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Wacker Neuson reports strong performance in Q1 2015
May 13, 2015
Wacker Neuson’s strong financial performance of late is continuing, with good results posted for the first quarter of 2015. The Munich-based light and compact equipment manufacturer experienced strongest growth in the Americas region. Currency fluctuations had a significant positive impact on growth. The Group has confirmed its forecast for fiscal 2015. Revenue is 11% higher than for 2014 at €324.3 million compared with €291.6 million. This represents a record first quarter revenue for the company. “We have
New Vietnam beltway finds funding
May 11, 2015
Funding has been found for a new beltway project in Vietnam. The work will be financed jointly by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV). The two have signed agreements for loans worth close to US$160 million for the project. ADB will provide a $12.58 million loan to finance preparation works for Beltway No3 in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. In addition, ADB will provide an additional $147 millionn loan to complete the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway. The highway of 244km is part of the
Taiwan bridge design competition underway
May 11, 2015
In Taiwan six engineering teams have been selected for Danjiang Bridge design competition. The teams come from Asia, Europe and North America and have qualified into the next phase of competition for the design of the 12.06km Danjiang Bridge. This structure will connect Bali and Tamsui districts in New Taipei City of Taiwan. The bridge will incorporate a light-rail track, in addition to traffic lanes for motor vehicles. The structure will be 20m high and 44m wide, with a speed limit of 80km/h for motor vehi
Series of road and overpass projects for Myanmar
May 11, 2015
Two key projects will help boost road transportation in Myanmar. In Yangon, the regional government is to fund construction of an overpass located at Tamwe Junction. The move comes after the Japanese government declined to fund the works due to the high cost, expected to be in excess of US$120 million. In the 2015 to 2016 financial year, overpasses at Kokkaine Junction, Tamwe Junction and Eight-mile junction will be built. The Yangon regional government will fund the work with its budget of $20.66 million.
Caterpillar drill performing in US quarry
May 11, 2015
A Caterpillar top hammer rig is said to be working well in a tough granite quarry operation in the US. The MD5150C rig is out-performing down-the-hole (DTH) rigs, with higher productivity and lower fuel consumption. Of note though is the fact that the machine is also delivering comparable hole straightness to the DTH machines. Iron Mountain Quarry is located to the south of St Louis, Missouri and the operation says that overall productivity from its Cat rig is almost double that of the earlier gener
Northern Australia Beef Roads Fund to US$79m injection
May 11, 2015
The Australian government has pledged US$79 million to the Northern Australia Beef Roads Fund to upgrade roads used to transport cattle from farm gates to markets. The government’s cash injection has pleased many beef producers in northern Australia which supplies an estimated 90% of the country's cattle exports worth around $2.4 billion. Transportation costs can be up to 35% of a livestock's price because they sometimes must be transported several hundred kilometres to market, according to media repo
China Harbor Engineering picks up Brunei’s Muara Besar project
May 11, 2015
Brunei has awarded Chinese infrastructure construction company China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) the US$204 million Pulau Muara Besar Bridge, Road and Utilities project through an open tender. CHEC reportedly signed the deal with the Brunei Economic Development Board on May 6, according to Chinese media. Pulau Muara Besar is a 955ha island in Brunei Bay, immediately across from Brunei’s largest port town, Muara, on the mainland. The island is undergoing major infrastructure development including
Turkmenistan starts construction of Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi road
May 8, 2015
Turkmenistan has started construction of the 544km Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi highway under a public-private partnership contract. The deal is expected to cost between US$800-900 million for every 2km or so of road construction from Ashgabat in central Turkmenistan to Turkmenbashi, a city of around 90,000 on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. For a YouTube video graphic representation of the highway, click here. To see World Highways report onTurkmenistan’s highways projects in 2011, click here. Türkmenb
China: transportation in Guizhou province to be enhanced by 2018
May 8, 2015
Transportation infrastructure, including many roads, in three autonomous states in China's Guizhou province will be enhanced by 2018. The state of Qiandongnan, Qiannan and Qianxinan will get a new 1,150km highway as well as 634km of new rail line, including high-speed routes. The states will also be served by more air routes and get an expansion of Xingyi Wanfenglin airport as well construction of a new airport, Luodian. Meanwhile, in China's Anhui province, construction starts in June of the 39.25
Balfour Beatty in 10-year extension to Exeter-Bere Regis road deal
May 8, 2015
A Balfour Beatty joint venture with South West Highways has been awarded a €55 million 10-year extension to its contract for operations and maintenance on the 102km A30/A35 main Exeter to Bere Regis road. The contract is on behalf of Connect Roads for ultimate customer Highways England, the newly named government roads agency. The joint venture – SWHBBIS - was appointed as the operations and maintenance contractor for this stretch of the trunk road in 1996. In 2006, the joint venture was re-appointed
Bristol, UK: when a parking space is just too small
May 8, 2015
People park in the smallest of places, despite the best efforts of urban street designers and town planners to ensure an orderly arrangement of suitably spaced cars. Surly some spaces are just too small to park even the smallest car. But the city of Bristol, in southwest England, has taken no chances and has painted the double yellow ‘no parking’ lines in areas no one in their right mind could squeeze a car. Click here to see just how small the space is that authorities in Bristol have felt they need
Colombia’s La Linea Tunnel completion in sight
May 7, 2015
The completion of Colombia’s long-running La Linea Tunnel project is now in sight, finally. Colombia’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, and vice president, German Vargas Lleras, made a joint announcement that the 8.65km long tunnel will be inaugurated in November 2016. The two tunnel drives (from Quindio and Tolima) have now met in the middle and only lining works are left to be completed. Once the tunnel is operational, it will enable trucks to complete the journey between Cajamarca (Tolima) and Calarca (Qui
Western Australia’s additional road funding
May 7, 2015
Western Australia is receive an extra US$397 million (A$499 million) in road funding from the Australian Government. This is in order to make up for a huge fall in the state’s revenues, due at least in part to the drop in mining activity. The Australian Government believes the funding will allow Western Australia to proceed with its plans to construct key infrastructure projects.
Colombia: two proposals to build Santana-Mocoa-Neiva motorway
May 7, 2015
The Colombian Vice President, German Vargas Lleras, has announced that two proposals have been received to build the Santana-Mocoa-Neiva motorway. This road has a budget of US$627.22 million is one of the nine initiatives the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) has included in the second wave of 4G motorway projects. The two companies interested in carrying out the work are Concesionaria Vias del Desarrollo 4 and Infraestructura Vial para Colombia. Concesionaria Vias del Desarrollo 4 consists of C
Budimex fears the return of a price war in Polish road market
May 7, 2015
Major Polish construction company Budimex has said that only one out of its 15 road tender bids submitted this year to the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) has had the lowest price. In 2014, its bidding effectiveness stood at one in four. Budimex said it is concerned that a price war is returning to the Polish construction market. Differences in the prices proposed by bidders are huge and that prices offered by its rivals are too low and are unrealistic. It has b