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The Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL) and the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR) have pledged to increase cooperation on road research. A memorandum of understanding to cement the cooperation was signed during a one-day event that featured speakers from national members of FEHRL and CEDR. Stefan Strick, president of FEHRL and also of the German Federal Highway Research Institute, signed the memorandum alongside CEDR president Simon Grima, who is also chief office

The EU will support the development of routes designed to carry electric vehicle vehicles in northern Europe. This investment will be supported by the EU's TEN-T Programme. In excess of €4 million will be spent on building an open access fast charging station network in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. In total 155 chargers for electric vehicles are to be installed along the main highways connecting these countries.

The latest figures on asphalt production in Europe, published in November 2014 by the European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA), show production of asphalt in 2013 was slightly down on 2012 levels in most countries. Figures for hot and warm mix combined show that the total produced in Europe in 2013 was 277.3 million tonnes, down from 276.4 million tonnes in 2012 and 338 million tonnes in 2008 when the global financial crisis began. For most countries, production picked up a little in 2011, only to drop

In Colombia the tender process is underway for two major highway projects worth a total of US$1.257 billion. The Autopista Mar 1 and Autopista Mar 2 projects are located in the department of Antioquia and the details of the projects were published by Colombia’s national infrastructure agency ANI, reports Business News Americas. These projects number amongst the 10 concessions the Colombian Government is awarding for the second round of its $25 billion 4G national highway plan.

The Isle de France region, essentially the Paris area and extensive surrounding countryside, will spend around €365 million on road infrastructure as part of a five-year transportation plan from this year up to 2020. The overall plan calls for an investment of of €7.3 billion, of which €2.9 billion will come from the central government and €4.4 billion from the Isle de France region. Around EUR €4.5 billion will be used to finance public transport, according to a report by Le Moniteur des Travaux Publics

The recent partial collapse of the Skjeggestad Bridge in Norway is prompting investigations of other similar structures in the country. The problem happened due to ground slipping around the bridge's foundations. This highlighted a known geological issue with regard to the presence of particular types of clay. Bridges constructed on quick clay are not unusual in Norway according to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, NPRA (Vegdirektoratet). NPRA is now compiling a review of other bridges at risk of s

In Costa Rica plans are now moving forward with a project to widen the highway connecting capital San Jose with San Ramon. The project looks likely to cost in the order of US$440 million. The Costa Rican Government has given its approval for a trust fund financing system for the project. Plans to carry out the widening work were delayed earlier when Costa Rica’s Government cancelled a contract with construction company OAS, leading to compensation claims.

Figures now available from the International Road Traffic Accident Database (IRTAD) highlight the risk of travelling by road in some countries. Not all countries compile accurate data from police sources and in many, a high percentage of road traffic crashes go unreported to the authorities. But the data from nations that do compile such information highlights counties where road risks are high and action needs to be taken.

An end to a thorny issue is close at hand concerning who will fund construction of a border customs plaza on the US side of a planned bridge linking Canada and the United States. US President Barack Obama’s US$4-trillion budget did not set aside any money for the plaza for a second consecutive year, further irritating Canadian officials who are overseeing construction of the bridge. It appears that the Canadian government might end up footing the entire bill, according to a report in Toronto’s Globe a

Strabag subsidiary Züblin will carry out the contract for Construction Section 16, Contract Section 4, of the urban A 100 Autobahn in German capital Berlin. The package of works was awarded by the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment. This follows the award for Contract Section 2/3, which in 2014 also went to Züblin. The contract for the new section between km 21+815 and km 22+465 is worth around €44 million.

A novel approach to road maintenance is being seen in the central African country of Gabon. Some €2.36 million ($2.71 million) in technical assistance is being funded through the European Union, with work being carried out by an international consortium, which includes Louis Berger. Through this contract Louis Berger will train around 20 Gabon-based small- and medium-sized businesses, providing knowledge and capabilities needed to maintain and monitor the country’s roads long term. The contract, part of Ga

A huge programme of works is planned for New Moscow. This is aimed at adding extra capacity. The plan calls for the building or reconstruction of over 120km of roads within the next four years. About 600km of roads will be built in the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky (New Moscow) administrative districts by 2035. Most of the new roads will be built with four lanes, allowing two in either direction. The Central Ring Road is a priority project. A road between the Kommunarka village and the Yuzhnoe Butovo district