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VIDEO: Good car winter maintenance is snow joke
January 27, 2016
Even conscientious professional people can get caught out by severe winter weather, as this video from Canada shows. We at World Highways hope that all our valued readers in the globe’s chillier regions have taken the time this season to ensure their safety by winterising their vehicles. It’s important to get it right. So the staff at World Highways would like to recommend that readers click here to take a quick look at some of the best - and worst - tips for winterising their personal vehicle. Fo
Three consortia to make final bids for Gordie Howe International Bridge
January 25, 2016
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority has chosen three final bidders for the six-lane Gordie Howe International Bridge to be built between the Canadian city of Windsor and Detroit in the US state of Michigan. The estimated US$2 billion toll bridge, to be built under a public private partnership, is expected to be finished by 2020.
Massey Tunnel project to be Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain
January 25, 2016
The provincial British Columbia government in western Canada has chosen a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM) procurement model for the Vancouver region’s 10-lane bridge replacement for the ageing Massey Tunnel. The US$2.5 billion project includes a bridge and related Highway 99 improvements between Bridgeport Road in the adjacent city of Richmond and Highway 91 in the city of Delta. The 60-year-old tunnel now carries its limit of 80,000 vehicles a day and is often congested during rush hours.
Funding sources being sought for Indian highways
January 25, 2016
India’s Ministry of Transport and Highways is looking to source loans to help fund highway development. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) looks set to provide a partial source for the funding required. In all just over US$885 million will be needed to pay for India’s National Highway Development Project (NHDP). The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has approved a loan of just over $590 million for the Indian Government-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corp (NH
Tough new environmental process delaying Australian project
January 25, 2016
The Roe Highway Extension (Roe 8) project in Western Australia (WA) will undergo a new environmental approval process. This follows a ruling by the WA Supreme Court that previous approvals for the project were invalid. Roe 8's approval was disputed in the court by the Save Beeliar Wetlands Group that argued the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) did not apply policies on land offsets when evaluating the project. The WA state government said that Roe 8 is an important part of the US$1.1 billion (A$1.6
Japan taking legal steps for road projects
January 25, 2016
A legal battle is underway in Japan regarding allegations of rigged tendering for road rebuilding projects. The allegations related to a series of road projects carried out to repair routes damaged by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami that occurred in March 2011. A series of road building firms had their offices raided by the Japan Fair Trade Commission and the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, which were looking for evidence of any wrongdoing. Three firms in particular are alleged to have been ins
India’s road expansion continues for Bihar, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu
January 25, 2016
The Indian Government has announced plans for major road projects in Bihar, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. A 222km road upgrade project will expand the National Highway 2 in Bihar and Jharkhand. The work is expected to cost around US$725.5 million and involves widening the route to six lanes, with three in either direction. The stretch of the NH – 2 planned for this upgrade will run from the Aurangabad Bihar/Jharkhand Border - Barwa Adda. Nine roads in the state of Tamil Nadu will be upgraded, with the work expe
Transportation awards for US experts
January 25, 2016
Key awards for thought leadership in transportation have been given out in the US to senior figures in the sector. These were given to three leaders in transportation academia, six students, and one long-time industry advocate. The awards were presented by the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) on the basis of the winners having made outstanding contributions to transportation research and education.
Bauma Open Innovation is set up ahead of global event in Munich
January 21, 2016
In time for the bauma 2016 global construction equipment sector exhibition, a new online platform is being launched for the sector, called the “bauma Open Innovation”. The service is being launched by Messe München, the operator of the Neue Messe München exhibition centre in Munich, Germany, where bauma again is taking place, this year from April 11-17. bauma participants and other professionals interested in the sector can use this platform to solve their innovation-related challenges, by calling upon th
Drainage for new Wear Crossing in UK
January 21, 2016
In the UK the Lanes Group is carrying out the contract to build specialist drainage for the New Wear Bridge in Sunderland. The Lanes Group will carry out this work for the joint venture partners building the new bridge link.
Innovation award nominees for bauma 2016 announced
January 21, 2016
The organisers of the buama 2016 event have now revealed the nominations for innovation awards programme. Klaus Dittrich, Chairman & CEO of Messe München, revealed the 15 nominated companies and their innovations. The winners will be announced on the evening before bauma starts, in a ceremony at the Allerheiligen Hofkirche (Court Church of All Saints) in the Munich Residenz. The bauma exhibition will open its doors from April 11th to 17th, at the Messe München exhibition centre in Germany. The Innovation
Leica Cyclone teams up with NCTech’s iSTAR camera database
January 19, 2016
Users of Leica Cyclone, a 3D point cloud processing software, can now automatically import and align high-dynamic range (HDR) data from NCTech’s iSTAR camera database. The result is enhanced images delivered faster and easier, according to both companies. “It is also the accuracy to which these images fit the 3D point cloud data that is paramount. NCTech’s iSTAR camera produces high-quality HDR imaging at the accuracy everyone expects,” said Faheem Khan, vice president, business development for Leica Geosys
SENSKIN project is monitoring the health of dozens of European bridges
January 19, 2016
Bridges in seven European countries are part of a three-and-a-half-year programme to develop an inexpensive and low-power wireless structural health monitoring technique. Project SENSKIN, launched last summer in Athens, will run until December 2018. It is focussed on applying a skin-like sensor that offers spatial sensing of irregular surfaces, especially transportation bridges. Up to now, structural health monitoring has relied on a point-based system that requires a dense network of sensors over the bridg
Mexico’s new road plan for 2016
January 19, 2016
Mexico is on track to complete works on 20 new motorways and 26 additional roads by the end of 2016. The Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) has further plans to develop 52 new motorways and 90 roads under its infrastructure programme during the current administration, which concludes in 2018. These infrastructure projects are intended to turn Mexico into a global logistics hub. The Mexico-Toluca, Mexico-Cuernavaca and Mexico-Puebla motorways are amongst the projects due to see major progress
New industry service for bauma 2016
January 19, 2016
Messe München is launching a new service for the off-highway equipment industry at bauma 2016, taking place from April 11th-April 19th at Munich’s exhibition centre. Called the bauma Open Innovation online platform this will allow industry professionals interested to solve innovation-related challenges. The platform will be able to call upon the expertise of Messe München’s cross-disciplinary network of contacts.