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Markuu Teräsvasara, president Atlas Copco surface drilling, was among those providing a glimpse of the future of drilling. He said that three futuristic drill rig models on show at INTERMAT, codenamed ROC Xone, ROC Xtwo and ROC Xthree, were examples of how the company’s designers are developing new systems. It is claimed they will offer extreme silencing and independently operated booms; separate wheel positioning systems for difficult terrain while flattening for loading and transport, and also fit into a

Preliminary data from Destatis, Germany's Federal Statistics Office, shows a worrying increase in road related fatalities during 2011. The number of people killed in traffic accidents in German increased 9.4% to 3,991 in 2011 compared with the previous year. Injuries in road accidents also increased 5.5% to some 391,500. The unfavourable development was e.g. attributable to weather conditions. However, the total number off road traffic accidents recorded by the German police fell by 2.8% to around 2.3 mi

The Kenyan Government is planning to invest US$4.82 billion in a major multi-modal infrastructure project to reduce Nairobi’s traffic congestion. The Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) will include a new rail transport network, and a public road of 167km linking the city with key neighbouring towns and municipalities such as Athi River, Kikuyu, Kajiado, Kitengela, Limuru, Machakos, Ruiru and Thika. The MRTS project will be managed by Nairobi Metropolitan Transport Authority and th

Smart Signal Technologies has launched what it claims is a remarkable new product that will save taxpayers millions of dollars annually as it improves traffic signal performance along congested signalised arterial corridors. The product, a compact device with powerful data collection and communication features, permits the gathering of high resolution data for processing into actionable real-time information to measure and monitor signal and corridor performance. Using unique AdaptiTrol technology licenc

ITS America and Southwest Research Institute are once again sponsoring the Annual Student Essay Competition for the 2012 ITS America Annual Meeting & Exposition, which is being held in Washington D.C. on 21-23 May, 2012. Designed to encourage student interest and future participation in the development of ITS and solutions, the objective of the essay competition is to provide an opportunity for today’s transportation and engineering students to apply their knowledge in a thought-provoking and enjoyable c

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has announced that 32 firms submitted responses to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDoT) Request for Information regarding the operation and integration of the state's transportation operations centres (TOCs). VDoT operates five TOCs across the commonwealth that monitor traffic conditions via cameras and other technology, providing traveller information on road conditions and coordinating congestion management and incident response. “I am extremely pleased wit

Dalian city in China has set out a budget worth some US$2.3 billion for 45 key projects in 2012. The projects include the construction of 300km of rural roads and 254km of trunk roads. Two highway construction projects stretching over 55km are also included and these are Zhuanghe-Gaizhou expressway and Dalian Bay Port area expressway. Meanwhile, Bohai Avenue construction will be fully kicked off, and Changshan bridge's main section is to be completed within 2012.

Plans are in hand in Russia for a new bridge spanning the Kuban River in Krasnodar. The 300m bridge will carry four lanes of traffic when it is complete over the Kuban River. The design work for the bridge is expected to be complete in spring 2013. The new bridge will help reduce congestion as the current Yablonovsky Bridge features just two lanes. It was designed to handle 6,000 vehicles/day but is instead carrying up to 30,000 vehicles/day.

A stakeholder workshop is being organised by the SATIE project, which is co-funded by the European Commission through the 7th Framework Programme for Research. The workshop will be held following this year’s Transport Research Arena in Athens on the 26th April 2012and from 14:00 – 18:00. The free workshop is being targeted at those delegates interested in research, innovation and deployment of ITS technologies. The workshop will help explore options to design, develop and deploy a major new Europe-wide init

The Japanese SE Group is working on a new road project in Vietnam. The 25km highway is costing some US$476 million to construct, with some 60% of the funding coming from the JBIC Bank and SE Group providing around 20%. The rest of the funding will be provided by official development assistant capital. This new road will provide a link from the city of Halong in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province to the Hanoi-Haiphong highway project.

Contracts worth in excess of US$ 436 million are now being awarded in Oman for a series of road improvements and upgrades. One notable deal is for the installation of safety barriers along the Qurayat-Sur road, while another is for the annual maintenance of dirt roads in Dakhiliyah, Musandam along with Sharqiyah North and South between 2012 and 2015. The Tender Board of Oman also awarded a contract for the construction of Al Batinah South Expressway.

INTERMAT was the venue for the official hand-over of one of the world’s first Kobelco CKE 2500G crawler cranes. Herman Smit, chief operating officer of crane giant Mammoet, came to the show on Friday to meet Kobeloc Crane’s president and chief executive officer Isao Aida for the handover of the 250tonne lattice boom machine. While he was at the show Smit confirmed orders for another 46 cranes of 180 tonnes and 250tonnes capacity.