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Upgrade work starts on junction of London’s orbital motorway M25
February 20, 2015
Work has started on a €136 million road improvement project on the UK’s London ring road, the M25 motorway. Crews from Balfour Beatty and Skanska have moved onto the interchange between the A13 national road and the M25 at junction 30 near Thurrock in the county Essex. The A13 on approach to the junction will be widened to four lanes in each direction and the junction itself will have dedicated link roads between the M25 and the A13. “Traffic at the junction is expected to grow by up to a quarter b
AEM seeks nominations for off-road equipment industry awards 2015
February 20, 2015
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers, AEM, is seeking off-road equipment industry frontrunners whose innovations, ideas and leadership have contributed significantly to the growth and strength of the industry. Nominations for induction into the AEM Hall of Fame are due by June 5 and are evaluated by an independent panel of industry experts from the construction and agriculture sectors. Submit completed nomination forms and supporting materials to [email protected].
AEM seeks nominations for off-road equipment industry awards 2015
February 20, 2015
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers, AEM, is seeking off-road equipment industry frontrunners whose innovations, ideas and leadership have contributed significantly to the growth and strength of the industry. Nominations for induction into the AEM Hall of Fame are due by June 5 and are evaluated by an independent panel of industry experts from the construction and agriculture sectors. Submit completed nomination forms and supporting materials to [email protected].
Denmark concerned over rising cost of Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link
February 19, 2015
The Danish government is in talks with contractors over the latest rise in cost estimates for the proposed prestigious Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link between Denmark and Germany. Contractors have estimated an extra €295.5 million will be needed. This is in addition to a statement last November by the contracting company Femern saying that costs had risen nearly €900 million. The total rise price hike is nearly €1.2 billion. This puts the final cost of the 18km tunnel including two railway tunnels, two motorway tun
Slow down! Too many UK speeders being caught.
February 19, 2015
The UK’s police forces have been working with local communities to keep a watchful camera eye on speeders tearing up quiet village streets and suburban roads. The Community Speed Watch programme has successfully enabled volunteers to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and poor driving. Many use hand-held cameras and speed-guns connected to warning signs to let drivers know they are breaking the law. Sometimes car details are noted and handed to the police which successfully prosecute the offending d
Honduras to spend $100mn for road projects in 2015
February 19, 2015
At least US$100 million will be injected into road projects in Honduras during 2015, the majority of which will be under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) deals. The schemes will provide a welcome boost to the construction sector, which recorded a drop of 50% during 2014. Construction started last year on a $271 million logistics corridor to connect the country’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The two-lane 390km highway will cut congestion in key urban areas along the route, as well as improving connections to
Poland: A1 tender attracts 11 offers, including one from Strabag
February 19, 2015
Construction of a 15.2km section of Poland’s A1 motorway has attracted 11 bids. A Strabag consortium made the lowest bid for the section, between Pyrzowice and Rzasawa, coming in at €146 million. A consortium formed by Polaqua and Dragados was the second lowest, at €156.4 million. The highest bid was €183.4 million. The contract calls for a construction period of 30 months. Meanwhile, the province of Mazowsze, or Masovia, with its 5.5 million inhabitants and the capital Warsaw, will get nearly €2.1 billion
Louis Berger wins Mozambique N303 road upgrade consultancy deal
February 19, 2015
Infrastructure consultancy Louis Berger is to provide services worth US$7.6 million for the rehabilitation of Mozambique’s National Road N303. The Sub-Saharan Regional Pipeline Corporation awarded the contract for work on the 350km narrow and unpaved carriageway that crosses Tete province. SSRPC is investing $350 million to upgrade the road that starts at the Zambezi River, where Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe have a common border. The modernised road will be the shortest link to a railway under constructi
A free bridge? You’ve got to be kidding.
February 18, 2015
Nothing will stop construction of another bridge crossing the Detroit River to ease traffic congestion around North America’s most important economic border. The New International Trade Crossing will be entirely financed and owned by the Canadian government under a public private partnership. It will link the US city of Detroit, in the state of Michigan, with the Canadian city of Windsor in the province of Ontario. The two cities already have the toll road Ambassador Bridge as well as a toll road tunnel and
Parking bays too small for comfort
February 18, 2015
A UK local authority council has been criticised for what one resident has said is knowingly creating undersized parking bays. The parking area -- smaller than recommended -- makes it harder for motorists to make sure all their vehicle is within the legally allotted area. The council has been fining motorists for not having their cars completely parked within the parking bay, and that’s not fair, said the resident of Newbury town, just outside London. He reportedly went around measuring the parking bay, acc
Key route upgrade for Northern Nigeria
February 18, 2015
In Nigeria’s Niger State, a major road upgrade project is now underway.
Fuel cell vehicles promise potential
February 18, 2015
Automobile manufacturers are gearing up to launch new fuel cell vehicle models during 2015. Reports suggest that up to six fuel cell vehicles will be introduced in the coming year. Toyota looks set to be one of those firms offering its Mirai fuel cell vehicle, while Tata Motors may well introduce a model either under its own brand or that of its UK subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover.
ARTBA launching student video competition for 2015
February 18, 2015
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is running its annual student video competition. This is set up to challenge students of all ages to produce a two-to-four minute video about America’s transportation infrastructure. World Highways continues to support this competition and has also posted links to those videos from past winners and runners up on its websites in previous years. The ARTBA Student Video Competition is now in its fifth year. The aim of the competition is to raise a
German construction equipment industry’s sales rise 8 per cent
February 18, 2015
German manufacturers of construction equipment reported an 8% rise in sales, amounting to €8.4 billion. The level was higher than expected and equal to sales in 2006, according to the Construction Equipment and Building Material Machinery Association (VDMA). However, the VDMA, part of the German Engineering Federation, suggested that company profits may not have risen along with sales and tough times remain ahead. “Turnover is one thing, profit is another,” Joachim Strobel, deputy chairman of VDMA, said.
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel crossing gets new customs facilities
February 17, 2015
The governments of Canada and the province of Ontario officially opened a new customs plaza at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, one of the busiest road crossings between the United States and Canada. The Canadian federal government provided US$8 and the province added $20 million for the project that is part of security improvements and to speed up people processing facilities on the Canadian side of the tunnel. Among the upgrades are new vehicle access lanes, new buildings for the Canada Border Services Agency