Road Structures

A funding package from Japan will help pay for the third stage of Sri Lanka’s key Central Expressway project. The third phase of the Central Expressway project will be constructed by the Japanese firm, Taisei Corporation, with the work taking five years to complete. Financing worth US$883 million is being provided by the Japanese Government for the project. This third stage of the Central Expressway will stretch 32.5km and will connect Pothuhera with Galagedara.

Interest is strong in the project to build the Agua Negra Tunnel, which will connect Chile and Argentina. So far 10 consortia have been pre-selected to enter the bidding process for the project. However Ebitan, the joint Chilean/Agentinian commission with responsibility for the project has said it will not release the names of the consortia that have been pre-selected until November 2017 instead.

Senegal is setting an impressive target for its road construction projects. The country aims to have built 187km of new highways during 2018. The country’s current key highway development projects were started in 2012. Senegal’s whole programme of highway works has been worth US$2.12 billion in all. The country has also boosted its tertiary road network with 38 separate projects, adding a total of 1,061km of roads and seven bridges.

A new alignment is being considered for a major project in Russia’s second city, St Petersburg. A tunnel stretch running under the Neva River is being considered as an alternative route for the Eastern High Speed Diameter (EHSD) project. This tunnel would take the place of the fixed bridge, which has been criticised by some for its impact on the city’s skyline. However building the tunnel would increase the cost of the project by around US$52 million.

A new alignment is being considered for a major project in Russia’s second city, St Petersburg. A tunnel stretch running under the Neva River is being considered as an alternative route for the Eastern High Speed Diameter (EHSD) project. This tunnel would take the place of the fixed bridge, which has been criticised by some for its impact on the city’s skyline. However building the tunnel would increase the cost of the project by around US$52 million.

In the Netherlands, the consortium of BBV24 is appealing the awarding of the Blankenburg Tunnel construction contract to another consortium, BAAK Blankenburg-Verbinding. BAAK Blankenburg-Verbinding – consisting of Dutch construction firm Ballast Nedam, Belgian dredging company Deme and Australian investment bank Macquarie – won the contract earlier this year.

Ethiopia is to benefit from a series of road upgrade and road construction projects with a total value of some US$2.51 billion. So far 58 separate road contracts have been awarded by the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA). The contracts vary, with some being for the construction of new roads and others for upgrading work, including surfacing rural dirt roads with asphalt.

Chile’s landmark Chacao Bridge project could be ready for traffic by mid-2021, according to the Ministry of Public Works. The 2.76km suspension bridge will connect the Chilean mainland with Chiloe Island, replacing the current ferry service and helping to develop the local economy. The project is costing around US$700 million. The cranes that will be used to install the main sections of the bridge will arrive on site shortly. A new schedule for the project will be announced early in 2018.