Road Structures

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.

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

Chile is opening seven major infrastructure projects to tender before March 2018. The projects have a total value of US$1.99 billion in all. The tenders being planned include those for the Camino de la Fruta road project and the Ruta G-21 road project.

The preferred route has been announced for a new road and tunnel link on the A303 route in the UK that will bypass the famous Stonehenge stone circle. The project now finally looks as if it might go ahead after years of debate, although several hurdles have yet to be passed. The work calls for the construction of a new 13km dual carriageway link and includes a 2.6km stretch of tunnel. The new route will be located further away from Stonehenge and the tunnel is being built