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The shocking collapse of a major highway bridge in the Italian city of Genoa has highlighted a major problem with regard to poor infrastructure condition in the country. Causing multiple fatalities, the cable-stayed Morandi Bridge suffered a spectacular failure of a central support. Homes have had to be evacuated and it seems likely that the bridge, opened in 1967, will now have to be demolished. However, warnings had been given. The unusual bridge design, with its thin deck and reinforced concrete stays

industry award. Clearview Intelligence, in partnership with Transport Scotland, Amey and Edinburgh Napier University, has been named as a finalist in the Road Safety, Traffic Management and Enforcement category at the National Transport Awards. It follows the installation of 4,100 SolarLite Active Road Studs along 22.5km of Scotland’s A1 between Dunbar and Berwick following concerns about the unlit road. The scheme emphasises the delineation of the road layout and junctions, providing up to 900m of visib

Our Skidmarks page is highly rated by readers. Your input could help make this page even more entertaining. If you come across any amusing road-related stories or pictures email me at [email protected] MUSIC ON THE GO Video footage shot in Spain recently reveals the driver of a car playing guitar while at the wheel. The passenger in a car driving past shot the video clip as the vehicles travelled along a major highway route. The strumming driver was presumed to be steering with his knees at the time. Qui

SICK says that it’s recently launched LMS1000 and MRS1000 infrared LiDAR sensors deliver more accurate and reliable distance sensing and measurement, especially in difficult conditions. The robust, compact sensors weigh just 1.2kg and come with rotatable connectors for easy mounting on gantries. Heavy rain, mist, dust or snow can lead to false signals, explained Neil Sandhu, SICK’s national product manager for imaging, measurement, ranging and systems. The addition of SICK’s triple-echo HDDM+ - High Defini

Kapsch reports that it has upgraded the traveller information system and mobile app for the North Central Texas Council of Governments in Dallas-Fort Worth The new platform is powered by the Kapsch EcoTrafiX software for which Kapsch served as the lead systems integrator. Kapsch will maintain the new system for NCTCOG for two years and enhance it based on new data and customer feedback. The fully integrated system allows agencies to share information, optimise operations and balance traffic flow while pr

Easylux says that the new generation of mini retroreflectometers has broken down the limitations imposed by the inconveniences of old technology and has been changing ways of working. For measurements in urban roads, technicians can now move by bicycle, subway or train carrying a road marking retroreflectometer in a backpack, a practice unthinkable less than two years ago, according to the company. Easylux says it understood how unsafe and unsuitable big and heavy instruments are for road visibility contr

UK-based road survey provider WDM said that its new US subsidiary will conduct continuous surface friction measurement for the US highway authorities from next year. The announcement follows trials by one of WDM’s SCRIM road survey vehicles for the Federal Highways Administration over the past three years. The machine has been operated by Virginia Tech - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - and surveyed roads in five US states – Washington State (925km), Florida (1,400km), Indiana (1,400

UK engineering firm J. McCann is installing 500 lighting columns and accessories as part of a major 12km upgrade to one of England’s busiest motorways.

Spainish IT firm Indra has implemented its Horus management system for the Herradura, Moscosio, Culebra and Oro Perdido tunnels in Colombia. The new tunnels, between Cáqueza and Puente Quetame, are part of the Bogotá-Villavicencio highway, one of Colombia's busiest roads. Indra's platform now manages 15 tunnels on the highway. This new section of the highway was opened in November 2017. The four new tunnels will be controlled by the Horus traffic and tunnel management platform, an Indra proprietary produ

German tunnel sensor monitoring manufacturer DURAG has taken a 50% stake in the Austrian tunnel air and lighting monitoring company JES Elektrotechnik. JES, based in Hallein, Austria, manufactures and sells environmental monitoring solutions for transport infrastructure applications such as tunnels, underground car parks and road weather stations. It’s markets are mainly in the German-speaking countries worldwide and it also carries out maintenance on behalf of tunnel operators. DURAG Group, with headquart

UAE-based crane service provider Al Faris dispatched a team to Hamriyah, to lift three 72m-long, 130tonne spud legs from a barge. The job needed a powerful and precise crane and a Demag CC 3800-1 proved to be a highly suitable machine for the project. The unit first had to be transported to the worksite. The company’s own lowbed trailers needed a good ten hours to complete the 82km journey from the Al Faris location in Dubai Industrial City to the worksite. Al Faris’ own all-terrain cranes were used in ord

Six major highway projects are planned to boost transport connections in India’s Rajasthan State and are worth a total of US$726.2 million. Work is now commencing on three of the new National Highway routes and these projects are worth $236 million. Work is planned to start in due course on the remaining three National Highway routes, with these projects worth $490.2 million.

Construction of the Canal Seco highway in Honduras, which links the country’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts, still has to be completed.

Two new Potain MDT 259 J12 CCS tower cranes are helping construct a 102,000m2 new complex in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Masdar Institute Neighborhood project is being developed by Abu Dhabi Future Energy (Masdar) and Mubadala Development. Contractor Six Construct opted for the tower cranes for their capacity, and the machines were supplied through NFT, Potain’s Abu Dhabi-based distribution partner. The MDT 259 J12 has a maximum capacity of 12tonnes and a maximum tip capacity of 2.9tonnes. It also features a ma

The South African equipment rental firm Lambson’s Hire has boosted its fleet with the addition of new lighting equipment. The company has added eight Trime X-ECO LED lighting towers to its equipment rental fleet. The units were supplied by Mayday Equipment, the official South Africa distributor for Trime. The company opted for these particular units after following the lead set in the South African Government initiative, The Green Economy Accord. Lambson’s Hire said that it decided to purchase the Trime X-

A Sudanese firm has managed to increase efficiency with the introduction of an Ammann asphalt plant to its operations.

McCloskey International is expanding its dealer network with an addition to its African distribution channel that serves Zambia and Zimbabwe. The firm has appointed BL&D Plant Hire & Sales to its global network of distributors. Representatives from McCloskey International were present at the recent CAMINEX 2018 equipment show, held at Kitwe Showgrounds in Zambia, to launch the new dealership. A McCloskey C38 was put on display at the Africa Copperbelt Mining Exhibition & Conference. The event is run in Zam

Vietnam’s impressive road development programme is now gearing up, with a series of major projects scheduled to commence in 2019. Work is starting on three key projects: the My Thuan 2 Bridge; the Cam Lo to La Son highway section; the Cao Bo to Mai Son highway section. All three of these projects will form part of the Eastern North-South Expressway, with the work being overseen by the Ministry of Transport (MOT). The My Thuan 2 Bridge will cost some US$214.3 million and will connect Vinh Long Province with

South Africa suffered poor safety levels for motorcyclists during 2018, with a 9% increase in fatalities compared to 2017. During 2018 there were 183 fatalities amongst motorcycle drivers and passengers in South Africa, compared to 166 in 2017. Meanwhile there were 508 powered two wheeler riders seriously injured in 2018, compared with 521 the previous year. Of those killed or seriously injured in crashes, 651 were male and 58 were female in 2018, compared with 631 males and 56 females killed or seriously i