Road Structures

The local authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are setting plans for the US$229 million project to build the Thu Thiem 4 Bridge. This new link will connect District 2 and District 7 and the project is being handled by investors under a build-operate model. The deal includes arrangements over building plots in Thu Thiem New Urban Area's divisions No 3 and No 4. The bridge will measure 2.16km long and is intended to cut congestion in the city centre and on roads in Thu Duc and Binh Thanh districts to district 7,

The Tavrida Federal highway that will connect with the Kerch Strait Bridge in Russia has a projected cost of US$2.92 billion. The road will run through Kerch, Feodosia, Simferopol, Bakhchisarai, and Sevastopol and will measure 277km long. The project is being handled by contractor VAD Company.

Discussions between Serbia and Bosnia regarding the planned highway linking the two countries have yet to be carried out. The highway will join the two capitals, Belgrade and Sarajevo. However Turkey has said it will not enter discussions regarding its providing financing for the project until Bosnia and Serbia have determined the route the new highway will take. Turkey says that it recognises the economic importance of this highway for the region as a whole, which is why it is willing to discuss financing.

A new mould is now in operation for Kijlstra in its UK factory, allowing the firm to produce a larger range of culverts. The specialist precast concrete drainage manufacturer says that the new moulds also allow for faster production and lead times. As the new moulds are adaptable a wider range of culvert configurations can be offered. The firm can now produce a range of sizes up to 2.1m in height and 3.6m in width, with a standard wall and slab thickness of 250mm.

Tenders for two expressway projects in Thailand will open by mid-2018. The projects are worth around US$1.5 billion in all. The tender process is being handled by the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat). Construction of one of the expressways should commence by late 2018 and the route would then be open to traffic by the end of 2021, if all goes to plan. The 10.5km expressway will connect the N2 Nawamin Road with the Kasetsart intersection and will be tolled, with a project traffic volume of 80,000

The tender process for the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway project in India has received strong interest from bidders so far. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is at present reviewing 33 bids for the project. Indian firms account for the majority of the bids but international companies also number amongst the bidders, with several joint ventures having entered the tender process. The Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway project will be handled under the engineering

An improved road link will boost transport between Norway and Russia. The two countries have already spend around US$160 million to upgrade the road link that connection between the two. A 25km stretch is connecting Norway’s Sor-Varanger municipality with Russia’s Pechengsky District in the Murmansk Region. This is providing a shorter road route between Kirkenes in Norway and the important port of Murmansk in Russia and will help boost transport and trade between the two countries, as well as for Finland.

According to Highways England, real progress is being seen with the Stonehenge Tunnel project. The UK Government recently announced its plans to construct a twin-bored tunnel measuring around 2.9km for the A303, bypassing historic Stonehenge. The project also includes a section of dual carriageway bypass for Winterbourne Stoke. This scheme forms part of a £2 billion investment in the South West's strategic road network. The project is intended to improve connectivity and ease congestion on this key route.