News

Plans are in hand in Canada to extend Highway 427 by 6.6km. The final decision over the project has yet to be made by the Ontario Government. The work is expected to cost in the region of C$500 million (US$491 million) to carry out. The work is required as the highway carries a heavy traffic volume and the extension will help reduce congestion in the surrounding area. The work should commence in 2017 once the necessary approvals have been given and the construction would then require an estimated 36 months.

In Russia’s capital Moscow the finishing touches are being put to a plan to construct the city’s first tolled link. The northern relief road for Kutuzovsky prospect is expected to cost US$1.91 billion to build and will stretch a distance of 10.3km. The tender process for the concession package is being prepared at present and is expected to open for bids shortly. Once complete the new link will connect Moscow’s business centre with Molodogvardeyskaya junction. Meanwhile in the Russian city of Tula, some 193

Cambodia’s National Road 5 is to be upgraded thanks to a concession loan provided by Japan. Worth some US$90.5 million this sum will be used to improve an 83.5km stretch of the route between Battambang and Sri Sophorn. The work on National Road 5 will start in June 2015 and is expected to be complete by May 2018. Once complete the upgraded section of road will offer both safety and capacity improvements over the existing link.

Around US$2.21 billion (UAH 18bn) will be invested in road construction and repairs in Ukraine in 2013. According to infrastructure minister Vladimir Kozak, intentional financial institutions will account for around $362.49 million (UAH 3bn) of the total investments. The rest of funds will be raised under state guarantees. The most significant individual project sum of $108.74 million (UAH 900mn) will be allocated to building a bridge in Zaporozhye. The first stage will be launched in 2014.

Roads in Sydney are set to benefit as part of a huge US$1.87 billion (AUD 1.9bn) capital works spending programme for the city over the next ten years. The programme, aimed at enhancing the international reputation of the city, includes $175.01 million (AUD180mn) for new roads and footpaths in Sydney. In order to transform George Street, $213.91 million (AUD 220mn) will be spent on connecting light rail and laneways, while $388.92 million (AUD 400mn) will go on upgrading Green Square, and a further $97.23 m

The Australian Government is announcing plans to invest A$24 billion (US$23.73 billion) in transport infrastructure across the country. This will form the second part of the country’s five-year Nation Building Plan (NBP). The investment will be used to improve roads, railways and ports between 2014/2015 and 2018/2019. One stage of the NBP will involve spending A$525 million to upgrade and widen the M80 Ring Road in New South Wales (NSW) in a project that will include installing the latest traffic management

Polish road authority GDDKiA has approved the calling of 50 tenders for road construction projects worth a combined US$9.85 billion (PLN 32bn). GDDKiA has decided to allow contractors to carry out changes in one half of the projects supplied by the authority, which will, it says, allow the relations between the investor and the contractor to become more efficient. However, it can also act as an encouragement of the building companies to save on quality. Work on the road construction projects being put up fo

Serbian Minister of Infrastructure, Velimir Ilic, and the director of the roads company Koridori Srbije, Dmitar Durovic, say they have signed a contract agreement with the Chinese company Shandong High Speed Group, for construction of the Corridor 11 motorway, worth a total of €257.23 million (US$ 334mn). The contract has been signed by Zhu Wei, deputy director of the Chinese company, for construction of the Ljig-Preljina part of 50km. Meanwhile, a new tender is due to be called soon for construction of the

The work on the construction of the next stretch of the A100 motorway in Berlin, Germany, is about to start. The project is expected to cost €473 million (US$616.72mn) and be completed by 2020.

The Ugandan government will next year request a US$300 million loan from different funds in Uganda in its effort to develop road infrastructure in the country, according to Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s president. Banks in the country have been urged to offer loans. The government is reported to require US$ 15 billion in total to develop 19 roads.