News

The FeRRM13 event is now becoming repackaged as FIRM13 and will showcase research on multi modal transport infrastructure. This key infrastructure research meeting will be held from 4th-6th June 2013 in Brussels. With the theme of "Advanced and Innovative Construction and Maintenance", the conference FIRM13 will feature updates on the coming Infravation 2014 project and other key targets for FEHRL projects. The latest progress on Forever Open Road programme and FORx4 initiative on transport infrastructure w

Plans are well in hand for the 12th Beijing International Construction Machinery Exhibition and Seminar (BICES 2013). This will be held at Beijing Jiuhua International Exhibition Centre from 15th to 18th Oct, 2013 and will also be co-located with the China International Commercial Vehicle Exhibition (IVEX 2013) and China International Emergency Rescue Equipment Exhibition. BICES 2013 is expected to achieve an increase in exhibition area, with 230,000㎡ of space planned, while the number of exhibitors will ex

Plans are being worked on that will attempt to reduce traffic congestion in Algerian capital Algiers. The city has a chronic traffic problem, with some 1.7 million registered vehicles circulating on a road network with insufficient capacity. Blocked routes and bottlenecks compound the problem in many areas so a new plan aims to address these issues by building new major and minor roads, underpasses and flyovers. Also included are multi-storey car parks, park and ride schemes and coach stations. The new plan

New advances in electric motor development could lead to more efficient electric vehicles being developed. Japan’s Tohoku University has been working on switched reluctance motors that feature an axial gap design and do not require permanent magnets. These can deliver the same torque as motors featuring permanent magnets however, a key point as the cost of the rare earths needed in permanent magnets has increased. Meanwhile Nissan said that sales of its Leaf model are now growing, with 46,000 having been bo

Construction work is set to recommence on four highway projects in Greece. The construction work ground to a halt when the country’s economic woes began to bite hard. However the work now looks set to restart in spring 2013 following negotiations between the four consortia involved and the Greek Government. However, construction of highway sections from Trikala to the Egnatia Highway and from Lamia to Xiniada in central Greece and from Patra to Tsakona in the Peloponnese has been postponed. The decision for

A new project by the Government of Nepal recently connected Mugu a distant, mountainous and remote district of Karnali Zone to the country’s road connectivity and has been the 73rd district of the 75 in road connection. The road was opened officially by Nepal’s prime minister, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, while The minister for Physical Planning and Transport Management Hrideyesh Tripathy, finance minister Barha Man Pun, chief of army staff Gaurav Shumser Rana and vice-chairman Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri of Nationa

The creation of a new National Asset Research Centre of Excellence in Brisbane aimed at improving Australian roads and their management is the key feature of a new partnership agreement. The new agreement between Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Queensland and the ARRB Group is said to demonstrate “committed funding for capability development, research and technology transfer”, while also being “precisely aligned to the strategic goals of both organisations”. Replacing a partnership agreement made in 2007, th

The European Commission (EC) is encouraging the Hungarian authorities to implement a congestion charge scheme in capital Budapest by 2015. The move is required so that the Hungarian authorities can repay the EC with loans used to fund the construction a new line for Budapest’s underground metro system. The Hungarian Government earlier failed to pass a proposal to introduce the congestion charge scheme in Budapest but the EC is pushing for this scheme to be implemented by 2015.

A clean vehicle policy is being pursued by the Costa Rican Ministry of Energy and Telecommunications and the Public Transport Council. Under the plan some 4,000 buses and 12,000 taxis in Costa Rica will be run on clean fuels by 2014. Firms running these 16,000 buses and taxis will have to renew their concessions in 2013 and the Costa Rican Ministry of Energy and Telecommunications and the Public Transport Council have developed a policy that will encourage the use of clean fuels as Costa Rica wants to becom

A new tender has been offered for the construction of the Debica-Tarnow section of the A4 motorway in southern Poland. The Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) decided to call a new tender after deciding not to continue working with the consortium of Hydrobudowa, SIAC Construction, PBG, and Aprivia. GDDKiA is reported to have sought a fresh tender due to perceived delays in work on the Debica-Tarnow section. SIAC is said to be prepared to complete the investment, provided GDD

The European Commission is announcing its new engine emission categories as well as the introduction of new stages. The consultation document will include new categories in the directive for non-road mobile machinery engine emissions. New stage IV limits will be proposed for diesel engines with power outputs of less than 19kW and over 560kW, as well as for spark ignition engines. New stages will be introduced for engine power ranges that are already regulated at present, including new stage IV limits for di

Major improvements are planned to tackle a traffic bottleneck on the Northern Road Bridge in Portsmouth, on the English south coast, after the government pledged €13.73 million [£11 million] for the project. The Department for Transport has given final approval to the scheme which will see work on a replacement bridge over the Portsmouth to London railway line at Cosham. The original bridge was built to carry a dual carriageway road but is now too weak to do so. Traffic has been restricted to a single lane

Two key highway projects in Italy are exhibiting good progress at present. Construction work on the new Brescia-Milan highway link is now more than 50% complete. The bridges crossing the Serio, Adda and Oglio rivers are 84% complete, while the underpasses and drainage is 49% ready. Service stations, surveying and foundation work is 40% complete while the remaining operations are progressing. Italian road construction firm Brebemi believes that the highway be will be complete and open to traffic by 31 Decemb

Research shows that keeping batteries within optimum operating temperatures will increase the range of electric vehicles. It is widely known that batteries perform less well in cold weather but it is often overlooked that overheating will also cause problems. For batteries to provide a long service life, overheating has to be prevented and temperatures kept within the optimum operating range of 20-35°C. But driving in hot ambient conditions can push a battery temperature outside the optimum range and this c