New Russian bridge project planned
A new bridge is planned for Russia, which will span the Sheksna River in Cherepovets. The bridge will measure 1.13km in length and the project also involves building 7km of connecting roads. The bridge will be built in Russia’s Vologda Region and the work has a pricetag of nearly US$248 million. Because of the river traffic, the bridge will have to be built high enough to allow a clear passage for vessels underneath. Construction work will commence during 2019 and is expected to take until to 2025 to comple
Zimbabwe key road link rebuild
Construction activity now looks set to recommence on Zimbabwe’s important Harare to Bulawayo road upgrade project.
New bridge planned for Paraguay
A new bridge project is planned for Paraguay by the country’s Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC). The bridge will span the Paraguay River and connect Asuncion with Chacoí and the project is now expected to cost US$296 million. The bridge was originally expected to be somewhat less costly to construct. But the work is being carried out under the turnkey model, which is causing some controversy as it is thought to be a key factor in increasing the final pricetag. The new bridge will improve tr
Nepal road improvement project starts
Work is now underway on a major road improvement project in central Nepal. The Chinese contractor, China Construction Seventh Engineering Division (CSSED), is carrying out the upgrade of the East-West Highway route linking Narayagadh and Butwal. The 131km road improvement project is worth US$142.9 million and is expected to be ready by the end of 2022. The project will boost capacity and safety for drivers on the route by widening the road so that it has two lanes in either direction, rather than just one l
Mongolia’s infrastructure receiving financial boost
Finance packages from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will pay for infrastructure development work in Mongolia.
A1 Upgrade section opens in the UK
A key section of the UK’s important A1 route is now open to traffic.
Chinese funding for Sri Lanka road project
Funding from China in the shape of a loan will help pay for a major expressway project in Sri Lanka.
Colombian highway connection being built
Construction work is well underway for Colombia’s Autopista Mar 1 motorway project. The route is due for completion in 2022, connecting the country’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts through Medellin. The project includes construction of the Tunel de Occidente. A finance package worth US$713 million in the shape of loans from eight banks is helping fund the project.
Work is also ongoing for the Conexio Norte routelinking Remedios with Caucasia. This project should be complete by 2021.
Meanwhile the Via del Nu
Cambodia expressway project under construction
Construction is now underway on the expressway that will connect Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, with the country’s premier port, Sihanoukville. The expressway will stretch some 190km when complete and the project is expected to cost US$2 billion. The work is being carried out by the Chinese contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). The route is being built under the build-operate-transfer model and should take four years to complete.
Maputo Airport runway rebuild
Rebuilding work has been carried out on the runway and taxiways at Maputo International Airport in Mozambique. The work was carried out for Aeroportos de Moçambique, with the engineering handled by NACO and US$64 million of funding being suplied by Agence Française de Dévelopement.
French road roller market growth
The French road roller market has increased for the past three years and rose 37% in 2018.
Growth was also strong in 2016 with +31% and then +22% in 2017. The market has exceeded 2,000 units. Sales were supported by distribution networks, but the road roller market is also a rental market. Renters were very active in 2018.
Sales levels in general for 2018 in the road construction equipment industry were never higher, according to CISMA the French trade body for construction, infrastructure, the steel
Malaysia’s Pan Borneo highway
A new model is being developed for Malaysia’s landmark Pan Borneo Highway project. The US$7 billion project was originally intended to be carried out under the project delivery partner (PDP) model. However the project is now to be carried out under the turnkey contractor model, managed by the Ministry of Works. This revised plan is expected to reduce construction time. The Pan Borneo Highway is a key project for Malaysia and will help improve transport in Sarawak State and Sabah State. The Pan Borneo highwa
Indonesia’s new toll road link
Plans are moving ahead in Indonesia for the construction of the Kuala Tanjung toll road project. Financing has been secured for an 80km stretch of the route. This stretch will run from Terbanggi Besar, through Pematang Panggang to Kayu Agung and will cost around US$552.3 million to build. The project for the Kuala Tanjung toll road includes a number of complext and costly elevated sections, between: Krian-Legundi, Bunder and Manyar (KLBM); Jakarta and Cikampek II Elevated; Batang and Semarang; Jakarta and C
China’s Hebei province developing transport infrastructure
China’s Hebei Province is planning a series of transport infrastructure improvements during 2019. Highway construction will be amongst the works being prioritised under the plan, which has a budget of over US$8 billion. In all, 1,172km of highway will be built in the province under the programme of works. During 2019, work will commence on six new highway stretches with a total length of 332km. A 217km stretch of highway under construction already will be opened to traffic in 2019, while work is continuing
China’s Hebei province developing transport infrastructure
China’s Hebei Province is planning a series of transport infrastructure improvements during 2019. Highway construction will be amongst the works being prioritised under the plan, which has a budget of over US$8 billion. In all, 1,172km of highway will be built in the province under the programme of works. During 2019, work will commence on six new highway stretches with a total length of 332km. A 217km stretch of highway under construction already will be opened to traffic in 2019, while work is continuing
Slow progress for Cameroon’s Yaoundé-Douala highway
Progress remains slow for the construction of the highway connecting Cameroon’s two largest cities, Douala and Yaoundé. The two cities are some 202km apart and the new route is intended to improve transport between Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, and its key commercial city and port, Douala. The existing National Road No3 linking the two cities currently suffers from heavy congestion and the new route will help alleviate the problem and cut journey times, boosting both capacity and safety.
Around 30km of the
Moscow spending on road repairs
A programme of road repairs is due to commence in Russia’s capital, Moscow. A budget of US$ 615.5 million has been set for the works, which will be implemented throughout 2019. The majority of the funding is from the Moscow region. The plan calls for 2,400km of roads to be repaired, with an additional 20km of new links to be built. The plan has been set out by the Ministry of Transport and Road Infrastructure for the Moscow Region.
Norway: narrow roads get big upgrade
The Norwegian government has set aside €2.6 million to improve narrow county roads and reinforce smaller bridges.
The goal is to upgrade the assets to handle heavier logging trucks in an effort to reduce the number of vehicles and cut down on congestion and CO² emissions, said Jon Dale, minister of transport and communications.
According to the government calculations, stronger bridges on narrow roads could reduce traffic by 25%.
Malta offers more residential road upgrade contracts
Infrastructure Malta, the government’s road agency, is putting out to tender contracts for the upgrade of 170 residential roads worth around €70 million.
The work is divided into six contracts and covers a total of 52km of roads as well as 85km of pavement/sidewalks, signage and where necessary stormwater improvements.
This latest announcement is part of a wider €700 million upgrade over seven years announced last year. The government let 120 contracts last year, of which 31 projects have started. Fiv
France road safety concern
Concern is being expressed at statistics from insurance firms showing uninsured drivers cause crashes in France. The data reveals that the problem is increasing, with casualties caused by uninsured drivers having risen 5% for 2018, compared with 2017 and a worrying 12% higher than 2013. According to the latest information, 30,837 people were in crashes caused by uninsured drivers in France during 2018. The information also shows that 9,518 people suffered serious injuries from crashes involving uninsured d