Road Structures

German firm Hochtief will see its Australian subsidiary CPB Contractors carry out a US$294 million (A$365 million) project on a stretch of Australia’s Pacific Highway. The package of works involves widening and upgrading a 34km section of the highway, with construction now starting and due for completion during 2020. The improved route will be widened so that it has four lanes, with two in either direction and will offer increased capacity as well as better safety for drivers.

Funding from Japan now looks likely to help pay for a highway project in Tanzania. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is planning to offer US$1.4 billion for Tanzania’s New Bagamoyo Highway road project. The deal has yet to be finalised, but construction work should commence in June 2018, should all go to plan. Once the work starts, this will improve the connection between Mwenge and the Kawawa intersection.

Panama has postponed the tender process for the fourth bridge crossing over the Panama Canal. This is the fourth time the fourth bridge crossing tender has been postponed. Panama’s Ministry of Public Works (MOP) opted to postpone the tender due to changes in the guidelines. The bridge will have six lanes for motor vehicles as well as twin tracks for metro rail and is expected to cost US$1 billion to construct.

A new highway project worth US$184 million has been awarded in Myanmar to a joint venture comprising Punj Lloyd and Varaha Infrastructure. The project will see the construction of an improved road link measuring 120km connecting Yagyi with Kalewa. The work is expected to take three years to complete and will include the construction of three large bridges as well as two small bridges.

The Ethiopian Government has set out plans for a major programme of road development work to expand the country’s network. In all 58 road projects are being planned, with the programme having been set out by the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA). The plans call for 3,171km of roads to be built in all. These will be constructed in Tigray, Oromia and Amhara, with work commencing shortly and expected to take three years to complete. The Ethiopian Government will spend US$1.5 billion on the work, with a further $

Work is well underway on a new road and tunnel project, which will provide an improved connection between the Colombian city of Medellin and its airport. The new link will measure 24km long in all and the construction work is expected to cost over US$342 million, with completion due at the end of 2018. The project is known overall as the Oriente Tunnel, with the work being carried out as a concession by Concesion Tunel Aburrá-Oriente. The project comprises four sections in all. These are the 786m Seminario