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A new computer system is said to offer huge benefits for maintaining transport infrastructure. This is the product of a world-leading computing project and is called Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure, DAFNI. The project commenced in 2017 to provide world-leading research capabilities to help improve the UK’s infrastructure systems, by making them more resilient and effective. DAFNI can help ensure the UK’s infrastructure is sustainable by running detailed simulations that show a range

Singapore is opening the tender process for a major road project. The tender is for the construction and design of a section of the North South Corridor (Viaduct). This new link will connect Yishun Avenue 5 and SG Seletar. The tender process is being handled by Singapore’s Land Transport Authority. The closing date for the tender is 29th August, 2019. When fully complete in 2026, this highway will measure 21.5km in length.

A new ring road project is being planned for the city of Kemerovo, in Siberia.

New road connections will have to be built for the second Parana River crossing in Paraguay. In all around 37km of new road connections will be required, costing US$180 million. This work will also require the construction of two smaller bridges as well as an overpass section. Financing for the work is being provided via the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF).

A new bridge crossing for the Lena River is being proposed in Russia. The bridge will provide a connection between Yakutsk and Nizhny Bestyakh. The bridge is expected to cost upwards of US$900 million to build, with the project likely to be offered under a concession package. A number of consortia comprising both Russian and international firms have already shown interest in the project.

In Argentina a new loan facility for road projects is now being provided by the Banco de Inversion y Comercio Exterior (BICE). The loan facility will be worth US$100 million and will be offered for projects being handled under the PPP model and with distances of 2,500km or more. This is expected to speed up plans for various PPP projects, with some $6 billion for road concessions planned for the next four years. A number other funding sources are being developed but are yet to be finalised.

The tender process for Brazil’s 364/365 highway will commence in mid-September 2019. The 437km route connects Jatai, Ituiutaba and Uberlandia in Minas Gerais State. The concession deal will be for 30 years and investment in the road is expected to be worth US$1.22 billion. The tender will be awarded to the firm offering the lowest toll rate. The national land transport agency, ANTT, is overseeing the tender process.

The tender process will restart in 2019 for Slovakia’s Visnové Tunnel project. The tunnel forms part of the D1 highway. Work was being carried out on the tunnel and highway stretch of the D1 connecting Lietavska, Lucka, Visnové and Dubna Skala by the contractors Salini Impregilo and Duha. However following a dispute with the Slovak national motorway company NDS, these two firms are no longer working on the project. Some stretches of the highway are near complete already but the tunnel still requires some wo

A major upgrade project is to be carried out for Montreal’s Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel in Canada. The work is expected to cost US$386 million (C$500 million) and will commence in 2020. New fire protection technology will be installed, along with more modern signage and lighting. Better emergency provision will also be installed, to meet the latest safety requirements. A dedicated lane will be for car-pooling or buses only, in a bid to reduce peak time congestion while the improvements are being carr

Drivers using the M6 motorway in the UK are in the unlucky situation of facing the worst congestion in the country. The latest official data reveals the M6 to suffer more congestion than any other route in the UK, taking over this unfavourable record from the M25 motorway running around London. The M6 is the UK’s longest motorway and runs from Rugby to Gretna in Scotland. The data shows that drivers using the route will face delays to some 210 million journeys when the current three year period of roadwork