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Powerscreen hosted a world dealer conference in Cape Town, South Africa, where more than 300 worldwide dealers and customers attended. Damian Power, global product line director, said: “South Africa is a growing market and as the country’s construction and road building segments continue to grow in conjunction with a thriving mining industry, it is a key strategic market for the complete Powerscreen product range. We have a long history in South Africa with ELB. “The conference enabled us to strengthen th

The award of a US$177million construction contract to Austria’s Strabag for a transport project in Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam in late February has raised the hopes of the city becoming the first in the region to modernise urban transport through elimination of minibuses and private cars from the city centre. This will pave the way for the introduction of improved high- capacity buses (with capacity of 140 passengers) that would use non-polluting energy, hence reducing air pollution in this city of 2.

Brazil's transport infrastructure department (DNIT) is planning to carry out US$7.72billion in roadworks throughout the country during 2012, a spokesperson for the authority told BNamericas. The largest construction project entails widening 65km of federal highway BR-101 in the north-eastern state of Alagoas.

The World Bank is reducing its financing of projects in Ukraine until 2016. The new cooperation strategy between the bank and the country's government follows a drop in financing through slow spending loans extended by the bank to the country. The bank will provide US$150million for the Second Project for Exports Development in 2012. And Ukraine can also receive $1billion in 2013–2014, but both financing packages depend on development of economic reforms in the country during the following two years. The

The Kenyan government is planning to invest US$4.82billion in a major multi-modal infrastructure project to reduce Nairobi’s traffic congestion. The Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) will include a new rail transport network, and a public road of 167km linking the city with key neighbouring towns and municipalities such as Athi River, Kikuyu, Kajiado, Kitengela, Limuru, Machakos, Ruiru and Thika. The MRTS project will be managed by Nairobi Metropolitan Transport Authority and the gov

The Tamil Nadu state government in southern India aims to build a 162km road connecting Chennai suburb Ennore and the town of Mamallapuram. State chief minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa said that a detailed report on the US$266.62million peripheral road project will be carried out soon. Meanwhile, the state government said that it intends to upgrade all 78.6km of existing roads, while another 83.2km of roads will also be laid soon.

Chile's Public Works minister Laurence Golborne has announced plans to invest US$500million to improve roads in the eastern part of the capital Santiago. The first of eight separate projects to ease traffic in that part of the city will begin in October, 2012. The works will include a tunnel under Mapoco River connecting Costanera Norte and the Central Motorway; two new bridges over Manquehue and Kennedy Avenue; and works on the La Concepcion exit. The Perez Zujovic roundabout will be eliminated through wo

Lafarge has opened a Construction Development Laboratory (CDL) in Mumbai, India to strengthen its product development capabilities. It will design building solutions and systems adapted to the needs of the growing and ever-moving Indian market, where Lafarge hopes to seize opportunities.

AUSA has opened a new subsidiary in Mexico to give the company a presence in a region. From Mexico, AUSA aims to strengthen its position in North America, said Paco Pérez Salinas, the company’s new sales director. Mexico also offers great growth potential.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has extended its support and endorsement to a major upcoming conference on Libya. The Libya Infrastructure & Rebuild Conference is to be held from 27-28 June at Dubai’s Dusit Thani Hotel. Over 150 delegates from Canada, China, Germany, Egypt, Italy, the UAE, the UK, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), the Middle East, the US and other countries, will be participating in the event Atiq Juma Nasib, senior director, Commercial Services Sector, Dubai Chamber, will delive

The Eurasphalt & Eurobitume 2012 event in Turkey has attracted record attendance figures, although final figures were not available at the time of writing.

Volvo is increasing its stake in German engine firm Deutz to 25%. The two firms have had a technical partnership for engine development for some time and Volvo bought a minority share in the pioneering diesel firm some years ago. However this new development sees a new cementing of the relationship between the two companies. The move makes Volvo the largest single shareholder in Deutz, with a 25% stake in the firm. Volvo bought the 22 million shares in stock from SAME DEUTZ-FAHR, which now has just 8.4% of

Work is well underway on a massive highway project in Vietnam designed to boost transport connections between key cities. The country’s Ministry of Transport has announced that it expects to complete upgrading and widening work on National Highway I by the end of 2016. The upgraded highway will improve connections between the cities of Chan Tho and Hanoi. The project is being carried out under a build-operate-transfer model and has is expected to cost some US$4.27 billion.