Finance & Funding

Morocco plans PPP transportation projects

July 9, 2015

The Moroccan Government intends for the country’s first PPP construction projects to be launched in 2016. Morocco’s Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Logistics is currently carrying out studies on over 20 PPPs. The road projects built under PPPs include the Guercif-Nador West Med, Tanger-Tétouan, Safi-Marrakech, Béni Mellal-Fès-Meknès and Agadir-Guelmim motorways.

Brazilian road spend dips slightly for 2015

July 9, 2015

Brazil will spend at least US$1.63 billion in privately operated federal road infrastructure projects in 2015. This is down slightly, from $1.82 billion spent in 2014, according to estimates by the land transport agency NTT. Work this year includes a stretch of the BR-050 motorway operated by MGO, which already has seen around $104 million. Road operator Concer, which administers sections of the BR-060, BR-153 and BR-262, invested nearly $88 million between 2014 and the first quarter of 2015. Arter

Danish-German Fehmarn Belt road and rail tunnel hits funding snag

July 9, 2015

A Danish newspaper has learned of a significant European Union funding gap for one of Europe’s most ambitious transportation road and rail projects. The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link would connect the German island of Fehmarn with the Danish island of Lolland. A submersed tunnel will cross the 18km-wide Fehmarn Belt, or Fehmarn Strait, in the Baltic Sea. Last February news emerged that contractors had revamped their cost estimates, adding nearly €1.2 billion to the project. This put the final cost of the 18

Peri’s new MXK lightweight platform makes London debut

July 8, 2015

The new platform system MXK from German-based manufacturer Peri is easily assembled to suit site requirements. The flexible platform system with lightweight brackets is assembled at ground level, using lightweight components – scaffold support bracket stop-end rails, guardrail posts, the scaffold deck and the side mesh barriers PMB. Flexibility is the key, said Peri UK managing director Alasdair Stables during an indoor demonstration day held in the docklands area of the UK capital London. The object

Construction underway for key Sri Lanka route

July 8, 2015

Construction of a new expressway connecting Hambantota with Matara is now underway in Sri Lanka. This new expressway will link with the existing southern expressway that runs between Matara and Colombo through the southern town of Galle. The new Hambantota-Matara expressway is cost US$180 million to construct. Funding for the project has been provided by the Exim Bank of China.

German road maintenance spending needs to be increased?

July 8, 2015

Germany’s audit office is calling for increased spending on roads maintenance. The audit office has criticised the road and autobahn budget set by Germany’s Ministry of Transport for the 2016 to 2030 period. The German Government has set its €3.8 billion annual spending for the 2011 to 2025 period based on the conditions of roads in 2010. However the audit office says that the future costs will be much higher.

JMT and Parsons get a Nice Bridge contract in the US state of Maryland

July 7, 2015

In the US state of Maryland, a joint venture of Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT) and Parsons Brinckerhoff has won a contract to replace the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge. The Maryland Transportation Authority awarded the $1 billion contract to replace the bridge, also known as the Potomac River Bridge and which was opened in 1940. The tolled 2.7km two-lane continuous truss bridge on US 301 spans the Potomac River between Newburg in Maryland and Dahlgren in the state of Virginia. Construction of the

Germany builds its first major PPI autobahn project

July 7, 2015

Rebuilding of one of the oldest motorways in Germany is testing out the possibilities for public-private project road construction reports Adrian Greeman A freshly renovated section of the A8 Autobahn in southern Germany will be watched with some interest this summer as traffic begins driving along its rebuilt carriageway and additional third lanes. That is not because of any special road features, other than a distinctive reddish colour to its concrete surface, but because it is a first fullscale public

World Bank finances Uzbekistan road development

July 7, 2015

The World Bank will grant Uzbekistan a US$200 million loan for 25 years, including a grace period of five years. The funds will go towards the $240 million Regional Roads Development project that is scheduled to be completed by 2021, according to UzDaily.uz. Uzbekistan’s government also reported that around 117km roads were built in the first half of this year.

Construction to start on Hungary’s revamped M4 project in 2016

July 7, 2015

The Hungarian government has announced that it will restart work on a new section of the M4 dual carriageway between Albertirsa and Ullo in 2016. Hungarian media reported that the government will invest around €192 million and no funding will come from the European Union, of which the country is a member. The two towns are around 25.5km apart, with Albertirsa closest to the capital Budapest at around 60km. The project should be finished some time in 2019, according to Hungarian media. The announcem