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Work on Angola’s Luanda-Soyo highway section is being financed from Italian sources. The Italian export credit agency and credit insurer SACE is guaranteeing a US$221.8 million credit line to Angola's Ministry of Finance for completing works on the final stretch of the Luanda-Soyo highway. The work on the project is being carried out by Italian civil engineering firm CMC Ravenna. The project itself is worth some $336.8 million. Meanwhile BNP Paribas is acting as Sole Structuring Bank and Agent Bank for the

Balfour Beatty is to work on a €163.5 million (£129 million) upgrade project for a 21.4km stretch of the M3 motorway in the UK. The work involves upgrading the route to smart motorway status and is being carried out for the UK Government’s Highways Agency. This project will increase capacity, reduce congestion and shorten journey times for the 120,000 motorists/day using the route. This section of the motorway runs through the counties of Hampshire and Surrey, between Junction 2 which is interchange with th

A report from the German construction and building equipment manufacturer’s association, the VDMA, reveals steady sales for 2014. According to the report, German manufacturers of construction equipment are expecting to see a growth of 5% throughout 2014. In 2013, sales for the entire industry reached €11.7 billion. “This forecast is, however, based on several different backgrounds,” said Sebastian Popp, the VDMA’s expert on economics explains the situation. He explained that with construction equipment, th

In the southern German city of Nuremburg plans are being made for work to replace three old concrete bridges. A feasibility study into the proposed work will now be carried out. The three pre-stressed concrete bridges will have to be demolished and replaced with new structures. In all, the work is expected to cost some €100 million.

Plans are now in place for a new bridge that will link Uruguay and Argentina. The project will be carried out by Chinese contractor China Dalian International Cooperation Group (CDIG). The private agreement signed by CDIG will see the firm constructing a bridge connecting Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay with Argentinian capital Buenos Aires. The work is expected to cost up to US$829 million to complete and when the bridge is open it will make a significant reduction in journey times from Montevideo and Bu

In Russia the completion date for the Suzdalsky Prospekt project in St Petersburg has been set for June 2015. The works will see Suzdalsky Prospekt linking with the road to Kamenka. The project is costing some US$124.2 million. The project is being carried out by contractor Dendorstroy-2, with construction having commenced in 2011. The project was originally scheduled to finish in 2013 but was postponed for a year due to issues relating to financing.

The Beska Bridge spanning the Danube River is now being repaired. The link falls under the responsibility of the Serbian roads company, Putevi Srbije, which has already seen considerable investment to the structure. At the end of 2013, some €14.62 million was spent on improving the Beska Bridge. The cost of this latest work has not been revealed.

Caixa Economica Federal will analyse a proposal for support US$264.42 million for recovery work on Brazil’s Rodovia Presidente Dutra highway. The proposal has been put forward by Brazilian road operator CCR and needs to be approved by Caixa before any funds can be released. Authorisation for this analysis process to go ahead was given by the board of the FI-FGTS investment fund. The funds would go to the recovery work along the 402km highway that connects Sao Paulo with Rio de Janeiro. CCR has operated the

A letter by the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) to the UK Government highlights the need for infrastructure investment. According to the letter, the UK does not have a good track record of identifying, planning and delivering major infrastructure projects. It says that infrastructure to support growth is identified too late and a protracted decision-making process has led to policy reversals in key areas such as energy and transport. The CEA makes clear the need to end such a short-term, damaging c

A letter by the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) to the UK Government highlights the need for infrastructure investment. According to the letter, the UK does not have a good track record of identifying, planning and delivering major infrastructure projects. It says that infrastructure to support growth is identified too late and a protracted decision-making process has led to policy reversals in key areas such as energy and transport. The CEA makes clear the need to end such a short-term, damaging c

A $1.2 billion highway project in North Central Texas was recognised as a prime example of innovative transportation financing at an event held by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The 26th Annual Public Private Partnership (P3) Conference in US capital Washington was organised by ARTBA with its P3 Awards being presented in two categories, for entrepreneur of the year and project of the year. The former is given to at least one individual who has made an outstanding contributi

Bidding has been strong for an expressway project in Poland. The S7 route will connect Olsztynek and Milomyn with the Ostroda ring road. The project is expected to cost in the region of €350.64 million to construct in all. Seven bidders competed for the project with a consortium comprising contractors Intercor, Erbedim and Pozbud making the highest offer at €416.42 million. The lowest offer meanwhile came from another construction consortium comprising the companies Salini, Todini and Impregilo with a bid o

Plans are in hand for a road safety event to be held in the Mexican city of Cancun. The IV Ibero-American Congress of Traffic Safety (CISEV) meeting will be held from September 30th to October 2nd in Cancun (Mexico) under the theme Progress in the Decade of Action for Road Safety Decade. Together we can save lives. The CISEV was established in 2008 with the aim of becoming Latin America’s key event for providing effective solutions to improve traffic safety. The attendance figures and the technical contribu

In the UK a number of road safety campaigning groups are warning that driver distraction from mobile phones will become a bigger killer than drink driving by 2015. While cellphone use by drivers is banned in the UK, penalties are still light and enforcement lax. Drivers still frequently use cellphones while behind the wheel. Suggestions have been made to double the penalties facing offenders, but if this ruling is accepted it will still take time to implement. And some say these tougher penalties are still

China is providing some US$20 billion worth of financing for infrastructure projects in Latin American and Caribbean nations. The money will be available in tranches with the first worth $10 billion and this was agreed following talks between the Chinese, Latin American and Caribbean heads of state. China already has considerable involvement in some major projects in Latin America, according to Business News Americas. This further funding source will strengthen the financial relationships.