News

Three key highway upgrade projects are planned in Panama. Improvement work on the Divisa-Las Tablas road is being split into two sections while the third is for upgrades to the David-Boquete road and the total value of these three contracts has been estimated at US$283 million.

The recent Intertraffic road traffic technology exhibition in Amsterdam reached record proportions for its 20th edition.

The planned sale of the Autopista Central tolled highway in Chile is being delayed following the country's recent severe earthquake.

A new plan has been put forward by Vietnam's Ministry of Investment and Planning for PPP infrastructure projects including highways.

Panama's Government is giving its approval for changes to the contract for the second stage of the Madden-Colon highway.

In Tajikistan a contract has now been awarded for the new Dushanbe - Khujand - Chanak highway.

The US State of Ohio is planning an increase in spending on road construction for 2010. The authorities intend to increase spending by 30% over previous years to some US$2 billion.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) says that to tackle the funding gap for US highways, a different approach is required.

The Chinook Roads consortium has the design, build, finance, construct and operate contract for Calgary's new Southeast Stoney Trail project. This 258km link will form part of the fast-growing Canadian city's ring road and is being developed under a PPP model.

Three Slovenian contractors, Primorje, Vegrad and GPG, are well placed to win key construction tenders in Libya. The contracts are worth a total of ?300 million and include a highway project as well as general construction work.

Plans are now in hand for Australia's US$223 million (A$240 million) project to upgrade Brisbane's Gateway Motorway. The work includes widening the Gateway Motorway from four to six lanes.

The road linking Uganda with Sudan is being rebuilt with loans coming from the Japanese Government and the US-based World Bank. The cost of improving the road between Gulu and Atiak in Uganda and Nimule in Sudan is expected to be around US$245 million.

An ambitious plan to boost transport infrastructure in Africa is being unveiled at the inaugural Africa Roads & Rail Infrastructure Summit 2010 is being held in Kigali, Rwanda from 22nd-23rd April. International transport specialists will focus on the region along with key decision makers from African governments, the World Bank and economic communities.

Colombia's Ministry of Transport is suggesting that the Avenida Longitudinal de Occidente (ALO) road project in Bogota should be carried out by Colombian energy company Empresa de Energia de Bogota (EEB).