News

St Petersburg Committee’s for Transport Infrastructure Development (KRTI) is setting out a strategy for road infrastructure development. The KRTI says that the city’s road network will be extended from 3,350 to 3,510 km in the 2015-2020 period. Meanwhile the KRTI also hopes to improve the condition of the city’s roads. At present around 30% of the city’s roads are in a poor state but the plans call for this to be reduced to 15% by 202 following the introduction of better road maintenance planning. A major p

Colombia’s National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), has awarded a consortium led by Spanish construction firm, Sacyr, a contract for work on the Pasto to Rumichaca highway. The route lies near Colombia’s border with Ecuador. This project forms part of the second wave of 4G road concessions being awarded. A second carriageway will be built for 80km between Ipiales and Catumbuco, with six road intersections, 2.6km of tunnels and 1.5km of bridges, pontoons and viaducts. The SAC 4G consortium comprises Sacyr and H

Russia is setting out its budget plans for transport infrastructure investment. In all a healthy US$43.92 billion is being planned for transport infrastructure development in Russia during the 2016-2018 period. This will be used to maintain and repair existing routes as well as to develop new links. Road projects figure highly in the spending although investments will also be made into rail and air transportation.

Uganda is requesting a loan worth some US$145 million from the World Bank. The loan has been recommended by the Ugandan Parliament. Provided by the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), the funding will help pay for Uganda’s the road connectivity development project. This will focus on work in the country’s Albertine Region districts over a five-year period. The road connectivity development project will boost access to infrastructure and help develop the economy of the Albertine Region.

In Paraguay the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) in Paraguay plans to spend US$750 million on road repairs and construction. The work will be carried out in Alto Parana. This includes the country’s Export Corridor (Corredor de Exportacion) between Natalio and Pdte. The work includes work to the second bridge with Brazil, expansion of Ruta 7 on the Tape Pora section, recovery of the motorway between Katute-Ciudad del Este and the rehabilitation of Ruta 6, amongst other schemes. Expansion of

Indonesian road firm Jasa Marga will fund work on a major toll road project using a loan from state lenders, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Sumatera Utara (Bank Sumut). The US$212 million loan will finance work on Jasa Marga's Medan-Kuala Namu-Tebing Tinggi toll road. The route is 61.7km long and will connect Kuala Namu International Airport to other key areas.

Work on a major road project in Taiwan is facing delays due to unforeseen circumstances. Construction work on the Suhua Highway Improvement Project is being delayed due to the discovery of archeological remains. Work will now be stopped until the site can be excavated by archeologists. The remains are thought to be some 2,000 years old. Work on the US$1.5 billion project commenced in 2011.

Engineering specialists Mouchel and Hyder team are now working jointly on a feasibility study worth €1.87 million (£1.3 million). The contract is to investigate the feasibility of the proposed Trans-Pennine tunnel. This link would connect the cities of Manchester and Sheffield. The cost of the road tunnel running is expected to be high but a new route is needed as the existing connections are nearing capacity and from an environmental perspective, taking the traffic underground would be preferential. This s