News

Plans are in hand in Brunei for a new bridge that will connect Brunei-Muara with Temburong. This project will require the construction of a 30km bridge and will be the largest of the kind in the country. Temburong is at present separated from the rest of Brunei as it is encircled by Malaysia and the project will provide an important new connection. The Brunei Ministry of Development is handling the project.

The Serbian Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure has set a target for road construction during 2015. In all the country will build some 160km of new roads during 2015. At the moment the country is also building or rebuilding some 150 bridges in a bid to boost its transport connections. Work to the Nis-Dimitrovgrad road is due for completion during 2015. The cost of this ambitious target has not been revealed and nor has the source of the funding stream.

A highway widening project in Nigeria will improve the connection between the city of Minna and the capital, Abuja. The road being widened connects Suleja, which lies close to Abuja, with Minna and the work is being carried out on a 41km section of the route. The work will be carried out by Italian contractor Salini Impregilo and involves adding a second lane to the route, while the project is worth some US$127 million. The 48 month project was awarded by the Nigerian Ministry of Public Works.

In the United States, the National Operations Centre of Excellence has officially launched a web site to provide the transportation sector with the latest knowledge and management tools. Practitioners, researchers and policymakers will find on the site the latest resources and have the opportunity to discuss topics related to systems management and operations. The centre launched its website at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in mid January. Click here to view the site

Demolition work has been carried out on the central section of the Chain of Rocks Bridge in the US. The bridge lies just to the north of the city of St Louis, with the eastern end of the structure on Chouteau Island in Illinois and the western end is in Missouri. For the demolition work to be carried out I-270 had to be closed to traffic, so as to ensure the new structure would not suffer damage and also to maximise safety. The other sections of the bridge will be removed in due course.

Australia’s road safety improved in 2014, with a reduction in road-related fatalities. Official data from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics shows that the number of people died on roads in Australia stood at 1,153 people, a drop from the previous year’s figure. This is the lowest annual death toll on Australia’s roads for 69 years, which is of note given the massive rise in vehicle numbers during that time. Vehicle safety has certainly played a role with massively improved p

Construction firm Al Jaber Transport & General Contracting will carry out work on two contracts worth a total of US$544.5 million in the UAE. The package of works was awarded by Abu Dhabi General Services Co. Under the terms of the deal, a subsidiary of Al Jaber Group will build two sections of the highway from Mafraq to Al Ghwaifat located near Qatar, and on the border with Saudi Arabia. The sections included the construction of highways from Al Mirfa to Abu Al Abyad, and the construction of highways and i

Norway’s Ministry of Transport and Communications wants to curb the construction of new roundabouts in the Scandinavian country. The ministry reportedly wrote to the Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) in mid December, asking that new main roads have no roundabouts. Also, the ministry wants new roads to be located if possible built outside of large settlements to avoid the need for traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps. But the Public Roads Administration has pushed back, replying t

Papua New Guinea is set to start road and bridge upgrades that could cost upwards of US$576 million. Work on bridges will be paid partly through agreements with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, amounting to around US$53 million, and the Asian Development Bank which is putting in nearly $32 million. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs has also earmarked $101 million to upgrade of arterial roads to standard concrete in the port city of Lae, the capital of Morobe Province. Lae, the

In Indonesia investment in infrastructure will see the construction of a new bridge and toll roads in Banten Province during 2015. The work is intended to help with the development of the Merak Port, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing. The plan includes construction of a 3km toll road and a 600m bridge to connect to the port. Another project planned is for an 84km toll road. The Panimbang-Serang road will become part of the 5,000km nationwide toll road network and will provide a link to t

Moroccan Ministry for Equipment and Transport has said that its 20-year plan for the country's motorway network will require an investment of US$5.86 billion. Funding sources for all of the work have yet to be secured. The country’s tolled highway system has been a success, although the Casablanca-Rabat-Tangiers route generates much of the total revenue. Morocco’s Ministry for Transport and Equipment is also looking to source financing worth $532.6 million. This will be used to repair damage to the road ne

The Moscow Construction Department has announced that the country’s financial issues will not halt current construction projects in the capital. Some US$1.23 billion will be spent on the development of roads in Moscow during 2015. The funds will be spent on building 83km of roads, 23 engineering structures, and 20 cross walks.

A €305.7 million loan is being provided to Romania through the European Commission. This will be used to to fund the construction of the Cernavoda-Constanta section of the Sun Highway. The loan will not have to be repaid as it will fall under the Cohesion Fund. The Romania retroactively requested the EU to fund the Highway after contracting with the European Investment Bank in 2005 for a loan to cover construction costs.

The authorities in the Philippines have given preliminary approval for a series of major PPP projects. One of these five key PPP projects is for the expansion of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. The projects still need the approval of the board of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).