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The Chinese province of Guangdong is to invest over US$117.5 billion (CNY720 billion) on highway investment during 2013-2017, according to the Guangdong Transportation Bureau. Following the massive four-year investment, the total highway network in the province will increase to 8,140kms. The number of highway with links to other provinces will increase to 24. Construction of the 32.55km Zhuhai's Jindong to Hengqin highway will start at the end of this year.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has seen a strong response for its student video competition, highlighting US infrastructure. The third time this competition has been run, it attracted 40 entrants across a number of categories. First Place in Category II for post-secondary, college or graduate students was awarded to the film; Importance of Infrastructure.

A very strong response has been seen for the 3rd Annual Student Transportation Video Contest run by the Washington, DC-based American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Illinois high school and University of Maryland college students took top honours in this national video contest on America’s transportation network. The association received more than 40 entries this year in two categories. Sponsored by ARTBA’s Research and Education Division (RED), the contest aims to raise awareness about

A new road link in the Texan city of San Antonio will help future industrial development in the area. The new 2.7km connection provides a four-lane extension of 36th Street from Highway 90 into the centre of Port San Antonio at Billy Mitchell Boulevard. The new route will allow for the future closure of North Frank Luke Drive, a small road running parallel to the runway at Kelly Field, the port’s industrial airport. This will provide direct access to the airport from the port and the area will be suitable f

A report published by HSBC suggests that global infrastructure-related trade growth will double worldwide economic expansion and will triple in size by 2030. The report also suggests that Brazil and Mexico will drive the rise in imports and exports of infrastructure-related goods in Latin America, according to Business News Americas. HSBC said that between 2013 and 2030, infrastructure-related trade looks set to grow at an average of 9%/year. It will also see a rise in its share of overall merchandise trade

UK road safety charity IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) is calling on the Conservative party to take its “once in a generation” opportunity to refresh how people, especially young people, learn to drive by publishing its much promised Green Paper on new drivers as soon as possible. Road crashes are the biggest killer of young people in the Britain today. In 2011, 412 people died in incidents involving young drivers. It is four months since the Government revealed its plans to publish a Green Paper,

The Colombian government's recently unveiled infrastructure programme for highway construction over the next 10 years is tipped to raise demand for surety products owing to government contracts requiring surety insurance to protect public resources. Higher demand of these types of P&C insurance coverage will help insurers absorb their fixed costs, thereby improving underwriting results and reducing insurers' reliance on investment yields to sustain their profitability, Moody's has claimed in a report.

American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) president and CEO Pete Ruane has highlighted issues for transport caused by the impact of the US Government shutdown. “Improving the efficiency of the environmental review and approval process was one of the signature achievements of the 2012 surface transportation law—MAP-21. Achieving this goal was a clear priority for members of Congress from both parties and chambers. “Major highway and bridge projects can take between nine and 19 years to

Themed ‘Improving Road Safety – Solutions that Work’, the recent TISPOL (European Traffic Police Network) Conference 2013 in Manchester refocused efforts to improve road safety across Europe, while outlining future initiatives to drive down road accident levels even further.

Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are both investing in transport infrastructure, with an array of new projects planned. In Tajikistan the Ministry of Finance is budgeting a healthy US$1.6 billion for transportation projects in the period from 2013-2014. These include construction and reconstruction of roads, highway and railway bridges, and tunnels. Further details will be available in due course as to the roads and highways being built. Meanwhile a loan from the Asian Development Bank to Kazakhstan will help

A new road link has been constructed that connects the German municipalities of Weil am Rhein and Lörrach. The road has taken seven years to construct and includes a 347m long tunnel. Located in the South West of Germany, the road actually passes through Switzerland and has cost around €100 million to construct.