News

The Australian state of New South Wales last year saw its lowest number of pedestrian road deaths since annual records began in 1928. There were 42 pedestrian fatalities in the state during 2013 - down 24% compared to 2012, according to NSW Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay. There was also a 40% year-on-year fall in passenger deaths to 49, but motorcycle fatalities rose from 61 in 2012 to 71 in 2013. Cyclist fatalities also doubled in 2013 to 14. Overall, there were 339 road deaths in NSW in 2013 - down

The first ‘green’ road in the Middle East will reportedly be built in the United Arab Emirates. The construction of the 5km road is scheduled to start in Q1 2015. The project sees the Department of Transport teaming up with the UAE-based renewable energy firm Masdar, the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi and the Urban Planning Council Estidama Programme Team. Environmental-friendly construction material like scrap rubber tyres and recycled asphalt/concrete aggregates will be used for the construction of the

Poland is set to get around 1,800kms of new roads by 2020 as part of a continuation of the country’s highways development boom. GDDKiA, the Polish motorways and roads authority, is reported to be already advertising tenders for over 700kms of new motorways and dual carriageways. More than €17.81 billion (PLN 74 billion) was spent building Polish roads from 2007-2013, with €11.04 billion (PLN 46 billion) of that amount coming from the EU. At the end of 2013, the overall length of motorways in the country

The World Bank has made available US$160 million of credit for the Rajasthan Road Sector Modernisation Project in west India. Scheduled to finish in December 2018, the ambitious project aims to improve rural connectivity, as well as improving road safety and management in Rajasthan state. In recent years Rajasthan, India’s largest state by area and home to more than 68 million people, is said by the World Bank to have made considerable progress with developing its rural roads under the Prime Minister’s Gra

The significance of this year’s Bauma China exhibition in Shanghai has been highlighted by new figures showing that China invested US$220.27 billion (RMB 1.346 trillion) in civil engineering and infrastructure projects in the first six months of 2013 – with the National Bureau of Statistics of China claiming a year-on-year increase of more than 21%. The largest share of H1 2013 investment went into road-building, with Bernd Schaaf of Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), Germany’s economic development agency, rep

Zoomlion has announced the formal acquisition of dry-mixed mortar equipment manufacturer M-TEC. A spokesperson for Zoomlion said the move for Neuenbürg, Germany-based M-TEC strengthens the Chinese construction equipment manufacturing giant’s “top brand position” in the concrete machinery field. The latest concrete sector company acquisition by Zoomlion follows the group’s acquisition of leading Italian concrete machinery manufacturer CIFA in 2008.

In Brazil plans are being set out for a new tunnel that would connect the coastal cities of Santos and Guarujá. The project is estimated to cost some US$803 million to construct, according to a report by Business News Americas. The tunnel would by 1.7km long, carry six lanes of traffic and be at an estimated depth of 35m. A process for pre-qualification for those firms showing an interest in the project has been started. This is being handled by the São Paulo state highway company Dersa, which states that o

Ritchie Bros Auctioneers sold some US$3.8 billion of equipment at 356 unreserved auctions around the world in 2013. This is a 3% decrease in gross auction proceeds (GAP) compared to the record set in 2012. During the fourth quarter of 2013, the firm achieved gross auction proceeds of $1.1 billion, a record for the fourth quarter and an increase of 10% compared to the same quarter of 2012. "We achieved some notable milestones during 2013," said Peter Blake, CEO of Ritchie Bros. "In Canada, our most establi

The Road Workers' Safety Forum (RoWSaF), a cross-industry group led by the Highways Agency and supported by Balfour Beatty and its joint ventures, has been recognised at the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards for its innovative and collaborative approach to improving safety for road workers. The RoWSaF team collected the award from His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent at a ceremony at The Savoy in London.

Australia’s historic Great Ocean Road looks set to benefit from a major upgrade. This twisty tourist route runs along the coast in the state of Victoria and will receive US$44.7 million (A$50 million) in funding, which is being provided in an equal split between the Australian Federal Government and the Victoria State Government. The scenic route was constructed between WWI and WWII and largely by hand as part of a government scheme to reduce unemployment, as well as to provide access to a remote area of th

The authorities in Russia and the Ukraine are making plans for a new transport link via the Kerch Strait. At this early stage of the planning process, both bridge and tunnel options are being considered. This new bridge or tunnel connection would allow drivers to travel between Crimea and Kuban (South) and improve transport connections and trade, reinforcing the strong economic links that exist between Russia and the Ukraine. The authorities are now setting out feasibility studies, the results of which will

Egis Lagan Services now has a new contract in Ireland for the provision of operation, maintenance and renewals services on 330km of motorways in Ireland. Egis Lagan Services is a joint venture company between the French company Egis and Northern Irish infrastructure company Lagan. The company has a five year contract with the National Roads Authority the Motorway Maintenance and Renewal Contract (MMaRC) in the south of Ireland (Area C). The project is for the routine operation and maintenance of the road ne

The authorities in Brazil have awarded an important tollroad package for the BR-163 Federal Highway. This route runs through Brazil's mid-western state of Mato Grosso do Sul and the 30 year concession for the 847km of highway was won by tollroad firm CCR, according to Business News Americas. The concession package is worth some US$2.78 billion and was awarded on the basis of the low toll charges CCR will introduce on the route. The project requires widening the road along a 130km stretch within 12 months of

Strong bids have been received for Chile’s Puente Industrial road bridge project, which will be built in Region VIII. Bidders included Spanish firm OHL as well as Besalco Concesiones-Concesiones Viarias Chile Tres and Sacyr Concesiones Chile. Work on the 2.5km bridge is expected to commence in 2014 and the project will cost some US$170 million to construct, with completion expected in 2017. The deal for the four lane bridge includes building access roads and involves a 30 year concession package. The Puente

Research from the UK reveals an alarming picture of road safety amongst young male drivers. This data is likely to be replicated in other European drivers as well as further afield. According to the UK’s Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), some 30,850 male drivers aged 17-20 have up to six points on their driving licences. However, only 9,758 female drivers aged 17-20 have up to six points on their licences. Drivers are awarded points for motoring offences in the UK, with more serious offences resulting