News

Talks are in hand in Myanmar with regard to a new circular raised road route around capital Yangon. The aim of the project would be to cut congestion by constructing a new elevated road network. The construction cost is expected to be around US$2.5 billion. Work looks likely to commence in the 2015-1016 period following feasibility studies and a tender process. The project is expected to have considerable input from the private sector and to be carried out under a build-operate-transfer model. A number of i

A major programme of investment is underway on Austria’s highway network. Austrian highway company Asfinag says that it is investing some €7 billion in building new links and upgrading existing connections. This six year programme will run until 2020. The programme calls for work to both highways and major trunk routes. One of the key projects underway already is the upgrade of the A26, which is costing €646 million. Another important project is the upgrade of the S10 trunk road, which is costing €718 milli

The Argentinean Senate is giving preliminary approval for the Agua Negra tunnel project. This is a key stage in the planning for the tunnel, which will link Argentina and Chile. The preliminary stages involve discussing the Maipu Treaty and various procedural agreements between the governments of both countries, an important step forward from the frosty relations between the two nations in the past. Further discussions will be held by the authorities in Argentina while the Chilean Government will be evaluat

Global construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar reported full-year 2014 sales $55.184 billion, down from $55.656 billion in 2013. Caterpillar also reported fourth-quarter 2014 sales of $14.244 billion, again slightly down at 1% from $14.402 billion in the fourth quarter of 2013. The results and a continued weak to modest improvement has dampened Caterpillar’s expectation of increased sales for 2015, likely to be around $50 billion. “Overall, we had many positives and a better year in 2014 than 2013,”

Austrian construction giant Strabag reported output volume of €13.6 billion to year end 2014 was unchanged from last year. The publically listed group, with headquarters in Vienna, said declines in contracts in some countries were offset with increases in the home markets of Germany and Austria, despite a “very restrained tender award policy” for the public sector. Large projects were completed in Romania and Russia at the same time that newly acquired orders in these markets have not yet come on stream.

An innovative combined road and drainage tunnel is being proposed for Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. A study is underway at the moment for this novel integrated tunnel project, which is expected to cost in the region of US$1.88 billion. Work is due to commence during 2015, with the initial phase of the construction being carried out by Antaredja Mulia Jaya. The project is calling for two 12km tunnels that will help alleviate flooding in the city during periods of high rainfall as well as featuring a road. The

Shell is publishing the sixth edition of its handbook on bitumen technology. The Shell Bitumen Handbook is a key guide to asphalt paving technology and is an important reference work for contractors and civil engineers. The latest edition is expected to be used as widely as previous versions by contractors and specialists around the world. The handbook is authored by Shell’s team of bitumen experts, led by John Read, general manager of Bitumen Technology. He said, “This sixth edition is the biggest update

The Romanian National Company for Highways (CNADNR) is commissioning a study for an important new road link. The proposed connection would link the existing Sibiu bypass with the Pitesti bypass. Italian firm Spea Ingineria Europea and Romanian firm Tecnic Consulting Engineering have formed a joint venture to handle the €6.5 million feasibility study into the project. The consultancy work is expected to take 17 months to complete. The proposed link would stretch some 120km and is expected to cost around €1.6

In Slovakia plans are in hand for work to the D3 route that will involve the construction of a flyover, a bridge and a tunnel. The flyover lies on the stretch of D3 between Zilina/Strazov and Zilina/Brodno. Work on this 4.25km section of the D3 is costing close to €255 million. The construction work commenced in June 2014 and is due for completion by 2017. The work is complex and includes building flyover over the Hricovska Prehrada Dam, as well as driving a tunnel and constructing bridge over the Kysuca Ri

Controversy continues to swirl around Bratislava’s proposed D4 motorway bypass and what tunnel options under the Little Carpathian Mountains is the best value.

Serbia will enter into talks with two Chinese companies chosen through a tender process that expired this month for restarting construction on the stalled Corridor 11 motorway. Serbian Minister of Construction Zorana Mihajlovic said Shandong Hi-Speed Group and the China Road and Bridge Corporation qualified for tender participation. Work includes construction and maintenance of 17.6km of motorway near Belgrade, between Surcin and Obrenovac as welll as the 31km Preljina-Pozega road and maintenance of t

In Canada, the driver of a dump truck that slammed into a pedestrian bridge, partially collapsing it on to road below, may have to pay for his mistake. Highway 132 in a suburb of Montreal was closed overnight while a demolition crew hastily tore down the remaining section of walkway over the road. Police are questioning the driver of the snow-removal dump truck who reportedly was travelling down the highway with his dumper raised, hitting the bridge which was built in 1979 and had recently undergone a US$