News

A key highway project worth in excess of US$364 million has been revealed in Vietnam. The first package of works for the upgrades to National Highway 20 was awarded by the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam to contractor, Management Board 7. The company will carry out work worth some $220 million, which involves building a 123km road as well as 16 bridges that will link Highway 725 in Lam Dong to Dau Giay Junction in Dong Nai Province. The work is being carried out under a build, operate and transfer type con

Spanish construction firm OHL presented an offer to operate the 56km Guadalajara-Colima motorway in Mexico for 12 years. The motorway is being heavily restructured, with the expansion of its four lanes. The first phase of these works has already been completed and investment to date has totalled US $54.81million. A further $263.66 million is being invested by Banobras on current works. All offers to operate the Guadalajara-Colima motorway were due for presentation by mid-September 2012. OHL Mexico has commi

Strong interest is being shown in the construction sector in Chile for the project to build the Chacao Bridge. The tender process is due to open in the first half of 2013 and a large number of contractors, over 30, have already acquired terms and conditions of the works package. The construction project is expected to cost US$740 million. Bidding is expected to close in early 2014 and the winner will be selected and the contract awarded. Work should start in 2015 and the completion date will be in 2019. A

In China, the news that the construction industry has been waiting for came with an announcement over infrastructure spending. The Chinese Government said it will invest heavily in infrastructure spending over the next few years, some US$157 billion, particularly in extending the country’s high speed rail network. Some $4.45 billion will be invested in transport infrastructure in 2012. Of the total, $790 million will go on rural road improvements, of which 88% will be used in the central and western regions

The European Road Federation (ERF) has voiced its concern that roadside barriers in Europe may have to be upgraded. Meanwhile the UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has called for roadside barriers to feature post protection so as to reduce the risk of injuries to motorcyclists. According to the ERF, the recent decision of the European Commission to allow cross-border movement of longer and heavier trucks, it is keen to raise awareness of the important implications such a move may have for road barr

The latest official statistics from Spain reveal and improvement in road safety, with a reduction in the number of those killed or seriously injured on the country’s roads. In 2011 there were 2,060 deaths caused by crashes on Spanish roads in 2011, a 13% drop from the previous year. These figures include those people dying within 30 days of a crash

Plans are in hand in Brazil’s Minas Gerais State for work to an 817km stretch of the BR-116 highway. The project is expected to cost in the region of US$2.48 billion to carry out. The Brazilian Transport Agency (ANTT) is opening the project to tender and it will be offered under a concession package. The 817km section of the highway will feature eight toll stations. Meanwhile, ANTT is opening the preliminary tender for the concession of the BR-040 motorway at the end of December 2012