News

The Polish government will spend around US$28.3 billion over the next eight years in one on the country’s largest new-road investment programmes. Nearly 4,000km of motorways and dual carriageways will be constructed as well as 50 ring roads around urban centres. More than 1,000 sections of roads deemed dangerous will be rebuilt, according to a report in the Polish newspaper Gazeta Prawna. The announcement comes after the Poland’s road and motorways authority GDDKiA said in June that it plans to awa

The US state of Missouri said it is fighting a losing battle to maintain its 641 bridges that are listed in critical condition - one-step away from being closed to traffic. Engineers in the southern state’s department of transportation said around US$820 million is needed to repair or replace the 641 bridges, three of which were closed to traffic last year. The critical list has expanded with the addition of 50 more bridges since last year. And the critical list is expected to grow to around 1,500 bri

A two-day unreserved public auction in Dubai set a record for number of bidders, according to the auction organisers by Ritchie Brothers. More than US$42 million worth of construction equipment including trucks went under the hammer on September 8 and 9 in the United Arab Emirate member state. Eduard Faig, regional sales manager for Ritchie Brothers, said the event set new Dubai records for the total number of on-site bidders, reaching just over 920, and for the number of online bidders, more than 400

A novel tunnel project has been proposed in Brazil. The local infrastructure group Contern has suggested building a tunnel underneath the Serra do Mar nature reserve along the coast of Sao Paulo. The new link would improve access to the southern coastal area of that state, including to Santos port and the industrial area known as Baixada Santista. The project would be carried out under the PPP model so as to provide the necessary funding. The tunnel would have to be 21-23km long and would feature twin tubes

Rebuilding work is planned for a historic bridge in the US state of Pennsylvania to ensure it remains able to carry current traffic volumes. The work is being managed by consulting engineer Michael Baker International. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) selected Michael Baker International for the US$5 million engineering and design project that will focus on the western spans of the Market Street Bridge in Harrisburg. Rehabilitating this critical traffic artery in Pennsylvania's capital re

The European Parliament has accepted that powered two-wheelers will play a significant role in sustainable mobility, helping reduce both traffic congestion and pollution. The European Parliament adopted Wim van de Camp’s “Report on the implementation of the 2011 White Paper on Transport: taking stock and the way forward towards sustainable mobility”. In the report motorcycles are seen as part of the solution to solving the problems in urban transport. Powered two wheelers can help tackle congestion and park

The European Parliament has reiterated calls for a pan-European target to cut serious road injuries. In a vote on a review of European transport policy since 2011, MEPs called for, “the swift adoption of a 2020 target of a 40 % reduction in the number of people seriously injured, accompanied by a fully-fledged EU strategy.” Since 2010 the number of people seriously injured on EU roads has been reduced by just 1.6%, compared to an 18% decrease in the number of road deaths. Last year the numbers actually

The long running saga of Algeria’s East-West Highway should come to a key point soon, when most of the route will finally be open to traffic. The 1,216km-long route will be fully operational at the end of October 2015. This is of course with the exception of the Lakhdaria section, which still requires rehabilitation work to be carried out. The repairs are expected to carry on until May or June 2016. Contractors from all over the world have been involved in the East-West highway project but certain stretches

Official data from the UK reveals the scale of the safety problem facing pedestrians on the country’s road network. This shows that nearly 18,000 pedestrians were injured in an incident involving a vehicle in 2013, the most recent year with full analysis currently available. The charity is calling for an even greater focus on pedestrian protection to make cars safer and raise awareness of the risks.

Concern is being expressed in Chile with regard to its worsening rate of road traffic deaths. The fatality rate hit 16,157 for the 2005-2014 period. Of these 6,198 (38%) were run over, including 597 during 2014. The majority of cases where people were killed in road traffic crashes during 2014 took place in central southern cities, such as Concepcion (298 deaths), followed by Temuco (292) and Puerto Montt (259) as well as communes such as Puente Alto (237), San Bernardo (281) and Valparaiso (216). Males acc

New data from Spain reveals an improvement in road safety. According to the latest official data, road fatalities fell by 2% during summer 2015. The data came from Spain's traffic authority, DGT. This shows 225 people have died in traffic crashes in Spain during the summer months of 2015, which is 2% more than in the same period of 2014. But figures for the first eight months of the year, however, show a 2% decrease in fatalities, which have totalled 727.

Highway designers are increasingly asked to integrate cycle lanes and paths into their projects in major urban areas. And many commuting cyclists are grateful for it, too. But what happens when the cycle path ends, even if it is right outside the rider’s destination, such as his or her work place, be it an office building or factory? That last few metres are essential for completing the perfect commute. This means being able to park the bicycle in a secure environment.

Engineering services provider UGL has signed a four-year deal with the Lend Lease Bouygues joint venture that is building the NorthConnex motorway in Sydney, Australia. The US$329 million contract is for the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the electrical, mechanical, communication, fire and control systems needed for the project’s 9km twinned tolled tunnel. UGL provides outsourced engineering, asset management and maintenance services to rail, transport, power, resources, water an