News

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has divested its wholly-owned dealership in south-east Germany, Volvo Baumaschinen Bayern (VBB), to neighbouring distribution partner Robert Aebi. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, includes the transfer of the company including all assets, employees and sales territory. The distribution in the south of the country, with Robert Aebi, now consists of a well-financed, independent and strategically aligned partner and this latest move strengthens Volvo CE’s competitive po

The team behind what is set to be one of the UK’s largest infrastructure initiatives in the next few years has invited final tenders from the three shortlisted bidders competing to deliver it. The Mersey Gateway Project bidders have been asked to submit their tenders on behalf of Halton Borough Council by 10 April 2013, and an announcement about the identity of the preferred bidder is due in June 2013. This will allow the team behind the North West England-based project to sign a contract and begin construc

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) 2013 student video contest has been designed to challenge young adults to explore the various logistical, financial and structural issues facing the US transportation infrastructure network. This contest is now in its third year and is sponsored by ARTBA’s Research and Education Division (RED). Contestants are invited to develop and submit an original, two-to-four minute video that explores issues relating to the US transportation network. Pa

In the U.S. state of Missouri, a second project within the US$380 million Gateway Arch grounds restoration has been given the go-ahead. Construction will start in the summer of 2013 on the initial project to put a ‘lid’ over Interstate 70, near the grounds of the Arch. The Leonor K Sullivan Boulevard, the riverfront road runs along the Mississippi River in front of the Gateway Arch, is being raised by around 0.76m. It will also be redesigned to include pedestrian and bicycle paths. Engineers working on the

The government of Hunan Province, China plans to create more than 1,000kms of extra highway in the province as part of a US$27.32 billion (CNY 170bn) investment in 176 mostly infrastructure projects in 2013. The huge highway infrastructure expansion, which will see the construction of 37 new highways, will increase the 3,969km of province highway as of 2012 by more than 25%. Of the 37 highways, works on 14 of them are targeted to be wrapped up in 2013.

In 2016, Thai Department of Rural Roads (DORR) is going to start the US$1.64 billion (THB 49bn) 36-month construction of Thailand's first suspension bridge between Samut Prakan's Muang-Phra Samut Chedi districts. According to Deputy Transport Minister, Prasert Chanruangthong, the suspension bridge will span 1km across the Chao Phraya River. Upon completion, the new bridge is anticipated to ease traffic woes in Samut Prakan by 20%. The bridge project is progressing to the detailed design and environmental im

The ZX65USB-5 is one of five new mini excavators from Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) (HCME) being unveiled at bauma 2013. Said by HCME to be designed to have a major impact on earthmoving, utilities, general and road construction projects, its short-tail swing radius enables it to work effectively in confined spaces.

Provinces in northern Germany must cooperate to get the federal government's support for transport infrastructure projects, according to Schleswig-Holstein’s head of government Thorsten Albig. The minister believes that federal level politicians often favour southern and western provinces. Albig says that without further funds it is only possible to manage the decay of infrastructure. He said that the most important projects in the north are the expansion of the A 20 motorway, the Kiel Canal and the Elbe ri

In a bid to cut air pollution, councillors in the Czech capital Prague are planning to introduce a low emission zone in a wider city centre where cars produced before the first half of the 1990s will not be allowed. Other cars will have to have a US$4.18 (CZK 80) sticker as a proof that they comply with emission limits. There will be exceptions. A final decision is to be made later in 2013, with a validity within a year.

Norwegian electric car sales doubled in 2012 from 1,996 to 3,950 cars, according to new published figures. Nissan captured a 60% share of the market with its car Leaf. And, so far in 2013, Nissan has captured an 80% market share. The firm’s Norwegian director of information, Marina Maneas Bakkum, says sales so far have been beyond expectations.

Iran has reportedly issued bonds in a bid to raise US$570.5 million (IRR 7tn) to improve transport infrastructure including roads, freeways and railways. The bonds move, reportedly made on February 22 2013, was said to have been announced by Ahmad Sadeqi, managing director of Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company.

Ana Pastor, the Minster of Works in Spain, says works valued at around US$241.11 million (€180 million) for a new road route to the Port of Barcelona will be tendered at some stage in 2013. Additionally, in April 2013, the tender will be opened for the new €96 million railway access to the port. Some €50 million has been budgeted by the Ministry of Works in 2013 for the railway accesses, while the remainder will be financed by the Port Authority of Barcelona (APB). It is not yet known what model will be use

East Bay’s Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee (TBPOC) has commemorated completion of the 27-month, US$98 million seismic retrofit of the 2.57km (1.6 mile) Dumbarton Bridge, in northern California. The Bridge, the last of the San Francisco Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges to be retrofitted, leaves just one more outstanding project - the replacement of the East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge — remaining in East Bay’s historic $9 billion Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program.

CIFA is introducing an innovative hybrid truck mixer in the shape of its new Energya 9 model. This features a conventional 9m3 capacity mixer drum however the rotational drive system is electric and the machine is also equipped with a lithium ion type battery pack that is charged up while the truck is being driven, assisted by regenerative braking. When the mixer stops on-site, the drive to the drum is supplied either by the battery pack or can be plugged in to a mains power supply. This allows the truck dr