News

Huge investment in Colombia’s transport infrastructure is expected to lead to substantial market growth in the country’s construction industry, according to new research by Timetric. In its research report; ‘Construction in Colombia – Key Trends and Opportunities to 2017’, Timetric, who provide online data, analysis and advisory services to key financial and industry sectors, states, “Colombia’s Ministry of Transportation plans to invest COP102.3 trillion (US$56 billion) in transport infrastructure developm

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communications (MIDCom) for Malaysia's Sarawak state on the island of Borneo said that the state will need over US$ 4.68 billion (MYR 15bn) to finance the construction of 5,00kms of new roads. The roads are set to stretch between the interior areas, including Baram Basin and Kapit, to the major cities in the state. Funding for the project would be shared between the state and federal governments, according to MIDCom's Minister Michael Manyin.

One in every 100 people in the UK with a full driving licence has points for driving uninsured, according to a “shocking” Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists). For all ages the request, directed to the DVLA, revealed that one in every 200 people with a full UK driving licence had been penalised for driving without insurance. A total of 226,803 drivers in the UK were said under FOI to have points on their licence for driving while uninsured.

Leading British highway repair solution manufacturer Instarmac has been placed in the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200, for the second year in a row. In its fourth year, the UK-broadsheet newspaper’s International Track 200 celebrates the success of British mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales. With an international sales growth of 33.55% Instarmac, whose Ultracrete brand offers advanced road repair and maintenance solutions, including instant pothole repair, fa

TrafficLand has sealed an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for access to video imagery from the state’s traffic camera network. The agreement gives TrafficLand access to video imagery from more than 1,600 TxDOT traffic cameras located across Texas, including along primary transport routes around Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Ft. Worth and El Paso. TrafficLand will access TxDOT’s network video imagery through the state’s C2C data access portal. Similar to arrangements th

A 213m section of the Old Milton-Madison Bridge was recently blasted into the Ohio River in the United States to make way for a new river crossing. Workers rigged the structure with small controlled explosives and took it down shortly after 9.15am on Sunday 28 July 2013. Small explosive charges were placed at key locations on the bridge. The charges were detonated at intervals to control the direction of the fall. Pieces of the truss will be retrieved from the river, placed on barges, and taken to the shore

At least 38 people have died in a coach crash on a flyover in southern Italy – the worst road accident in the country for many years. The coach, reportedly carrying around 50 people, including children, hit several vehicles before smashing through a barrier and toppling 30m down a steep slope near the town of Avellino, in the Campania region. At least a further 10 people are reported to have been injured, some of them seriously, in the crash on the evening of Sunday 28 July 2013. The coach occupants were sa

Caterpillar is now releasing a new guide to asphalt compaction. This publication offers readers a comprehensive guide to asphalt compaction processes, discussing basic factors and forces involved. The publication covers in detail key points such as methods and specification, rolling patterns and joint compaction. A more general section covers compaction issues, while there is also a glossary. A wide range of examples is given and the publication is also illustrated with high quality images and diagrams to b

Work on a major interchange in the Ghanaian city of Kumasi is close to completion. This is reputed to be the biggest interchange in West Africa and is located at Sofoline, forming part of a project to rebuild Sunyani Road which runs through Kumasi. This interchange has been partially opened and has already helped to cut congestion in the city although the project has suffered a series of delays. Several portions of work on the interchange still remain to be carried out and include lighting and signage. This

The recent bankruptcy of the Austrian contractor Alpine Bau has affected a number of key projects across Europe in countries including Norway, Poland and now Romania. Following Alpine Bau’s bankruptcy, Romania’s national roads authority, CNADNR, cancelled the Austrian contractor’s contract to build a section of highway from Nadlac-Arad. So far, Alpine Bau has been paid €69.5 million to build a 16.6km section of the highway and around 85% of the work has been completed. It is not clear at this stage how the

A new study by the French motorway company association, ASFA, reveals improved safety during 2012. The data shows that the number of people killed on French motorways was 26% lower for 2012 than for 2011. Of the fatal accidents that did occur, nearly 40% were due to driver inattention. Meanwhile driver fatigue was another major issue causing one third of fatal accidents. Alcohol or drug use was responsible for 20% of fatalities on French motorways. Speeding was attributed to 15.7% of fatalities on French mo

Further problems have hit the Blanka Tunnel in Czech capital Prague. The link has been hit by a series of delays and is now suffering from leaks. The project is costing €1.43 billion and is due to open in May 2014. The company building the tunnel Metrostav, has stated that the leaks are likely to be temporary and should be dealt with by the time the link opens to traffic, when it will become part of the Prague ring road. Construction work started on the tunnel in 2007 but the project has faced a series of p

Work in Nigeria will start on upgrading the Keffi-Lafia road in Nigeria to a dual carriageway status along its route. The US$1.8 billion project will run through Benue State capital Makurdi to Enugu, the capital of Enugu State and will be constructed by Chinese contractors. The route is of major importance to Nigeria and carries a heavy traffic volume at present. Constructing the dual carriageway will pose challenges given the topography at various sections of the route. Also in Nigeria, Chinese funding wil

The tender process is commencing for the Américo Vespucio Oriente expressway (AVO) in Chilean capital Santiago. The US$940 million tender is due to be awarded in February 2014. The 9km highway link will connect El Salto with Príncipe de Gales Avenue and will feature three lanes running in either direction, with a design speed of 80-100km/h. An underground section of this urban highway looks likely to be constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) while it may also include a section in an ope

Volvo CE reports that its operating margin has recovered in the second quarter of 2013, although the firm has been hit by weaker sales, especially in the mining industry. This situation reflects the continued slowdown in the size of the total market for construction equipment and the company’s sales were down 19% during the period. However the firm said that behind the headline figures there were underlying positives, not least a good order intake and improving trends in China, Europe and the Middle East, a