Road Structures

Hitachi Sumitomo is introducing the new SCX3500-3 crawler crane, which offers a maximum lifting capacity of 350tonnes. The firm says that this hydraulic crane features a compact body, good load handling capabilities, and an advanced transportation and assembly system. It has a high-performance lifting capacity and a short-tail swing radius, which the firm claims is available for the first time in the 350tonne crawler crane class. When selected by the operator, this option ensures that the live mast does not

The UK Government is finalising its plans for the construction of a road tunnel close to the famous Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire. The 2.9km tunnel will carry the A303, a busy road that carries heavy traffic, particularly during the holiday season when large numbers of tourists pass through the area. The existing route passes close to the Stonehenge monument but the road is widely recognised as being unfit for purpose. As well as carrying cars, it handles a high percentage of large trucks, including heav

Uzbekistan has set a budget for road construction and repairs during 2017. The target is to either build or repair 260km of roads. Funding for the work will come from Uzbekistan’s Republican Road Fund. A budget of close to US$500 million will pay for the construction and repair work. The road building and repair activity is considered essential to helping the development of Uzbekistan’s economy.

The tender process is commencing for a US$5 billion contract to construct a bridge and a road network of roads in Turkey. The bridge will span the Dardanelles waterway and the project looks likely to attract strong interest from several major international construction firms. The Çanakkale 1915 Bridge will be located at the western end of the Sea of Marmara, a short distance from Çanakkale. The 3.6km long bridge will feature a main span of 2.023km, making it one of the longest suspension bridges in the worl

From GSSI comes the sophisticated LineTrac GPR system, an accessory to the UtilityScan systems employing either the DF or HS antennas. The LineTrac allows users to detect AC power and induced RF energy present in buried utilities. By combining GPR data with a radio detection sensor, GSSI’s LineTrac accessory is capable of detecting low amplitude AC signals. LineTrac employs a three-axis 50/60 Hz magnetometer that is used to locate powered and non-powered utilities with accurate, dependable and repeat

Plans are being drawn up in Uganda for the upgrading of the Busega-Mpigi highway stretch. Funding worth US$151 million to help pay for the project is being sought from the African Development Bank (AfDB), which is being delivered in the shape of a loan. Busega lies on the eastern outskirts of capital Kampala and upgrading this 24km section of highway is necessary as it is suffers congestion at peak periods and is unable to cope with current traffic demands. Included in the work to improve this section of hi

Angola has awarded the contract for a major road project intended to improve transport for its capital, Luanda. Portuguese constractor Mota Engil will handle the project for the Via Expressa/Camama/Avenida Pedro de Castro Van-Dúnem Loy road. The deal is worth some US$178 million and as well as building the road itself, the work will require the construction of extensive drainage systems as well as redesigning and rebuilding an existing roundabout. Financing for the work is being provided through the Portugu

China’s Guizhou Province looks set to gain from a major new highway construction programme. A budget of close to US$24.9 billion has been set for the construction of 11 highways in Guizhou Province. One of the priority projects will be the construction of a new highway connecting Anshun with Duyun. In all the highways will measure a total length of around 1,000km. Guizhou Province currently has some 6,100km of highways.