Road Structures

The 60-year-old road and rail Velsertunnel in the Netherlands will be closed from now until the end of the year for major renovations. Improvements to the Velsertunnel beneath the North Sea Canal are scheduled for the road sections only, according to the Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch government’s Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, and the consortium doing the work. Rijkswaterstaat awarded a design/build/maintain contract in 2014 to Hyacint, a consortium of Besix, Dura Vermeer, and Spie, supp

The bidding process for the Agua Negra Tunnel project that will link Chile with Argentina looks set to commence in July or August 2016. The bidding is being organised jointly by the governments of both Chile and Argentina. One source of funding for the project is also now secured, with a loan of US$1.5 billion being provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). In addition the IADB has also approved $20 million in funding for Chile and Argentina to finance the project's environmental impact studie

Mozambique will have to invest US$4 billion to maintain its roads and bridges over the next four years. The country’s road network does not meet demands at present, with numerous routes in poor condition. Congestion and safety are also major issues in the most densely populated urban areas. The source of the funding required has yet to be determined. The Ministry of Public Works is currently in talks with the Portuguese government to secure some of the funding needed.

Moba Mobile Automation has unveiled its new system Pave-TM sensor technology for asphalt thickness measurement. The company claims the system will make the consumption of materials in road construction more efficient and sustainable in the future and thus significantly saves costs. “With this system Moba Mobile Automation succeeded in setting another revolutionary milestone in the history of road construction,” said the company.

The Fayat Group is developing its operations, with a greater focus on international operations a key direction for this French firm. Jean-Claude Fayat, president of the Fayat Group, said, “It’s important for us to be a family company. We have three values, autonomy, commitment and audacity.” Being a family-owned business has allowed the firm to respond quickly to changes in market demand - the board of directors can make decisions and implement them whereas publicly-owned firms have to involve shareholde

A new joint venture team will carry out the construction of a major new highway project in Indonesia. The project will see the construction of the Serpong Balaraja highway in Tangerang Regency. Construction is due to commence in July 2016 with the work expected to cost over US$452.5 million. The partnership will be headed by local firm Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD), with a 50% stake. Its partners will be Transindo Karya Investama and Astratel Nusantara, both with 25% shares in the partnership.

Major road widening projects for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been awarded by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Local construction company PNC Infratech will widen key routes in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. One of the projects will be to widen a 102km stretch of the Nagina-Kashipur section of NH-74 00 to four lanes. The contract is worth some US$174.2 million.

A new highway project will help mobility in East Africa. The 172km route through Kenya will be upgraded following the loan of US$228 million by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB). The route forms part of the Sirari Corridor that connects Kenya, Tanzania and South Sudan and is an important highway for transport and trade in East Africa. The upgrade work will also include improvements to 77km of secondary roads, as well as public transport facilities in the area.