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Taiwan is updating the systems it uses for recording traffic crash data. The aim of this move is to gather more comprehensive data, providing a clearer picture of road crash fatalities. Crashes resulting in one or more deaths within a 30 day period of the incident will now be listed as involving traffic fatalities. Taiwan has previously recorded crashes as being fatal if a death has occurred within just 24 hours of the incident. This change is expected to deliver a more accurate picture of road deaths in th

The latest figures from the UK’s Construction Equipment Association (CEA) show that exports of machines continued to show modest growth in Q2 2016. This continued to reverse the declining trend seen in 2015, which reflected poor demand in many major overseas markets according to the CEA. Measured in volume terms (tonnes), exports showed 6.1% growth in Apr/Jun compared with Jan/Mar 2016. However, compared with the same quarter in 2015, Apr/Jun was still 10.3% below last year’s level. For the first half year,

All six consortia that submitted documents in May to design and build a fourth bridge over the Panama Canal have pre-qualified, according to media reports. The companies officially vying for the estimated US$1 billion contract are: • Dragados • Consorcio CCB: Constructora Norberto Odebrecht, Odebrecht Engenharia e Construcao International • Consorcio Hyundai, Sacyr JV • Consorcio Astaldi – Daelim • Consorcio Panamá Cuarto Puente: China Communications Contruction Company, China Harbour Engi

An information memorandum that will officially launch the sale of M6 Toll, the UK’s only toll road, will be sent out to interested buyers in September. No date is set for sending out the IM, according to sources, but the 43km six-lane asset around the English city of Birmingham could be going for slightly less after the UK’s European Union referendum vote in June. The result of the so-called Brexit – ‘British exit’ of the EU – referendum was won by the no-to-Europe side and the UK is now setting up t

A major new highway project connecting the UK’s university cities of Oxford and Cambridge has been proposed. A new study by the Department for Transport (DfT) has set out the case to improve connections between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge. The Oxford to Cambridge expressway strategic study is one of a number of studies aimed at addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the road network in the UK. The study has been carried out by WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, CH2M and Steer Davies Gleave.

Contracts are now being awarded for a major new expressway project in Malaysia. The contracts relate to the project to construct the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE). Malaysian firm Gabungan AQRS is now handling a US$126.4 million subcontract for the project that involves building a bridge section. This package of works should take two years to complete with the work scheduled to finish by the end of 2018.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) in the US is challenging a proposal from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to measure greenhouse gas emissions from new transportation projects. The proposal forms part of performance measures required under the 2012 “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” (MAP-21) surface transportation reauthorisation law. However ARTBA says that the proposal “exceeds both the authority of the FHWA and the intent of MAP-21.” ARTBA warned of

A new book by Robert A Douglas entitled Low-Volume Road Engineering provides a thorough insight into issues concerning design, construction and maintenance. The book contains a series of papers covering key issues for low-volume roads. This provides engineers with a useful source of information for designing, building and maintaining roads, many of which may be constructed in rural areas in developing nations. The information is well-suited to use by designers and contractors building infrastructure in deve

During the presidential inauguration ceremony for his second term, Dominican Republic President, Danilo Medina, has pledged to complete several projects including ten large-scale road projects during his next term of office (2016-2020).

Work will start next month on a 24km section of Bulgaria’s controversial Struma Highway, part of the the Pan-European Corridor IV. Corridor IV runs from Dresden in Germany to Istanbul in western Turkey. The route, named after the Struma River, is part of Е79 that runs from Miskolc in Hungary to the Greek Aegean port of Thessaloniki, passing through the Romanian cities of Deva and Craiova. The 156km route has been under construction in four sections, with work on the third and final section now abou

Vietnam is building around 1,400km of roads in the country’s southern coastal province of Kien Giang over the next several years. The government said that 380km will be finished by year’s end, adding to the province’s more than 7,000km of roads. The total cost for the 1,400km of roads will be around be nearly US$65 million. Kiên Giang is in the Mekong Delta region, one of the country’s hottest areas and also a major agricultural district. Just over 20% of its 1.6 million people live urban areas. The p

The tender process for a major new highway project in Argentina is expected to commence in 2017. The new highway will connect Santa Fe with San Justo and will measure 82km in length. The project is expected to cost in the region of US$166 million to construct, with funding being supplied by the Inter-American Development Bank. The schedule for the project has not been finalised and will not be clarified until the tender is awarded but construction work could commence during 2018.

The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has put forward five alternate route options for a new highway connecting the cities of Manchester and Sheffield. The project looks likely to include a major tunnel section measuring as much as 20-30km in length that would run under the Peak District. The aim of the project would be to cut journey times between the two cities as the existing transport routes are prone to peak period congestion and delays at present. The route would connect either the M60 or M67 motorw

Namibia is investing in road development with a series of major projects now being targeted. The country has a major need to improve its road system, which does not have sufficient capacity in some urban areas and also suffers from serious safety concerns right across the nation. The country’s road authority will invest close to US$39 million to improve roads in the Oshana, Kavango, Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions. Two roads prioritised for improvement works include the Oshakati-Okahao and Oshakati-Outapi ro