News

China is crucial market for Caterpillar’s long term operations
November 29, 2012
China has long been an important market for Caterpillar, which first began operating in the country in the early 1970s following talks between China and the US. Its first equipment in China was for generators to power a communications system supplied to China by the US following the talks. The company also worked closely with LiuGong as part of a technology transfer agreement, which highlights Caterpillar’s focus on China. The global crisis has not been an easy time for any construction equipment manufactur
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Plantworx 2013 focus on latest safety technology for worksite vehicles
November 28, 2012
Plantworx 2013 will showcase the latest worksite vehicle safety systems. GKD Technik’s (GKD) Incline Alert system will be among those featured at the UK’s largest construction show, spanning 100,000m², being held at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry Warwickshire on 16 May, 2013. The system is said by GKD to have been developed to meet a need for incline monitoring in the construction and utility maintenance industries, particularly for smaller excavators, which carry a higher risk of overturning when operating on i
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70 million trips a year on privatised motorways in Chile by 2015
November 28, 2012
The number of journeys on privatised motorways in Chile will increase 23% to 70million a year by 2015, according to the Ministry of Public Works (MOP). The MOP says electronic tags will be more common by then. Along Five South motorway alone, the MOP predicts there will be 16million journeys a year by 2015, 3million more than at present. The government is said to be working on various projects to ease traffic along these roads. Route 5, Autopista del Sol; and Route 78, Santiago-Valparaiso and Santiago-Los A
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LGA fears UK roads pothole crisis
November 28, 2012
The Local Government Association (LGA) fears further cuts to its road maintenance budget, or a cold winter, may lead to potholes appearing across thousands of miles of UK roads. The LGA says that since the formation of the coalition government in 2010, its highways maintenance budget has been reduced by almost US$798.35million (£500mn). The LGA is responsible for maintaining local roads spanning 180,000miles in England and Wales.
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Russia plans major expansion of strategic road links
November 28, 2012
The Russian state road corporation, SC Avtodor, plans to increase the country’s road and highway network extensively in coming years. Key projects include increasing the length of highway by up to 12,000 km by 2030 and the construction of new transport corridors. Key links include connections with Europe - Western China, and a corridor from the border of Belarus to the border of Kazakhstan, as well as the implementation of important projects in various regions of the Russian Federation.
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Spanish toll road worries
November 28, 2012
Financial issues are now impacting heavily on Spain's Radial 4 (R-4) highway. The companies involved, Autopista Madrid Sur Concesionaria Espanola and Inversiones de Autopistas del Sur, are facing high levels of corporate debt. However traffic volumes have been lower than expected, while the cost of the project has been high.
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French motorway operators look for savings
November 28, 2012
To generate savings on motorways Transport Minister, Frédéric Cuvillier, may ask the three largest operators (Vinci Autoroutes, APRR, Sanef-SAPN) to take on maintenance and renovation spending on certain sections in exchange for concession extensions. Motorways in Ile-de-France and stretches of motorways around Paris (A6, A10 and A13) could be among the first to be subject to the new maintenance and renovation arrangements. Negotiations will start with ASFA (Association des Société Françaises d'Autoroutes).
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Changes to bridge project reviews in US will speed repairs
November 28, 2012
According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), changes in the way the US Government reviews bridge projects could speed repairs. ARTBA has long-advocated this change, which could save US taxpayers an estimated US$78 million and reduce wait times for repair projects on more than 196,000 bridges in the country. The decision by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) will allow the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to streamline the historic preservation proces
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Changes to bridge project reviews in US will speed repairs
November 28, 2012
According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), changes in the way the US Government reviews bridge projects could speed repairs. ARTBA has long-advocated this change, which could save US taxpayers an estimated US$78 million and reduce wait times for repair projects on more than 196,000 bridges in the country. The decision by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) will allow the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to streamline the historic preservation proces
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South Korea’s shocking road safety situation
November 28, 2012
South Korea suffers from an appalling rate of road crashes, acccording to a new report published by the Korea Transport Institute. The report investigated crash data from the 29 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. This revealed that South Korea has the highest road fatality rate of those 29 nations. In 2010, South Korea saw an average number of road deaths hit 11.3/100,000 individuals. Drilling down further into the data revealed that in 2011, pedestrians in North
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Swedish road repair spend varies
November 28, 2012
Spending on road maintenance differs greatly between Swedish municipalities, a report by Svevia has shown. Malmö municipality was the highest spender in Sweden with €295.53 spent per resident, which compared with the country's lowest spending municipality Berg, where €14.27 per resident was invested in road maintenance.
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Road maintenance shortfall in Belgium
November 28, 2012
A lack of sufficient road maintenance poses future problems for Belgium’s road network, according to the country’s planning office. Unless investment is made, the Belgium Planning Office (BPO) believes the nation’s road network will become overcrowded and dilapidated by 2020. BPO says that this could result in travel speeds falling 29% from 2008 to 2030 due to congestion and with a corresponding rise in journey times. Belgium's roads are amongst those with the heaviest traffic volumes in Europe. The BPO bel
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CCMA reports on an industry transformed (Survival of the fittest)
November 28, 2012
China Construction Machinery Association (CCMA) secretary general Su Zimeng presented the organisation’s industry status and forecast at Bauma China today. Mr Su reported that the Chinese domestic construction machinery market has declined substantially, and is still declining: The slide in domestic demand has been continuous, and inventory is still high, although lower than it has been. There are signs of stabilisation, and there are still challenges ahead, but CCMA believes the situation also presents opp
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Serbian roads to get Chinese funding
November 28, 2012
Talks between the Chinese Development Bank and the Serbian Government could result in €400-€450 million of Chinese funding for Serbian highway projects. The Danube coast and the Corridor 11 projects are among those earmarked for a potential cash boost. Serbia’s Ministry for Transport (MOT) is also in talks with Chinese partners about other highway builds including100km of the Belgrade-Cacak, Belgrade-Obrenovac, Preljina-Ljig and Lajkovac-Ljig routes, as well as the 100km Pojate-Preljina project. China Road
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Bosnian motorway may get Euro Bank backing
November 28, 2012
Bosnian motorways company Autoputevi RS claims that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has expressed readiness to approve a €350 million loan for the construction of the 46.6km long part of the Corridor Vc motorway, from Doboj to Vukosavlje. The project is set to be carried out through what has been described as a public and private partnership model.
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