News

Caterpillar’s Chinese excavator facility in Xuzhou, China has celebrated its 20th anniversary since its opening. The Caterpillar (Xuzhou) facility was the firm’s first hydraulic excavator manufacturing factory in China and the company has now extended its capabilities by opening the additional Caterpillar Chassis (Xuzhou) plant. The opening was celebrated in an event attended by Caterpillar’s key executives. Following a series of investments, Caterpillar (Xuzhou) has now become the world's largest excavator

The US$197.79 million (NZD 230 million) Haast-Hollyford toll road in New Zealand is expected to provide 1,500 construction jobs over four years, increase West Coast tourism and cut travel time between Haast and Milford Sound. Extra funding for the toll road has been made available. The toll fee will begin at $30.26 (NZD 35) per traveller and will generate $25.93 million (NZD 30 million) in the first year.

The Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) in Mexico has announced that roads and bridges in Guerrero affected by hurricanes during September 2013 will be repaired by mid-May 2014. However, repairs on the Barra Vieja bridge, costing US$38.27 million (MXN 500 million), will only be completed on 15 September 2014. Other projects are also planned for Guerrero, including school and housing schemes, following the hurricane damage. Guerrero will receive funds of more than MXN 30bn from the central gov

India's Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) has offered to build the 76km, US$1.01 billion Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track road in Nepal under an annuity model, proposing that the government issue a global tender. This model is suitable as investors, including IL&FS and other Indian firms Reliance Infrastructure and Larsen & Toubro, have proved unwilling to undertake the project under a BOOT system. The Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track road will carry an estimated 3,000 vehicles a day.

IronPlanet, the leading online marketplace for buying and selling used heavy equipment, is this week celebrating the 14th anniversary of its first auction. “We’re excited to celebrate 14 years of growth since our first online auction,” said Greg Owens, CEO, IronPlanet. “We have attracted more than one million registered users around the globe and sold more than US$3.5 billion of equipment over the Internet. Our success is based on our customers’ recognition that IronPlanet offers the industry’s most eff

Indonesia’s transport expansion programme is seeing new projects commence, but others afflicted by questions over feasibility and delays. Questions over the economic feasibility of the proposed Sunda Strait Bridge project have been raised by the Public Works Ministry. This mega-project is intended to provide a road link between Sumatra and Java. But construction of the 30km structure could cost up to US$23 billion and might not be fully recovered, even if the investor collects toll fees under a 100-year con

A new project providing a safe parking area on a major Danish highway is to receive EU co-funding. The European Union is providing just over €400,000 from the TEN-T Programme a project to build a safe and secure rest area on the E20 highway near the city of Kongsted. The project, which was selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Annual Call, will support the construction of a secure and safe rest area for cars and trucks on the route between Køge and Ringsted. The new rest area will consist of 64 parking

Mexico’s road building programme could be hit hard by insufficient asphalt supplies. Both construction companies and asphalt distributors have warned that the country is suffering a 20% shortage of the material. The shortage began to bite in November 2013 and is due in part to insufficient supplies from state-run oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). This could delay road maintenance projects by up to 30%. Asphalt represents up to 60% of the value of such projects, according to national asphalt associati

The UK-based IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) is calling on the British government to introduce a national strategy of driving health checks and better information for elderly drivers and their families. The call comes after a poll showing that 42% of the population are worried about an elderly relative driving, yet they are unlikely to do anything about it. The IAM and Vision Critical poll of 1,297 people shows that while concern about elderly drivers is evident, acting on our concerns is another

Around 7,000 extra potholes are to be repaired across Staffordshire as part of a €2.5 million (£2.1 million) package of investment in the English county’s roads. Staffordshire County Council is also drafting in two extra pothole-blitzing machines – in addition to the two already out tackling potholes and improving road surfaces in the county. The two extra machines use high velocity patching and can tackle stretches of defects and are particularly effective on more rural, less constructed roads.

Switzerland saw its total number of road accident deaths fall by more than a fifth in 2013, compared to the previous year. In 2013, the country recorded 269 deaths, down by 70 or 21% on the previous year. The number of serious injuries fell by 2% or 73 to 4,129. The number of accidents resulting in injuries reached 17,473. Accidents involving bicycles and motorcycles declined sharply, as the poor weather led people to stay at home.

China’s new longest highway is due to be completed by the end of June 2014. Around 97% of Xinjiang region's 428.9km Aksu-Kashgar highway is said to have been completed to date. The new route will eventually cost just over US$2 billion (CNY 12.3 billion) and is scheduled to open at the end of September 2014.

Moroccan road development fund CFR (Caisse pour le Financement Routier) is to receive a US$206.96 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The funds will be used for road modernisation in order to reduce congestion and improve the safety of road users. Around 30 sites will be modernised and 1,650km of roads will be widened.

Spanish construction firm Sacyr is set to invest around US$1.5 billion in Colombian road concession projects. The country is regarded as an ideal recipient for foreign investment. Current Sacyr projects in Colombia include a bridge costing $40.11 million (COP 80 billion), as well as the $116.79 million (COP 233 billion) road scheme between Buenaventura-Loboguerrero. The country has embarked on a major road development programme, via serious and transparent processes, according to Sacyr.