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Campaign urges UK drivers to get eye tested every 2 years
August 5, 2013
A new campaign is calling on UK drivers to ‘sharpen up’ their act by getting their eyesight tested every two years to ensure their vision meets legal standards and they aren't putting people in danger. The campaign by road safety charity Brake, in association with the DVLA, insurer RSA and Specsavers, comes as new research shows many drivers are failing to ensure they can see properly on every journey. A survey of 1,000 UK drivers by Brake, RSA and Specsavers finds that a quarter of drivers (26%) haven't ha
Freedonia Group study: Global construction machinery sales to US$189bn by 2017
August 5, 2013
Global demand for construction machinery is expected to rise 6% a year to $189 billion in 2017, according to a new study by US-based industry market research firm The Freedonia Group. The expansion will be fuelled primarily by growth in the Asia/Pacific region, particularly China, where the market will climb at a double-digit annual rate as construction spending, especially on infrastructure projects, continues to increase.
Washington DC to get new US$900mn bridge
August 5, 2013
A new bridge project to replace Washington DC’s Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and two traffic ovals at each end of the new span have been submitted by the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative and the District's Department of Transportation. Washington DC-based radio station WAMU has reported that the new US$900 million bridge project will transform the DC neighbourhoods lining the Anacostia River. The current four-lane Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, built in 1950 and named after slavery abolitionist Fr
Meralco unveils first Philippines e-vehicle charging station
August 5, 2013
Philippines first electric vehicle (e-vehicle) charging station has been unveiled by Manila Electric Co (Meralco). The firm says that replication of the initial US$34,000 plus station may take place in order to ensure other areas have the same station. Priority sectors and interested partner firms such as public transport operators will receive help from Meralco to produce the e-vehicle charging technology.
IAM welcomes drop in UK road deaths, but concerned over drink-drive casualties
August 2, 2013
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), Britain’s largest independent road safety charity, has welcomed new UK Department for Transport (DfT) road casualty figures showing a fall in the amount of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents. The DfT reports there were 1, 680 people killed in the year ending March 2013, 10% reduction from 1, 870 in the year ending March 2012. The number of people killed or seriously injured also fell to 23, 660, a 6% decrease.
Tender call for US$940mn phase I of Chile’s Américo Vespucio Oriente highway
August 1, 2013
A tender call for the first, US$940 million stretch of the Américo Vespucio Oriente underground expressway (AVO) in Chile’s capital Santiago Chile's has been issued by the public works ministry (MOP). The prized 40-year concession entails building and operating a 9.3km underground expressway running from El Salto avenue to Príncipe de Gales avenue. The tunnel will stretch over two different levels, each one hosting a one-way, three-lane expressway. Road capacity along the route will increase to 8,000 vehicl
Turkish summit on plans for over €75 billion worth of highway-rail spending
August 1, 2013
A summit is being held for all parties involved in the Turkish Railways Authority and General Directorate of Highways ambitious plan to build more than €75 billion worth of highway and railway lines in Turkey between now and 2023. International consortiums have already begun working on major projects such as the ‘Eurasian Tunnel’ and the ‘Third Bridge on the Bosphorus’. Contractors are eagerly preparing for the next wave of mega projects like ‘Channel Istanbul’ and ‘Canakkale Bridge’, which are expected to
Turkish summit on plans for over €75 billion worth of highway-rail spending
August 1, 2013
A summit is being held for all parties involved in the Turkish Railways Authority and General Directorate of Highways ambitious plan to build more than €75 billion worth of highway and railway lines in Turkey between now and 2023. International consortiums have already begun working on major projects such as the ‘Eurasian Tunnel’ and the ‘Third Bridge on the Bosphorus’. Contractors are eagerly preparing for the next wave of mega projects like ‘Channel Istanbul’ and ‘Canakkale Bridge’, which are expected to
Unacea SOS to parliament as Italian construction equipment sales down 25% H1 2013
August 1, 2013
Unacea says a new national economic stimulus package proposed by the Italian government should be approved by parliament immediately, after new figures revealed a 25% drop in Italian construction machine sales to 2,774 in the first six months of 2013, compared to the same six months of 2012. Speaking about the new package, which includes measures for both the construction and construction equipment industry,
Swindon, UK A419 solar panels to double-up as noise barriers
August 1, 2013
A popular road near in the UK county of Wiltshire may be soundproofed using solar panels which double-up as noise barriers. Swindon Borough Council leaders are creating a working group to explore the idea of installing the panels along the A419 dual carriageway near Swindon. The electricity generated is set to fund the scheme, possibly the first of its kind in Britain and targeted for completion within two years. Parts of the A419 already have standard noise barriers, with solar panels expected to cost €1.1
ARTBA: Up to 9,600 jobs at risk if Pennsylvania cuts transport works
August 1, 2013
Cutting highway and bridge work in the US state of Pennsylvania by 25% in any given year, and then sustaining it in future years, would cost the state US$1.25 billion in lost economic activity over a five-year period and put as many as 9,600 jobs permanently at risk, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) chief economist. Dr. Alison Premo Black’s assessment of the impact of the potential impact of state-wide transport works cuts was part of her testimony to the Pennsy
Flat-pack gran keeps young drivers safe
July 31, 2013
Catching sight of grandma’s beady eye can make many a young driver pay attention to the speed limit or take a little extra care approaching a roundabout. But what if granny was always there, sitting in the passenger seat, keeping watch over those three point turns and reverse parking manoeuvres? Graphic design student Mollie Courtenay from Kingston University in Surrey, southern England, has come up with a novel way to harness grandparent power and encourage young drivers to be more safety conscious.
China Railway 15th Bureau Group’s US$212.02mn road contracts
July 30, 2013
China Railway Construction Corporation's subsidiary, China Railway 15th Bureau Group, has won four bids worth more than a combined US$212.02 million (CNY 1.3 billion). One of the contracts is for the construction of main underground tunnel and road for Zhengdong New Area transport hub. Another contract is for a 40.28km highway reconstruction project in Tibet autonomous region. A third contract is for a 6.01km road project in Qinghai. The remaining contract is for a 22.2km section of a highway in Shandong.
Brunei’s Land Transport Master Plan nears completion
July 30, 2013
Brunei’s Land Transport Master Plan, a national guideline for upgrading road safety and traffic conditions, is reported to be close to being finalised by the government. The master plan is said by government sources to be aimed at urging more people to use public transport. It will study ways to address traffic congestion and ways to upgrade the public transport system, particularly bus reliability. Public transport safety and institutional review are also set to be scrutinised in the master plan. The Centr
€150.22bn to implement Moscow’s 2020 transport strategy
July 30, 2013
Russia: On transport development strategy for Moscow region until 2020. The new Moscow region transport strategy until 2020 aims to develop and popularise public transport, strengthen connections between districts via transverse highways, optimise cargo traffic, and increase safety. The strategy, devised by the Research and Design Institute of Moscow City Master Plan (NIiPI Genplan) after a request by the Moscow Transport Hub's Directorate, if successfully implemented is predicted to see an increase in annu