News

Plans for huge investments in transport infrastructure have been made in China. In all some 60 infrastructure projects worth just over US$160 billion have been identified by the Chinese authorities. The work will include building 2,018km of new roads and highways, including improved connections between Shanghai and Guangzhou. The total road investment budget expected could range from $22.6-32.4 billion, although a definite programme of works has still to be established.

The Ministry of Public Works in Indonesia has allocated US$5.33 billion (IDR 50.35 trillion) for a development master plan set to include improvements to vital access and toll roads. Among the projects in the Acceleration and Expansion of Economy Development master plan up until 2014 are access roads from Nabire to Narotali; from Manokwari to Sorong in Papua; from Sei Mangke to Kuala Tanjung in North Sumatra; and from Tanjung Priok to the Metropolitan Priority Area. It also includes the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Da

Substantial investment in road repairs is required in Ireland to stave off damage to the country’s motorway networks. According to figures from Ireland’s National Roads Authority (NRA), funds are necessary for essential maintenance to prevent Ireland’s motorway network from deteriorating. There will be a time period of up to two years before the repairs become necessary. However delays in commencing maintenance and repairs could result in a backlog of works building up and the NRA points out that this would

Official data from Chile shows a worrying trend for fatalities in crashes involving heavy trucks. While such vehicles represent just 4% of the total number of vehicle on Chile’s road, they accounted for 13% of all deaths in traffic accidents during 2011. This data was revealed by Chile’s national traffic safety commission, Conaset. The data revealed that of 1,573 people killed in traffic accidents in 2011, 837 died on board of vehicles. Cars accounted for 39% of all deaths, although they represent 61% of al

Work on Algeria’s East-West highway project is around 94% complete. The East-West highway forms a key section of North Africa’s new highway link, which runs from Morocco all the way to Egypt. Just 150km of the Algerian section of the highway still has to be finished, with the work being carried out by a Japanese contractor. The remaining Algerian section of this highway project is being carried out for client Algérienne de Gestion des Autoroutes (AGA). The highway should be finished by the end of 2013, shou

The latest data available suggests that traffic pollution is still harmful to health in many parts of Europe. Transport in Europe is responsible for damaging levels of air pollutants and a quarter of EU greenhouse gas emissions. Many of the resulting environmental problems can be addressed by stepping up efforts to meet new EU targets, according to the latest report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The EEA’s annual report under the Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM) assesses the

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) annual forecast suggests that the US transportation construction infrastructure market will show modest growth in 2013. According to ARTBA’s forecast, this segment will increase 3% to US$130.5 billion in 2013. The association’s chief economist, Dr Alison Premo Black, said that growth is expected in highway and street pavements, private work for driveways and parking lots and also airport terminal and runway work. But ARTBA predicts the brid

Road safety in Kenya looks set to improve following the introduction of tough new traffic laws. The much tougher penalties now in effect include the maximum sentence of a life term for causing death instead of the previous 10 years. Meanwhile driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs will result in fines of up to US$5,750 or a prison term of up to 10 years, or both. The fine for driving under the influence was previously just $172. The fines for speeding or driving on the pavement have been incr

In Russia the Ministry of Transport proposal to introduce payment for the owners of heavyweight trucks over 12tonnes could increase cargo transportation tariffs by 10%. Consumer goods prices are also expected to rise, especially outside Moscow and St Petersburg. Leonid Shlyapnikov, CEO of Sovtransavtoekspeditsiya, thinks shipping companies may incur additional expenses on the installation of on-board computers, GLONASS navigators and placement on unified register. New norms and fees are to be added to the e

Construction machines from Shantui are now being supplied to the United Nations (UN), for use in Africa. The machines are being used by UN peace-keeping forces in Africa, having passed the stringent testing and performance requirements of the UN for harsh road condition use and special applications. The deal came following the necessary procurement certification from the UN. Shantui’s supply deal is for machines including military-level bulldozers, wheeled loaders and road machinery.

A consortium formed by ICTAS of Turkey and the Italian firm Astaldi has won a tender to build a third suspension bridge over Istanbul’s Bosphorus. Despite criticism from planners and environmentalists, the 1.3km structure, the longest over the strait, has been given the go-ahead by Turkey’s Transport Minister, Binari Yildirim. A joint venture of local company IC Içtas Insaat and Italian Astaldi has won the tender for the project, and Minister Yildirim is reported as saying the bridge would be built in three

The state government of Kerala in India has given an in-principle approval to raise auto-rickshaw, bus and taxi fares due to an increase of INR 5 (US$0.10) per litre in diesel prices.

Elevated highways stretching 34.5km in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City may be developed at US$2.68 billion. The Prime Minister and the Ministry of Transport are tweaking the project in a move to lure investors. None have come forward at present.