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Concern is being expressed in Chile with regard to its worsening rate of road traffic deaths. The fatality rate hit 16,157 for the 2005-2014 period. Of these 6,198 (38%) were run over, including 597 during 2014. The majority of cases where people were killed in road traffic crashes during 2014 took place in central southern cities, such as Concepcion (298 deaths), followed by Temuco (292) and Puerto Montt (259) as well as communes such as Puente Alto (237), San Bernardo (281) and Valparaiso (216). Males acc

New data from Spain reveals an improvement in road safety. According to the latest official data, road fatalities fell by 2% during summer 2015. The data came from Spain's traffic authority, DGT. This shows 225 people have died in traffic crashes in Spain during the summer months of 2015, which is 2% more than in the same period of 2014. But figures for the first eight months of the year, however, show a 2% decrease in fatalities, which have totalled 727.

Highway designers are increasingly asked to integrate cycle lanes and paths into their projects in major urban areas. And many commuting cyclists are grateful for it, too. But what happens when the cycle path ends, even if it is right outside the rider’s destination, such as his or her work place, be it an office building or factory? That last few metres are essential for completing the perfect commute. This means being able to park the bicycle in a secure environment.

Engineering services provider UGL has signed a four-year deal with the Lend Lease Bouygues joint venture that is building the NorthConnex motorway in Sydney, Australia. The US$329 million contract is for the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the electrical, mechanical, communication, fire and control systems needed for the project’s 9km twinned tolled tunnel. UGL provides outsourced engineering, asset management and maintenance services to rail, transport, power, resources, water an

An estimated 75,000 people aged 15-34 were killed in road crashes in India during 2014. This accounted for 53.8% of India’s total road crash fatalities for 2014, around 129,300 in all. The data comes from India’s 2014 Road Accident Report by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry. The report also revealed that 84% of those 75,000 killed were males. The data is in line with World Health Organisation's report that road crashes are the number one cause of death among people aged 15-29 globally. The 2014 Road

The Indian Government plans to build a new highway connecting Katra with New Delhi. The route will be some 600km long, running through Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir. A consultant is being selected to carry out a feasibility study for the project. The project will cost in the order of US$2.25 billion and will be of importance as Katra is where the Vaishno Devi holy shrine is located. The new link will reduce travel time on the route from 11-12 hours at present to five-six hours when the work is complete

Trimble is expanding with the acquisition of Norwegian firm Vianova Systems. The move brings Trimble additional capabilities in BIM, a key technology area. The financial terms were not disclosed. Vianova Systems is a pioneer in the development of software leveraging advanced BIM technology for the civil engineering market and infrastructure lifecycle management across infrastructure design. The company offers a portfolio of solutions for civil engineers, civil contractors and project owners. These solutions

A major road network improvement programme is planned for Ethiopia. For the 2015/2016 financial year, the country aims to build and maintain over 14,000km of roads. The programme is being managed by the Ethiopian Road Construction Corporation (ERCC). At present the firm is carrying out a series of road construction and maintenance works costing some US$313.5 million.

A series of major road projects is now getting underway in Poland, while tenders for new projects are also opening. Estimates suggest that the construction of six new ring-roads in the Opolszczyzna region will cost some €356 million. These ring roads all form part of the 2014-2023 National Road Construction Programme. The first projects to be carried out will be for the ring-roads around Mysliny and Niemodlina. In all, the National Road Construction Programme will include the building of 57 ring-roads.

Sri Lanka plans to construct a new bridge that will improve transport connections to capital Colombo. The six lane bridge will span the Kelani River. It will be built parallel to the existing Kelani Bridge (Japan Friendship Bridge) and help cut congestion on this important travel route. The project is expected to cost US$335.6 million. The bridge will feature an elevated approach road and the project also includes the construction of interchanges linking the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway (CKE), Baseline Roa

Mexico’s Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) is preparing two tenders for new road projects. These will be carried out under the PPP model. The contracts include the road linking Queretaro and San Luis Potosi, and Coatzacoalcos, in Veracruz, and Villahermosa, in Tabasco. The SCT is expected to complete tenders for a total of 52 highways. In addition SCT will carry out tenders for 80 road projects. Of these 80 road projects, 60 will be for widening and upgrading work while 20 will be for new ro

Drilling work on the Eurasia Tunnel connecting Istanbul's European and Asian sides has been completed. Total length of the tunnel will be 5.4km, of which 3.3km will run under the sea. At its deepest point, the tunnel will be around 106m deep, according to a report by Hurriyet newspaper. Completion of the whole project is expected in the first quarter of 2017. The cost of the project amounts to some US$1.2 billion, of which $960 million has come from investment banks. Upon completion, the tunnel wil

Strabag consortium has signed a contract for construction of a 15.2km section of the A1 motorway between Wozniki and Pyrzowice. Completion of the section that will connect Pyrzowice with Czestochowa is due by the end of 2018. It is the first of four contracts signed for construction of the motorway. Strabag’s offer is believed to be around €144 million, while the budget set by the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA), was set just over €200 million. Meanwhile, the S6 dual car

The Ecuadorian city of Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in discussions with contractors for construction of a 50km ring road. The city – whose full name is Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca - is the capital of the highland Azuay province and around 2,500m above sea level. It has a population of around 400,000 rising to 700,000 in the larger metro area. Ecuadorian media reports put the cost of the road at around US$600 million. The initiative will be financed by the private sector and the winn

Tunisia’s minister for infrastructure and housing, Mohamed Salah Arfaoui, has announced that the Sfax-Gabès and Oued Zarga-BouSalem motorways will be operational in summer 2016. On a visit to Médenine, he announced that other motorways would be commissioned by 2018, bringing the total network to 1,000km. Tunisia is expected to put out to tender the Kairouan-Sousse motorway this month, according to a report in March by Tunis Afrique Press. Arfaoui said at the time that the the Kairouan-Sousse motorway