Search

Mexico’s president Felipe Calderon has inaugurated the new Baluarte Bridge, which crosses the Baluarte River in the Sierra Madre mountain range in the north of the country. This 1.12km long bridge is 403m high at its central point over the steeply sloping ravine it spans, making it the highest cable-stayed structure in the world. Officials from the Guinness Book of Records presented an award to President Calderon, reflecting the Baluarte’s new status as it is higher than the previous holder, the Millau Brid

In the US state of California, the Air Resources Board (ARB) is working on a programme that will boost development of new automobile technology with reduced emission levels.

A Chinese contractor is to construct the dual carriageway extension to Langata Road in Kenya. Work is commencing shortly on the US$30.6 million project, which will take 15 months to complete.

European Union and OECD countries will be confronted with a considerable slow down of economic growth and transport activities after a year of feeble economic growth. This is the forecast in the IRU [International Road Transport Union] Road Transport Indices, which allows the comparison of GDP growth, road freight transport volumes and new vehicle registrations in 58 countries. IRU head of sustainable development, Jens Hügel highlighted that “when comparing the 2010 and 2011 figures, BRIC [Brazil, Russia, I

The Indian Highways Ministry has plans to construct new roads in under-developed areas of the country. A budget of some US$3.19 billion is envisaged for the work required over the coming five year period.

A senior US equipment manufacturing figure has urged President Barack Obama to create an infrastructure programme that will help the country compete globally.

The Indonesian Government has handed out contracts for the new Sunda Strait Bridge. Construction of the US$11 billion project is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2014.

In Switzerland the authorities intend to introduce tough regulations that will boost safety on the nation’s roads. The Swiss National Council voted measures including stricter penalties for people convicted of speeding.

Urban mobility is high on the infrastructure agenda in Mexico. While highways continue to be a priority, capital Mexico City and other large cities across the country are looking to implement mass transport systems such as bus rapid transit (BRT) lines.

The coming TRA 2012 transport event in Athens is now gathering momentum. The event will benefit from the strength of its organising body.

Japanese consultants are planning to realign a Kenyan bypass, as Shem Oirere reports. Japanese consultants are resolving an engineering quagmire involving a 17.5km bypass in Kenya's Coast region. The new design realigning the bypass is underway by Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) consultants. The road is an alternative link from the hinterland to the south coast and to the proposed Dongo Kundu Port. The 23m-wide bypass would also serve to reduce traffic congestion across the Likoni Channel.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released estimates showing that in 2010, transportation deaths in the US was 34,925, a decrease from 35,994 recorded in 2009.

Engineering specialist AECOM will carry out a study into the proposed Lower Thames Crossing project in the UK.

Improved pedestrian safety and smoother traffic flow will result from work being carried out by Nepal’s Department of Roads. The plan will see the construction of 15 pedestrian bridges along the Tinkune-Suryabinayak section of the Araniko Highway.

Smarter steps to reduce carbon emissions are being proposed by a new study from The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT). With transport accounting for nearly 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions, and at a time when governments are agreeing to move forward together on reducing emissions, CILT is calling for a balanced approach to carbon management and better assessment of the carbon impact in making transport investment choices.

Concern has been expressed in Austria over the potential costs of upgrading the country’s road network to cope with 60tonne trucks measuring up to 25.5m long. The introduction of these massive ‘gigaliners’ has been proposed across the EC. But Austrian highway operator Asfinag has said that upgrading the country’s roads, highways, bridges and tunnels to make them suitable for gigaliners would cost some €5.4 billion. Asfinag has also expressed its concern over the safety issues surrounding these vehicles due

The PILOT4SAFETY and BALTRIS are holding a joint workshop on "Road Safety Personnel: the importance of European standardised training and certification and their positiveimpact on civil society".

Over the past year, more than 171,000 drivers were fined US$92.50 each and given three points on their licence for driving whilst using mobiles.

In New Zealand, yearly death toll of road accidents posted at 280 as of 29 December 2011, which is a record-low figure since 1952. In 2010, road accidents claimed 374 lives.

The Nepalese Government is working on plans to build a series of highways that will improve north-south connectivity for this mountainous country.