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Recently (18th-19th October), over 180 road research experts met in Brussels to discuss more than 25 road research projects. Experts from Europe, the USA, Australia, India, Japan and South Africa discussed the themes of Resources, Recycling and Alternative Materials (on the first day) and Implementation (on the second day) using the road research projects as case studies. The event opened with the final conference of the DIRECT-MAT project to share knowledge and practices on DIsmantling and RECycling Techni

TomTom has announced the availability of its latest map and enhancement product portfolio, delivering new coverage and features. With the addition of 400,000 kilometres across the globe, the company claims its navigable map database is the first to reach 35.2 million kilometres of roads, covering 104 countries and a record 3.4 billion people worldwide.

In Nepal a 159m long suspension bridge spanning the Trishuli River has collapsed, killing two and injuring 17 while five people are posted as missing. Meanwhile in neighbouring India, an old wooden bridge spanning the Rangit River has collapsed killing 32, injuring 70 and leaving 35 missing. A significant portion of those killed, injured or missing are Nepali speaking tea workers.

Special fabrics are often used in civil engineering works, including highways, to make soil stronger Geosynthetics have been used in roadway construction for thousands of years with natural materials being mixed with soil to improve quality and stability. While today's products are much more sophisticated, the principles are the same. For example, when used with soil, geotextiles (permeable fabrics) can filter, separate, reinforce, protect, or drain, and they are often made from polypropylene or polyester,

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has awarded a US$151.70million contract to HCC Concessions to expand the NH-8's Vadodara-Surat section into six lanes. The contract, for a 12-year concession period, includes 30 months to construct the new six-lane section. The toll-based project also includes the development of an extra-dosed bridge with four lanes across Gujarat's Narmada River.

The two-lane Shivpuri-Dewas road in India's Madhya Pradesh will be widened to four lanes in a major upgraded project. The work is expected to take 30 months to complete and the work will be carried out on the 332km route by GVK Transportation. The contract is a design, build, finance, operate and transfer package and will feature a 30 year concession period.

Telvent GIT has been awarded a project to develop the smart mobility management system in the city of Quito, in Ecuador. This ambitious project, headed up by EPMMOP (the Metropolitan Public Mobility and Public Works Company) is intended to solve the traffic problems facing the two million citizens in Quito’s metropolitan area each day.

Special fabrics are often used in civil engineering works, including highways, to make soil stronger Geosynthetics have been used in roadway construction for thousands of years with natural materials being mixed with soil to improve quality and stability. While today's products are much more sophisticated, the principles are the same. For example, when used with soil, geotextiles (permeable fabrics) can filter, separate, reinforce, protect, or drain, and they are often made from polypropylene or polyester,

CNH Global NV, a global player in the agricultural and construction equipment business, has acquired full ownership of L&T-Case Equipment, an unconsolidated joint venture established in 1999 with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to manufacture and sell construction and building equipment in India.

The US infrastructure network requires urgent attention - * T Peter Ruane. America's transportation infrastructure was once the "shining light on top of the hill." Major investments in a national highway, bridge, transit, airport, port and waterway system during the 20th century paid great dividends. The free and efficient flow of goods and people across the 50 states led to unparalleled economic expansion. The mobility and prosperity resulting from an interconnected infrastructure was a model for the world

Austria-headquartered Efkon Group has announced that its Efkon India subsidiary has received four prestigious tolling and ITS contracts valued at some US$8.8 million in total. The company has received a repeat contract from Oriental Structural Engineers to provide the complete ITS product-mix for the Nagpur Bypass project. This contract includes the delivery of advanced traffic management systems (ATMS) for 117 kms and 44 lanes of semi-automatic toll system integrated with a weigh-in-motion (WIM) system. Ef

In India innovative infrastructure investment plans are being drawn up intended to help develop the country's highway network. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) plans to finance its road projects by issuing bonds.

Volvo CE has reported record first quarter year sales. Sales between January 1 and March 31, 2012 were up 17% on the same three months of 2011. Despite a 26% decline in the overall construction machine sales market in China during the first quarter of this year, Volvo CE says it maintained sales in the country and reinforced what the company claims is its number one position in the Chinese wheel loader and excavator market together with its joint-venture partner, SDLG. Volvo CE says it achieved a 111% incre

India's capital Delhi looks set to see the introduction of a congestion charging scheme. The city authorities plan to launch the scheme in a bid to tackle endemic traffic congestion.

Exhibitor registration now open for the next bC India event. Applications for exhibit space are now being accepted for companies wishing to exhibit at the second edition of bC India. This takes place February 5-8, 2013 at the MMRDA grounds in the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. The closing date for priority applications is March 15, 2012. Scheduled to cover 130,000m2 of exhibition space, this second bC India is taking up almost 50% more space than at the premiere in 2011.

The Caterpillar Foundation today announced a five-year, $12.5 million grant to the World Resources Institute (WRI) to advance the progress of environmentally sustainable and livable cities in China, India, and Brazil.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is inviting bidders for 15 projects worth US$4.08billion. The combined projects will widen 2,000km of India’s highways. Three of the 15 will involve the widening of narrow roads into six-lane highways, while roads will be widened to four lanes in 10 of the other projects. Contracts for the projects are expected to be awarded in 2012/2013 once NHAI invites financial bids from potential candidates. About 60 companies are expected to compete for them.

Mott MacDonald has been appointed design consultant for the proposed Raipur-Bilaspur national highway 200 in India. Part of the National Highways Development Programme Phase IV established by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the new road will connect Raipur in Chhatttisgarh to Chandikohole in Orissa, passing through areas including Bilaspur, Raigarh and Jarsuguda. Costing US$244.2million, the 127km long road is primarily made up of four lanes, with 34km of the highway comprising six lanes. T

Only two firms have submitted bids for the project to build six inner toll roads in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. The US$4.4 billion project is expected to be developed in four phases. The 68km toll road project is thought to have generated less interest among bidders because of its high investment costs.

The authorities in India have given the go-ahead for a series of highway projects in the states of Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Rajasthan. These will be worth US$693.5 million and are being planned under the design, build, operate, finance and transfer (DBOFT) model. The National Highways Development Project (NHDP) will see upgrades to the Madurai-Ramanathapuram route in Tamil Nadu, the Chandikhole-Dubari-Talcher road in Orissa to four-lane section and a 79km section of the Gomati Chauraha-Udaipur road in Rajasth