News

In the UKL the Highways Agency has announced plans for an additional 58 schemes intended to boost the economy, reduce congestion and improve safety. These schemes form part of the third, and final, stage of the Highways Agency’s pinch point programme. The 58 schemes represent an investment of €114.6 million (£98 million) and are intended to remove bottlenecks and keep traffic moving on England’s motorways and major A roads. They will be delivered by March 2015 and will bring an estimated €1.64 billion (£1.4

The tender process is now open for work to rebuild a key highway connection linking St Petersburg with Murmansk in Russia. Kola state enterprise is managing the tender process. The section of the highway in question runs from St Petersburg to Petrozavodsk via Priozersk and Sortavala. The work is expected to cost some US$182.6 million and to require up to 1,262 days to carry out. The tender result will be revealed on 13 May 2013.

A major highway project for Colombia has now been opened to tenders. The project is for the Autopistas de la Prosperidad highway and the first five sections of this link have been opened to tender. Only 10 construction firms are being selected to send final bids, while the contracts will be awarded in November 2013. The five sections of the project are expected to cost a total of US$3.52 billion to construct. Overall, all nine sections of Autopista de la Prosperidad will cost $7.15 billion to build. The fou

A new 3km long bridge is planned for Yakutsk in Siberia. This bridge will cross the River Lena and is at present expected to cost some US$1.74 billion to construct. The tender process for the project was initially to be held until the end of 2013. The timing of the tender process for the two lane bridge will now be announced in due course. Design and construction is expected to take six years once the contract is signed. Drivers will not pay tolls to use the bridge and instead the investor will be paid fees

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a financing agreement for a €120mn (US$ 156.2mn) loan designed to improve security conditions within the Fréjus tunnel, connecting France and Italy. The planned installation of a second lane/safety tunnel will to allow traffic to flow one-way on each of the two lanes, with each having a second emergency stop lane. One of the main trans-Alpine transport routes between France and Italy, the Fréjus Road Tunnel runs under Col du Fréjus in the Cottian Alps between Mo

UK Road safety charity Brake is holding an essential seminar on using in-vehicle technology to improve driver safety. Selected and used appropriately, Brake says in-vehicle technology can offer huge benefits to fleets by providing valuable data on drivers, vehicles and journeys which can be used to help prevent crashes and reduce costs. In light of this, the charity is offering fleet professionals the opportunity to hear from academic experts and experienced practitioners on the options available, features

Many large concessionaires have shown interest in the construction of the Corridor Vc motorway, according to Bosnian Minister of Transport and Telecoms, Damir Hadzic. When completed, the Bosnian section of the international Corridor Vc is planned to run for 330km through Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Bolivian Road Administration, ABC, has a 2013 state budget of US$611.98 million (BOB 4.29bn) for 2013, according to the firm’s president, Luis Sanchez. Bolivia has 16,000kms of roads. Work on a new section of the road between La Paz and Ilo is underway.

The first five sections of Colombia’s Autopistas de la Prosperidad have been put out to tender. The contracts, worth a combined US$3.52 billion (COP 6.4tn), will be awarded in November 2013. Overall, all nine sections of Autopistas de la Prosperidad are estimated to cost COP 13tn. The four remaining sections will go under the hammer in September 2013.

Roads in Tanzania will be upgraded with funding from Japan and the African Development Fund (AfDF). The US$80 million of funding will be used to improve roads in Mtambaswala, Tuduru and Mangaka, and between Bonga and Mayamaya. The road rehabilitation work is expected to help boost transport demand by a factor of four by 2030. The development follows the Comprehensive Transport and Trade System Development Master Plan prepared by Japan.

A report from market analysis specialist Timetric has highlighted increased demand for machines in the Asia-Pacific region. This report shows that the Asia-Pacific region has overtaken Europe and North America in demand for heavy construction machinery and earthmoving equipment. The 57.8% market share of the Asia-Pacific market for these machines makes it the largest in the world, followed by Europe with 22.0% and North America with 12.4%, according to the report. Economic uncertainty in Europe and slow gro

The Oman Government has cancelled work on Package Two of the Batinah Expressway project. This was for a 45km section of highway worth US$327 million. The eight lane highway was to have been built over a three year period. It is not clear when work will recommence and whether or not the original firms involved will be re-engaged but under different terms.

Plans are in hand in Indonesia for the Sunda Strait Bridge project. The Indonesian Government intends construction work to commence in 2014. The project will be funded by private investors which will also be given concessions to develop Lampung and Banten. Foreign investment will be required, no matter which firm wins the project. Chinese and South Korean investors are likely to be interested in financing the project.