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Construction work is now commencing for a major new bridge project in China. The bridge is being built in Hainan Province and will measure close to 5.7km long when complete. It will link the mainland of Hainan Province with Ruyi Islet. The project is being designed primarily to handle road traffic as well as a tram link, while it will also carry utilities including water, gas, electricity and fibre optic cabling. Lead contractor for the project is China Railway 18th Bureau Group's 2nd Engineering Company. T

Work on a new tunnel and highway link will commence in the second quarter of 2018 in Bosnia. The project is being managed by the country’s road company, Autoceste FbiH. The €550 million Prenj tunnel project will provide a new link between the Konjic-Mostar North road and the Mostar North-Mostar South road.

Construction work on a major urban bridge project will commence in Nigeria’s commercial centre Lagos during this year. A budget of US$2.66 billion has been set for building the Fourth Mainland Bridge, according to the Lagos State Government. The new bridge will be the longest of the bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland and will carry four lanes of traffic. Its construction is intended to cut congestion on the existing Eko, Carter and Third Mainland Bridges. Lagos suffers from amongst the heaviest

In Amsterdam widening work is now underway on the A10 motorway project close to Zuidas. The project is expected to take 10 years in all to complete and is being carried out in a bid to cut congestion at peak periods. Costing €990 million, the work is being carried out by a consortium that comprises local firm Heijmans, US company Fluor and the German contractor Hochtief. The project was awarded to the consortium by the Dutch infrastructure board Rijkswatersaat, the local council of Amsterdam, the rail servi

A loan from China will help pay for work on a major highway project in China. The US$326 million loan is being supplied by the Exim Bank of China. This will help pay for Jamaica’s Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project. The funding will also help pay for the extension of the tolled east-west highway from May Pen, Clarendon to Williamsfield, Manchester. In all the highway work is expected to cost $384 million, with Jamaica paying for the remainder from its own budget.

UK exports and imports of construction and earthmoving equipment saw fluctuations in demand during 2016 according to the Construction Equipment Association (CEA). The latest CEA report shows that UK exports of construction and earthmoving equipment showed a modest increase in the fourth quarter of 2016. However the sales ended the year at 1.8% lower than 2015 in weight terms (tonnage of machines), and 7.4% lower in value terms. The USA remained the top destination for exports, but saw reductions of over 20%

Proposals have been put forward for an innovative elevated highway stretch in the Philippines. The proposed route would run from the Delpan Bridge in the capital Manila, across the Pasig River and on to the Napindan Bridge in Taguig. The plans have been suggested by the construction firm AKH General Contractor. In addition to carrying two lanes for traffic in either direction, the 22km elevated highway would also provide a rapid transit system. Called the Integrated Viaduct and Personal Rapid Transit System

Researchers in Australia are develop a roadside test that can determine whether drivers are too drowsy to be behind the wheel. The system uses special glasses that track eye movements and measure the length of blinks, which are factors thought to identify whether a person is fatigued. The system is being developed as research suggests up to 20% of Australians have fallen asleep while at the wheel and 33% drive while tired once a month or more. Driving while tired is thought to be as much a risk as being

Construction of the Kinmen Bridge in Taiwan has now been resumed, with work having restarted on the project in late 2016. The bridge will be 5.4km long in all and will have a 1.05km long main section, connecting the islands of Greater Kinmen and Little Kinmen (also known as Lieyu). The project includes building approach roads for the bridge as well as cuttings and connecting ramps. Costing US$292 million and with funding being provided jointly by Taiwan’s Government and the local authorities, the bridge is

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is calling for changes by which the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The CAA was last amended in 1990 but ARTBA says that official data shows that there has been an increase in distances driven as well as a significant reduction in air pollutants since that time. In a statement submitted for a House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing on modernising environmental laws, ARTBA said: “Overall, th

The organisers of the CTT 2017 construction machinery exhibition in Russia’s capital Moscow are bullish for the event. According to the organisers, numerous major suppliers of construction machinery in the industry are already registered for the event. Even before the official closing date for registrations, exhibitor numbers are high for CTT 2017, which will be held at the Crocus Expo IEC in Moscow, Russia from May 30th to June 3rd. Russian companies taking part in the international specialized exhibition

Management responsibility for several key highway stretches in France will be transferred. The three new urban highways are currently state-run but the concessions for these routes will be transferred to private firms. Vinci subsidiary Escota is to operate a highway stretch in the east of Toulon that includes a section of tunnel, with the deal also including upgrading of the route to boost capacity. Meanwhile Area will run a section of highway in Grenoble while APRR will operate a stretch of highway to the

As the 7th-ranked world power, South East Asia is one of the world’s most dynamic and high-growth zones. More than US$60 billion of investment in infrastructure projects is planned per year between now and 2022. The region’s importance to the global construction equipment sector can’t be overestimated.