News

Tajikistan is planning a major programme of repairs to its roads and bridges. The aim of the work is to improve connectivity. A total budget of US$335.4 million has been set for the work. Of this budget, $195.65 million will be used to rebuild roads.

Work on a major tunnel project in Algeria is due for completion shortly. The tunnel will commence carrying traffic during July 2016, although an official inauguration date has not so far been announced. The T4 tunnel will connect Constantine with Skikda and Annaba, which lie to the north and on Algeria’s coast. The 2.5km tunnel forms a section of the East-West highway. To cope with the tricky geological conditions in the area, both umbrella arch and composite roof bolting methods have been used to sup

IRF Geneva is pleased to support the Africa Regional Seminar & Workshop on Performance-Based Contracts (PBC) for Roads which will take place in Arusha, Tanzania on 11th -15th July 2016. The two events are organised by The Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications of Tanzania through the Tanzania National Road Agency (TANROADS), the Roads Fund Board and theTanzania Technology Transfer Center (TanT2) in collaboration with IRF Geneva and other local and international institutions such as the Association

Plans are in hand for a radical new 225km raised highway to connect Bangladeshi capital Dhaka with the city of Chittagong. An elevated highway design is required due to the low-lying terrain along the country’s coast where the highway would run, as the area is prone to frequent flooding. However raising the roadway is also boosting the cost of the project substantially. The work is likely to cost in the region of US$8.91 billion according to estimates. As a result, the Bangladesh Government is having had to

Toll road operator Jasa Marga of Indonesia has added four contracts at a cost of nearly US$2.4 billion to its highway concession portfolio. Jasa Marga hold equity of between 55% and 65% in each project, according to a report by the Jakarta Post newspaper. The contracts are for the 40km Bitung-Manado Highway in Sulawesi, the 99km Samarinda-Balikpapan Highway in Kalimantan, the 38km Malang-Pandaan Highway in East Java and the 75km Semarang-Batang Highway in central Java. Netherlands-based Indonesia I

Malaysia’s South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) remains unsold despite being up for sale “for some tie”. The Star newspaper reported unnamed sources saying the SKVE has suffered from low traffic volumes, compared with the Silk Highway, which is now also up for sale. SKVE connects to the 37km Silk Highway – also known as the Kajang Traffic Dispersal Ring Road - at the Universiti Tenaga Nasional interchange, collectively stretching from Seri Kembangan to Pulau Indah. Together, 90km of continuous high

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and the American Trucking Association (ATA) are holding a joint lunch and policy discussion event. This will mark the 60th anniversary of the law signed by president Eisenhower that kicked-off the funding and construction of the US Interstate Highway System. At present the Interstate network stretches for some 75,000km. The event is being held on June 29th 2016 from 12-15:00 at the National Press Club in US capital, Washington DC. The event wil

Nepalese minister for finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel has highlighted the importance of transport as part of the country’s budget for the fiscal year 2016/2017. Key issues include reviving the economy affected by the earthquake and the supply system disruption and attaining high economic growth through increasing productivity and production. The budget will aid with promoting domestic and external investment and expanding economic activities, increasing income and employment and reducing poverty, in a bid to c

The authorities in Kenya have signed an agreement with a Chinese contractor for a major highway project. The deal is for design and feasibility studies for this proposed highway, which would run from Ruaka to Gitaru. The 16.5km highway section would form part of Nairobi’s Western Bypass, should the project get the official go ahead once the feasibility study has been completed and analysed. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CBRC) will carry out the feasibility study as well as the preliminary design, havin

In a bid to cut India’s high rate of road crashes, the country is working on much tougher penalties for offenders. Drivers that are underage or hold fake licences will face much heavier fines, as well as jail sentences of up to three years and one year respectively. Meanwhile tougher penalties will also be applied to vehicle repairers fitting fake parts, as well as for producers and suppliers of fake parts. Car manufacturers are also being targeted, with fines being imposed for vehicles featuring poor safet

Brazil is continuing to work on its road development programme, despite budgetary restraints due to the country’s difficult economic climate. Responsibility for over 10,000km of road that have had minimal maintenance or improvement works over the previous 15 years will now be taken by the Federal Government. An overall lack of funding has combined with disagreements between federal and state authorities as to who should pay for road upgrades, resulting in no work being carried out at all. Meanwhile improv