Road Structures

Work is well underway on Colombia’s US$453.43 million Conexion Pacifico II highway project. The construction work for the 96.5km highway is around 33% complete at this stage. Work is also underway on the 2.5km-long twin tube Mulatos tunnel, with around 700m having been driven so far and this portion of the project is costing nearly $127 million. The new highway will reduce journey times between Colombia’s Antioquia Department and the country’s coffee producing regions, as well as to its port of Buenaventura

A series of road repair contracts are being carried out now in South Africa. Bakwena, a road construction and maintenance firm, is maintaining and upgrading road infrastructure along the 385km of the N1N4 in a deal worth US$84.6 million. Meanwhile the contractor Raubex Construction is working on a $49.22 million project for a new link between the M17 and R512 routes. In addition, Raubex Construction is carrying out $4.65 million of improvement works on the R511 interchange. Resurfacing of a stretch of the

Construction work is restarting on Melbourne’s West Gate tunnel project. Construction of the tolled tunnel link is costing US$5.2 billion (A$6.7 billion). The project is controversial and has met with considerable political opposition in Australia. Those against the link say that building a second river crossing is not necessary and that it will merely increase travel costs for drivers as it will be tolled. However those in favour of the link say that it is required due to the heavy traffic congestion. A

A new intelligent highway stretch is being constructed in China’s Zhejiang Province. The road will feature three lanes in either direction and will be 161km in length, with advanced features including mobile charging systems for Evs. The project is being planned by the Department of Transportation of Zhejiang Province and will connect Ningbo with Hangzhou, with construction starting in 2018 and due for completion in 2022. The EV charging systems will use a combination of technologies including solar power a

Work on sections of Moscow’s new Central Ring Road (CRR) project now looks to face delays. Construction of the first and fifth sections of the ring road is being held back due to the need to relocate a large number of gas pipes and electricity lines, as well as other utilities.

Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province is setting out plans for major infrastructure projects. One project will be for a new tunnel link running under Cua Luc Bay, while the road projects are for the Ha Long-Cam Pha coastal route and the Van Don-Mong Cai Highway. Construction of the 1.3km undersea tunnel project in Ha Long city is now subject to a feasibility study. Construction is expected to commence in 2019.

The collapse of an elevated toll road section in Indonesia has triggered delays to ongoing projects for new links. A stretch of the Bekasi-Cawang-Kampung Melayu (Becakayu) toll road section in East Jakarta collapsed. As a result, work on a series of elevated highway projects has been halted. The projects are the Cimanggis-Cibitung toll road, Ciawi-Sukabumi toll road, Cibitung-Cilincing toll road, Jakarta toll road, Kayu Agung-Palembang-Betung toll road, Krian-Legundi-Bunder-Manyar toll road, Pasuruan-Probo

Four new highway links are being planned for China’s Heilongjiang Province. Building the four highways is expected to cost US$2.84 billion, with the work being carried out in 2018. In all the road network in Heilongjiang Province will benefit from work to 61 highway sections, totalling some 2,864km. In addition, 66 existing routes will be upgraded, including a 71km stretch of the expressway connecting Harbin with capital Beijing, which will be widened from two lanes in either direction at present, to four l