Road Structures

Work on the Al Mafraq-Al Ghweifat highway project in the UAE is now well underway. This US$5.3 billion project is due for completion in first half of 2017. The Al Mafraq-Al Ghweifat highway is being built in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. Work on the first phase of the project was completed in 2016. This is a substantial project that includes the construction of 16 new interchanges and upgrades to 246km of roads. The project also includes building new lanes on the Mafraq-Baynounah and Baraka-Ghuwaifat rou

In Paraguay the government is setting up plans for rebuilding Ruta 9, the Transchaco road. Negotiations have been held with regard to funding with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). A loan worth US$160 million from the IADB will help fund the work. Funding for the project will also be provided by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF).

A recent decision by the US Army Corps of Engineers could help speed the delivery of transportation projects. The decision was to exempt the Nationwide Permit (NWP) programme from an Executive Order freezing regulatory activity by federal agencies. And the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) believes that this will clear a path for the development of transportation projects, helping to boost the construction sector as a result. The NWP program, which was reauthorised by the Obama

South Korea has announced a programme of works that will see the country’s national road network being extended by over 900km. The budget of US$6.41 billion for the work has been set by the South Korean Government. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has drawn up the plans for the work which will include upgrades and extensions to 73 stretches of road in all. During the first six months of 2017 around 60% of the budget should be used for the necessary road construction activity. One of the ma

A highway construction project in the Czech Republic is attracting strong interest, with 10 bids having been received during the tender process. The project is being managed by the state-owned road management firm RSD and is worth €255.21 million. The work involves building a 10 km stretch of the D1 connecting Prerov with Rikovice and this will be the largest road tender in the Czech Republic during 2017. According to RSD, the bids have largely come from consortia that combine large foreign contractors with

A series of key upgrade projects are planned for Austria’s highway network. The works are being planned by Austria’s highway operator ASFINAG, with plans for €1.2 billion in improvements to be carried out. Included in the programme of works will be upgrades to 30 tunnel sections. These tunnel upgrades will include boosting capacity as well as installing sophisticated safety technology, to meet the latest EU requirements.