News

An important road widening project is starting in the Republic of Bashkortostan, part of the Russian Federation. The contractor, Khotkovsky Avtomost, will widen a 19.65km stretch of the M5 route from a single lane in either direction at present so that it will have two lanes in either direction. The work will improve transport to and from the city of Ufa, home to one of the largest truck manufacturers in the Russian Federation. The work also includes building two new interchanges as well as a bridge and an

Construction work on an important road link is underway in South Eastern Nigeria. The US$333 million road link will connect Bodo with Bonny Island. The 35.7km road includes the construction of a new bridge. The work is being carried out by contractor Julius Berger and commenced in 2017, with completion due in 2022. The project faces technical challenges as 7km of the route runs through marshy ground. There have also been issues between residents in the area and the contractor. When complete, the new road w

The Vietnamese Government is giving its approval for the construction of a new tolled expressway connecting Phan Thiet with Dau Giay. The work will be carried out under the PPP model. Building the expressway will improve transport connections to the coastal area around Phan Thiet. Dau Giay is located just to the east of Ho Chi Minh City, so the new link will provide an important transport connection that will boost the economy for Phan Thiet. This deal comes shortly after the announcement of a new 85km str

The Serbian Government has secured a financing package to help pay for a key highway project. A loan worth €385.8 million is being provided by China’s Export-Import Bank for the construction of the Preljina-Pozega highway. In addition, the Serbian Government is also being provided with an €867 million loan from China’s Export-Import Bank for the development of the Novi Sad-Subotica railway line.

The authorities in St Petersburg are setting out plans for a series of road improvement and expansion works. A budget of US$678.6 million has been set to assist in financing the road works. In all 25 road projects are being planned. Two key projects are for building the Yuzhno-Volkhonskaya Road and the Southern Latitudinal Highway (Phase I). Another two key projects are for the upgrades of the the Petrozavodskoye Highway and the Primorskoye Highway (Phase II). All four of these projects should commence in 2

Thailand is looking to support a major highway project that will connect with its neighbours. A new 138km highway link will improve transport connections between Thailand and Myanmar’s Dawei Special Economic Zone. This route will likely receive financial support via Thailand’s Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA). This is just one of several projects NEDA is aiming to assist. NEDA is in talks with representatives of a number of neighbouring countries such as Laos and Cambodi

Switzerland will soon tender for companies to build and supply a mobile system for physically shifting traffic away from road crews – the Astra Bridge concept. The federal highways agency - FEDRO - will be asking general contractors to submit bids starting this summer for the Astra Bridge system, according to the agency. The system, to be used on motorways, includes ramp sections at each end of what amounts to a train of elevated connected road sections. Vehicles run onto the top of the train which is

Volvo CE and SDLG are further deepening their corporate cooperation. From December 2020 excavators weighing 15tonnes or more that are made for the Chinese market will now bear the Volvo CE brand. These machines will also feature the latest Volvo CE technology. This is a marked change from the present situation, with Volvo CE and SDLG selling their separate products in China. However with the coming introduction of the China IV emission standards, the excavators weighing 15tonnes or more will feature the

Caris Guardrail became the first firm to receive the Innovative Award in the guardrail segment from the International Road Federation last November. Yu Cheol, chief executive of Caris, received the 2018 IRF Global R2T Conference & Expo Innovative Award in Las Vegas. The award was for the South Korean company’s CG10 PVC-composite Guardrail. It has a honeycomb structure for increased strength and the elasticity needed to withstand high-speed vehicle impacts. The fluorescent material enables the guardrail to

A new line of versatile hydraulic attachment tools is being offered by Epiroc. The firm has added three new ranges: ERC transverse drum cutters with integrated hydraulic rotation; ER-L axial drum cutters; and ADU auger drive units based on Erkat drum cutter technology. With models suitable for carriers in most weight classes, these attachments are said to offer reliability and productivity for a wide range of excavation and demolition tasks. The ER range of transverse drum cutters replaces Epiroc's prov

Plans to construct a tunnel link for the A303 route past the famous Stonehenge monument have hit further problems.

A new expressway project is gathering momentum in Vietnam with approvals being given for the link between Moc Chau and Hoa Binh. The authorities are considering implementting the project under the PPP model. Building the 85km link is expected to cost US$955.5 million and the work will help reduce congestion on the existing National Highway No6. The work will face some challenges as the topography between Moc Chau and Hoa Binh is hilly. The new route will allow vehicle speeds of up to 80km/h.

Sales of construction equipment in France are at the highest levels ever observed in the country, according to CISMA, the French trade association. In the first quarter of 2019 six new records were set. Compared with Q1 2018, the market is up 10%. This performance can be explained by the rise in sales to rental companies of nearly 13%, notes CISMA. The mobile elevating work platform sales reached a peak of 3,545 units in the quarter – highest ever, beating the previously best years of 2000-2001 an