Finance & Funding

India has approved an ambitious US$1.04 billion project for constructing and upgrading 558km of roads to link it with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. India's Department of Economic Affairs has agreed to the project that will have 50% funding from the Asian Development Bank. A report by India’s independent newswire agency IANS noted that the work will be done within two years. "We have taken up five highway stretches in the country, which are very important for such a connectivity to succeed. This project i

The consortium of Spanish construction firm Acciona Infraestructura, Rizzanni of Italy and Besix of Belgium has been awarded the contract to build the Frederikssund motorway connection in Denmark. The €132 million deal across Roskilde fiord includes 8km of dual carriageway roads with double lane and a 1.3km tolled bridge. In January 2014, Arup was appointed as lead consultant to the Danish Road Directorate – Vejdirektoratet - for the design, procurement and site supervision of the new Roskilde Fjord L

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is looking at issuing a €40 million loan towards reconstruction of Lithuania's Vilnius-Utena A14 highway. According to a notice by the EIB earlier this year, the project includes reconstruction of 58km highway, the main traffic artery between the capital and north-eastern regions of Lithuania. The government intends to procure the project as a public-private partnership under a 13-year concession contract, including a 3-year construction period. The bank noted that t

India has embarked on an ambitious 6-year plan to upgrade 27,000km of roads into economic corridors. The goal is to reduce traffic congestion and boost jobs in 30 cities, according to a report by the Times of India. Around 44 stretches of highway have been earmarked for improvement and construction will include ring-roads. Financing will be a mixture of private investment and public money. In addition, the government will develop another 15,000 km, which will serve as feeder routes to these corr

The state government of Victoria has started expansion work on the 34km Monash Freeway in the city of Melbourne. The US$302 million project involves construction of 30km of lanes between the Clyde Road and the EastLink with a finish date of 2018. Premier Daniel Andrews recently toured the expansion headquarters, saying the project would ease congestion for the 200,000 motorists who use the road daily. The first round of works involves strengthening the shoulders so they can be used by motorists while

Norway looks set to retain its position as a leader in tunnelling with the project moving forward to build a new link connecting the city of Stavanger with Bokn. This 27km road tunnel is being designed to carry four lanes of traffic, which would make it the world’s longest underwater road tunnel. It will also be the world’s longest four lane tunnel as well as the world’s deepest road tunnel, dropping around 385-390m below sea level. The Rogaland Fixed Link will form part of the E39 route, connecting Kristia

Komatsu is merging its manufacturing operations in Germany. The Komatsu Hanomag (KOHAG) plant in Hanover and the Komatsu Mining Germany facility in Düsseldorf are to merge. Both factories will remain but they will be operated jointly as Komatsu Germany.

Work is due to commence in 2017 on the new Cavite-Laguna Expressway in the Philippines. This 47km route will run along the coast to the south of capital Manila, with its north eastern end lying close to the city’s international airport. The route connects Cavitex in Cavite's Kawit with the SLEx-Mamplasan Interchange in Laguna's Biñan. The project will improve connections to the airport as well as from Manila to the southern end of Luzon.

The Slovakian government is examining bids for two tenders for motorway stretches D1 because of their higher-than-expected costs. The deal involves the Presov West - Presov South stretch and the D3 Cadca, Bukov - Svrcinovec section, according to a report in Pravda. Both projects are bypasses of Cadca, near the border with Poland and the Czech Republic, and Presov in eastern Slovakia. The newly appointed transport minister, Arpad Ersek, review the tenders, the Pravda report said. The Slovak Insti