News

Millions of US dollars are being poured into new and expanding toll road projects in Indonesia. Wijaya Karya (Wika), the Indonesian government-owned construction service provider, will build toll roads linking Kedung Badak to Kedung Halang and Pandaan to Gempol in Bogor through two contracts worth US$36.35million (IDR 340.80bn) and US$23.98million (IDR 225bn), respectively. Awarded by highways operator Jasa Marga (JSMR), the contracts require the roads completion in 18 months.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will help funding of the A2 highway project in Poland, which has faced financing problems due to the economic crisis. The EIB is making an exception to its usual policy by granting to Polish company Autostrada Wielkopolska credit that covers over 50% of the costs of the construction work for a highway section. The EIB will provide €1 billion for the A2 investment and to create an option of an additional €200 million. The total value of the investment, which is expected to

The UK charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) believes smoking should be banned in cars because of concerns that children inhale second-hand smoke if their parents smoke while driving. Such a ban already exists in the US, South Africa and various parts of Canada, although in the UK it currently only applies to commercial vehicles. It is understood that increasing the ban to include smoking in all cars would be supported by the road safety charity, Brake. It thinks smoking while driving often means that

XCMG has staged a foundation laying ceremony to mark the start of work on the Chinese construction machine manufacturing giant’s first European HQ. Based in Krefeld, Germany, XCMG Europe’s state-of-the-art €36million plus home is set to be completed and operational by July 2013. Meanwhile, the ambitious firm has completed a stockholding rights transfer which gives it a controlling 52% stake in renowned German concrete machinery firm Schwing.

Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider has kicked off a statewide digital message board campaign to help reduce roadway fatalities occurring this year. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDoT) has started to rotate four key traffic safety messages daily starting, in conjunction with a social media and internet page presence. As of July 5, provisional crash data reports 479 fatalities have taken place on Illinois roadways this year, as compared to 418 during the same timeframe last year.

Increasing the range of its 'non-impact' products, Italian company Indeco has launched the new Multi 1000. Designed to meet the needs of the American market, where large-size equipment is more popular, the Multi 1000 is said to be the ideal tool for large-scale demolition work and can be mounted on carriers from 36-60tonnes. The other features which have made the products in the Multi series so successful are all on the 1000, including its innovative design, and its exceptional robustness and versatility.

CS America has successfully completed a fast track open road tolling (ORT) project which took just two and a half months to complete, from planning to lane opening, for Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority (RITBA). The lanes will help maintain traffic flow on this busy thoroughfare over Narragansett Bay, which is host to the 2012 America’s Cup World Series. The work included implementing the CS gantry FastFlow system with attached antennas, lasers, and cameras, as well as interfacing with the existing R

A cautiously optimistic report has been published by the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC), which shows activity levels continue to fall. The FIEC’s recently released annual statistical report provides a comprehensive review of construction activity in Europe and shows business levels have improved slightly in some sectors. “The EU total construction output amounted to €1,208 billion in 2011, which represents a growth of 1.4% compared to 2010”, stated FIEC vice-president Jacques Huillard, in

English councils have been urged to protect the public on the roads by “whatever means is appropriate” after the first rise in road deaths in the country for eight years. Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said data obtained by the Foundation under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) showed there had been “no mass switch off” of speed cameras in England despite two years of Government road safety funding cuts. But Glaister fears an ageing national network of existing speed camera

Liebherr-EMtec GmbH, the divisional holding company of the earthmoving division of the Liebherr Group, has announced two senior managerial changes following retirements. Karl-Heinz Knor has been replaced by Wolfgang Remlinger as Liebherr-EMtec GmbH managing director responsible for finance and accounts, managerial economics, customer services, spare parts, and human resources. Remlinger had previously been commercial director of Liebherr-Hydraulikbagger GmbH .

The local authorities in Czech capital Prague say that the city's ring road project could be complete by 2016. Work is underway at present on the north-west section which includes the Blanka Tunnel. Plans are being prepared now for the north-east section. Construction work on the latter is expected to start in 2013 or 2014 and this is expected to cost in the region of €602 million. Two possible routes are being considered at present for the north-east ring road section.

Croatian national motorways company Hrvatske Autoceste (HAC) is receiving funding in the shape of a €100 million loan from Hypo Alpa Adria Bank and Hypo Alpa Adria International, from Klagenfurt in Austria. A guarantee for the loan is being supplied by the Croatian Government. The loan is approved over a five-year repayment period and with a 6.99% interest rate. Funding will be used for liquidity and regular payments to construction firms. The move increases HAC's gearing as it has so far borrowed €80 milli

Colas has won a five-year contract in partnership with Halcrow and Costain for Area 12 in the UK. The contract is for €73 million and is for some 1,200km of major roads and motorways in the counties of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. The company also has contracts for Area 10 and Area 14 in the north-west and north-east of England as well as Area 7 in the Midlands. In total these four contracts are worth €387 million and give Colas responsibility over 3,500km of major roads and motorways, equating to 32%