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The Gulf region has bridge and road projects valued at US$121.3 billion in the planning stage or already on going. In Bahrain, there is $2 billion worth of road and bridge projects underway in various phases, and another $8 billion in Oman. In Kuwait, the government will be spending $9 billion for road projects in the coming two years, while road projects valued at $17 billion are said to be in ‘cruise control’ in Qatar as the country prepares for the 2022 football World Cup. Around $26.9 billion has been

A highway project looks set to face extended delays in its construction due to the discovery of contaminated land. A two year highway project planned in the canton Valais will now take considerably longer to complete due to the unexpected discovery of mercury contamination on the site. The contamination is historic and appears to be the result of disposal carried out by a local chemicals firm in the 1930s, when there were few controls over what could be dumped. The company had tipped its chemical waste into

Sandvik has unveiled its groundbreaking DH350 surface drill rig at bauma China 2012. Speaking about the significance of the DH350 during a special launch event at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre-based show, Sandvik Global Construction president Thomas Schulz said, “We have our biggest assembly centre worldwide here in the Shanghai area in Jiading district, and we inaugurated in 2010 our own R&D centre, the product development centre, for China. This is the first product developed in the PDC and i

Indonesia’s Government is setting a US$20 billion budget for transport and energy sector development. The Indonesian Government plans to build 559km of new roads as part of a new transport infrastructure programme. Indonesia’s capital Jakarta faces a growing problem due to severe traffic congestion, which is particularly intense at peak periods. Increasing vehicle numbers in the city mean that the existing traffic problem is fast getting worse. The authorities are looking at policies to address the issue.

Around 10,000km of Russia’s roads will be repaired annually from 2014 according to the country’s Federal Highway Agency. The federal road network would fully meet quality requirements in Russia by late 2017. Currently, Russian authorities repair 6,600km per annum, around 1.5 times less than required. Only about 39% of the road network is said to be in a satisfactory condition.

New Zealand’s Transport Ministry has announced plans for a US$10.3 billion program to improve public transport and roads. Under the three-year plan, authorities for the public transport system, state highways and local roads will receive $1.36 billion, $4.09 billion and $3.29 billion, respectively, for upgrades.

Shantui is introducing its largest wheeled loader, the SL80W, at bauma China. Power comes from a Weichai Steyr diesel rated at 247kW, driving through a Hangzhou Gear gearbox while the machine runs on Shandong Yunyu Machinery group axles and has a gradeability of 30%. Weighing 29tonnes, the SL80W offers an 8tonne load capacity, a maximum breakout force of 280kN and features a 4.5m3 bucket as standard. Visibility from the cab is said to be good while the machine offers high operator comfort levels, as well as

The new 130tonne class hydraulic excavator from XCMG offers key innovations for the market, as well as high quality construction. This new XE1300C unit from XCMG is suitable for operating at the face in a large quarry for example, with a heavy duty rock bucket fitted with long life imported teeth and wear material. Power comes from a Cummins diesel, it has a slew speed of 4.8rpm and the machine offers a digging depth of 8.7m. The structure of the machine is heavily reinforced so as to be able to cope with t

Engine manufacturer Deutz showed its Tier 4 exhaust emissions standard TCD 3.6 L4 engine to the Chinese market for the first time. Described by Deutz as ultra-compact, this water-cooled four-cylinder engine covers the 55.4-97kW power output range and is claimed to generate a power output comparable with that of a 4.5litre, turbocharged Tier 3 engine. Deutz went on to say that rigorous engine downsizing now provides its customers with additional installation space for exhaust after treatment components. The

From Doosan comes a new hybrid excavator that has been developed with Chinese customers in mind. High fuel costs in China mean that the country’s contractors are keen to reduce running costs by improving fuel economy. The new Doosan excavator, aimed at the 21tonne class, is designed just for that application and features a hybrid system to cut consumption levels. The hybrid system offers best economy when operating in truck loading cycles. Performance is not restricted by the hybrid drive however and this m

The World Bank is offering the Kenyan Government a loan worth nearly US$300 million to fund road projects. The lion’s share of the money will be used to construct a double decker road link in Kenyan capital Nairobi. The 30-year repayment loan will also feature a grace period of 10 years. The Kenyan Government will contribute a small sum to the project and will also be in charge of the tender process.

Plans for a new highway connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt are now commencing. The US$3 billion highway will improve transport connections between the two countries. This 32km link will run between Nassrani in Egypt and Ras Hamid in Saudi Arabia, passing the Tiran Strait. A technical committee is holding discussions on the project shortly.

Two major awards have been given to the Gateway Upgrade Project in Queensland, Australia. One of these was for engineering excellence while the other was the overall RW Hawken Award. These were given as part of the Engineering Australia Awards (Queensland Division) scheme. Following this, the Gateway Project will now be a contender for the national Australian Engineering Excellence Awards being held in November 2012. The Gateway Upgrade is of note as it is one of the largest road and bridge projects ever ca

In Malaysia the government is setting aside a budget for a major package of road construction works in Sabah. The three new road upgrades will help ease traffic congestion at peak periods and the Works Ministry plans to open the tender process shortly. Some US$196.5 million will be spent on improving the 42km road that connects Jalan Dongongon and Simpang Papar. A budget of $140.8 million has been set for upgrades to the 81.5km road connecting Tawau and Semporna. For the project to improve and widen the roa