Road Structures

Indeco is broadening its range of hydraulic attachments with the addition of two new shears. The new ISS 30/50 and the ISS 35/60 take the place of the earlier ISS 30/60 and offer an improved shape and increased jaw opening. As the firm now offers two shears rather than just one, this also allows users to better optimise the unit for the size carrier being used. Each ISS rotating shear can be either stick- or bucket-mounted. The firm also offers a fixed version which is mounted straight onto the excavator ar

Indeco is broadening its range of hydraulic attachments with the addition of two new shears. The new ISS 30/50 and the ISS 35/60 take the place of the earlier ISS 30/60 and offer an improved shape and increased jaw opening. As the firm now offers two shears rather than just one, this also allows users to better optimise the unit for the size carrier being used. Each ISS rotating shear can be either stick- or bucket-mounted. The firm also offers a fixed version which is mounted straight onto the excavator ar

A series of key highway projects are underway in Morocco, with others now being planned. The Moroccan Government is calling for a study for the construction of seven stretches of highway. The winner of the tender for a consultancy will be announced on 22nd March 2016. The seven projects will be public-private partnerships, and include a road connecting Nador with the Fez-Oudja highway, a connection to the Nador West Med port, a stretch connecting Tangier and Tétouan, and a stretch connecting the Fez-Meknès

The authorities in the Chinese city of Changsha have announced plans for transportation developments worth US$13.87 billion. This programme will form a key component of the 13th Five-Year Plan period from 2016-2020. The plans will see the construction of 6,111km of rural roads, upgrades or expansion works to 2,232km of trunk routes and building 127.3km expressways. The city is also planning to buy a further 647 electric buses during 2016, in addition to the 453 it already has in its fleet. Changsha also pl

Argentina’s Government has plans to upgrade Route 5, Route 7 and Route 8 into highways. The work will cost US$647.2 million and the first sections are already being completed. Around 210km of Route 7 will be upgraded to a highway while a 165km stretch of Route 8 will be upgraded to a highway. The work on Route 8 will reach Solis in 2017 and Pergamino in 2019, while Route 5 will be turned into a highway between Lujan and Bragado, with the work due for completion in 2019.

Work on a new road tunnel is commencing in Shanghai with the project intended to help reduce the city’s chronic traffic congestion problem. The new tunnel route runs under the Middle Ring Road on Tianlin Road in Shanghai City. This 1km tunnel will feature five lanes and provide a new connection between Guiping Road and Gumei Road, with the work is due for completion by 2017. The new tunnel stretch is intended to lower the traffic congestion in the city’s Caohejing district. A novel feature of the tunnel is

The planning process for a major tunnel project in India now looks set to be delayed. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) cancelled the bid process for the US$1.46 billionn Zozila tunnel project on National Highway 1 in Jammu & Kashmir. IRB Infrastructure Developers in India had previously received a letter of award (LoA) to perform construction, operation and maintenance on the tunnel on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (annuity) basis. No reason was given for the cancellation

Costs are climbing for a new road tunnel connection in Hong Kong. After a reassessment on the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin tunnel (Tseung-Lam tunnel) development project, the project cost increased from US$1.05 billion to $1.92 billion. The expected completion time has also been delayed from 2020 to 2021. The 4.2km tunnel will feature two lanes. The project is intended to reduce traffic congestion in Tseung Kwan O area during peak hours. Hong Kong’s Transport and Housing Bureau hopes to obtain approval from the Fi

Approval has been given for the project to build a new parallel link for the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. The second road tunnel has been given the go ahead after 57% of Swiss subjects who voted in a referendum backed the plans. Construction of the new tunnel will start in 2020 and will end in 2027. In addition, the project calls for the current Gotthard road tunnel to be closed for three years for renovation work so as to bring it up to the latest safety requirements. Both tunnels will be open from 2030