News

Atkins has secured a new US$7.5 million two-year contract to provide statewide construction management (CM) services to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). The contract will see Atkins continue to manage statewide construction projects for ODOT, as it has done since 2009. As part of its previous CM contracts, Atkins oversaw construction efforts for several bridges, as well as for urban projects in four ODOT field divisions. Atkins also managed stimulus-funded projects for roadway rehabilitatio

The Haryana state government in India has given IVRCL a deal worth US$293.07 million (INR 16.05bn) to build a 151km road between Kharak and Malikhapur. The project is scheduled to be completed in 30 months, with financing set to be secured in the next six months.

The Bucharest-Constanta highway works in Romania have finished following the successful completion of the final Cernavoda-Medgidia and Medgidia-Constanta routes. The major US$427.41 million (RON 1.49bn) project, designed in the 1980s, was stopped several times and restarted due to problems with the feasibility studies, lack of financing and cancellation of the contracts with contractors. Meanwhile, Expert Proiect 2002 has been awarded a contract worth US$224,865.60 (RON 781,800) by the national roads author

The authorities in Oman plan to improve road safety standards, a topic of key concern in the Gulf States. As part of this plan, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to carry out a comprehensive road safety research programme in the Sultanate of Oman. The multi-sector assessment will evaluate road safety performance and compare existing activities against best practice. These will be carried out across 12 different disciplines, including road safety managemen

Increased demand in Latin America for Volvo CE’s SDLG range of machines has prompted the firm to invest in new manufacturing capability. A new manufacturing facility will be constructed in Brazil that will focus on building the SDLG brand of excavators. Called SDLG America Latina, this operation will be the focus of a US$10 million investment in a manufacturing facility at Pederneiras, São Paulo State. The new factory will be alongside Volvo CE’s existing manufacturing complex in Pederneiras, but will be se

Work on an extension to the express lanes on the I-95 Interstate highway in the US will be carried by Fluor Enterprises and the Transurban Group. The two companies have a 76-year concession package to operate and maintain the toll road infrastructure for the section of I-95 under a joint venture arrangement, 95 Express, The 147km stretch of express lanes on the I-95 highway will be owned by The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) however. Work on the US$925 million project is commencing in Septembe

A loan from China will provide a crucial portion of the funding being used by the Macedonian Government to build new highway sections. These highway stretches include key links between from Stip and the existing pan-European, Corridor 10. Once complete the new highway sections will connect Macedonia with Greece and Serbia by road. Other highway sections planned will run from Ohrid to Kicevo and form a portion of the unfinished Corridor 8 intended to connect Macedonia with Albania and Bulgaria. The projects

Plans for huge investments in transport infrastructure have been made in China. In all some 60 infrastructure projects worth just over US$160 billion have been identified by the Chinese authorities. The work will include building 2,018km of new roads and highways, including improved connections between Shanghai and Guangzhou. The total road investment budget expected could range from $22.6-32.4 billion, although a definite programme of works has still to be established.

The Ministry of Public Works in Indonesia has allocated US$5.33 billion (IDR 50.35 trillion) for a development master plan set to include improvements to vital access and toll roads. Among the projects in the Acceleration and Expansion of Economy Development master plan up until 2014 are access roads from Nabire to Narotali; from Manokwari to Sorong in Papua; from Sei Mangke to Kuala Tanjung in North Sumatra; and from Tanjung Priok to the Metropolitan Priority Area. It also includes the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Da

Substantial investment in road repairs is required in Ireland to stave off damage to the country’s motorway networks. According to figures from Ireland’s National Roads Authority (NRA), funds are necessary for essential maintenance to prevent Ireland’s motorway network from deteriorating. There will be a time period of up to two years before the repairs become necessary. However delays in commencing maintenance and repairs could result in a backlog of works building up and the NRA points out that this would

Official data from Chile shows a worrying trend for fatalities in crashes involving heavy trucks. While such vehicles represent just 4% of the total number of vehicle on Chile’s road, they accounted for 13% of all deaths in traffic accidents during 2011. This data was revealed by Chile’s national traffic safety commission, Conaset. The data revealed that of 1,573 people killed in traffic accidents in 2011, 837 died on board of vehicles. Cars accounted for 39% of all deaths, although they represent 61% of al