in North and West Africa, with local offices, workshops and service engineers located throughout the area.

CEMEX has played a key role in a highway construction job in Egypt. The company has supplied 130,000m3 of concrete that has been used for the construction of the new Cairo–Suez highway project. The project is of note as this is Egypt’s first concrete highway and if it proves successful, more are likely to be built using this construction method. The 35km road is of major importance to Egypt also as it connects the capital, Cairo, with the seaport city of Suez, two of the nation’s most important economic cen

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is now open for entries in its annual national video contest on America’s transportation infrastructure. And for 2016, the 6th year this contest has been run, a new category covering road safety has been introduced. ARTBA says that students of all ages are encouraged to apply. The top four videos – one winner in each age group of the two categories - will each be awarded a US$500 cash prize. The winners will be shown at the association’s Natio

SIS, a subsidiary of Spanish contractor Sacyr, has won a €2.8 billion contract to build and operate the 186km Roma-Latina motorway in Italy. Autostrade Del Lazio, a public company created to build and manage the motorway, awarded the public private partnership contract, officially called Corridoio intermodale Roma-Latina e collegamento Cisterna-Valmontone. The SIS Scpa consortium, which consists of Sacyr (49%) and Fininc di Torino (51%), will build-operate-maintain the highway over 50 years. Revenue i