News

Vinci has won a new US$1.13billion (€900million) contract in the UK for the maintenance of the Isle of Wight road network. The contract calls for an initial phase of work, then for the maintenance of the 821km road network including streets, roads, cycling paths and sidewalks.

A US$106 million loan deal to help fund a US$200million plus toll road development in Indonesia's Bali could be finalised before the end of June. The banks due to provide the loan are Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Central Asia (BCA), Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Mandiri.

Councillors in South Yorkshire, England, have recommended approval of a proposed dual carriageway linking the M18 and Robin Hood Airport. The project is expected to create new jobs, spur local investment and release land for housing development. Planning permission has yet to be formally granted, although it is anticipated that construction will begin this summer. The project is funded by US$3million (£2mn) from the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and £18million from the Regional Growth F

Following the French government's scrapping of a proposed motorway beltway around Strasbourg, professional federations and elected officials at the Alsace chamber of commerce and industry have called for solutions to road access problems within the city. A Strasbourg-based working group is said to be being created to look at potential ways of improving access to the city. These are set to include strict speed regulations and special traffic times for the ring road, the relaunch of the Piémont des Vosges-Str

The Hungarian government has unveiled its road development plans for the next 15 years. A new motorway is set to be built between Szolnok and Budapest. In addition, another motorway would be created between the Austrian border, Kormend, near Zalaegerszeg and Szombathely, Veszprem, Dunaujvaros, Kecskemet, and Szolnok. The motorway would be split into two directions towards Debrecen and Romania.

Moves are afoot within the European Commission to develop tighter CO2 emissions standards for vans. This move forms part of a wider plan to cut emissions from the road transport sector. Under the terms of the plan so far, the EC hopes to introduce a 2020 goal to limit average CO2 emissions from new cars to 95grammes/km. A separate draft includes plans to enforce a provisional goal to limit emissions from new vans to 147grammes/km by the same date.

The closure earlier this month of the Cinquantenaire and Loi tunnels in Brussels, Belgium, is said to have caused congestion problems in the city and on the Brussels ringroad. The tunnels are due to remain closed for three months to allow for the renovation and modernisation of Brussels-Schuman station.

The Italian-Slovak consortium of HANT BA DS and INC has been excluded by the Slovak national motorway company NDS from the tender for the construction of a 15.25km stretch of the Hubova-Ivachvova D1 motorway in Slovakia. Slovak company HANT BA DS has asked NDS to revaluate its decision as it claims that its offer fulfils all tender conditions. The consortium offered the lowest price of US$259.44mn (€207.50mn) excluding VAT. Italian partner INC claims that exclusion from the tender was unfounded and said it

Data from the organisers of the Hillhead quarry show in the UK reveal a 10% jump in visitor attendance. In all a total of more than 17,000 visitors attended Hillhead 2012 compared with 15,500 in 2010. One major exhibitor said that its records show that close to 3,000 people visited its booth alone. Throughout the three days of the show attendees were able to view more live demonstrations and new plant and equipment than ever before, presented by a record 459 exhibitors. Dates for Hillhead 2014 will be annou

A webinar being run by the IRF will help industry professionals achieve proper crash cushion selection based on site-specific seeds and conditions. The webinar is being held on June 27th from 2:00-3:00 pm US-EDT as part of the IRF’s Safer Roads by Design series and is being hosted by industry expert and IRF safety advisor Mike Dreznes. The aim of the webinar is to deliver proper classification of crash cushions, a task critical to ensure the appropriate placement of crash cushions, also known as impact atte

A new report released by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) shows transportation improvement programmes are struggling in over half the US states. ARTBA’s analysis of state highway and bridge contract awards value was compiled by McGraw-Hill Analytics. This report finds that even when adjusted for inflation, the value of highway and bridge work let in 28 states and the District of Columbia over the past 12 months is less than they awarded in pre-recession 2008. “That’s a major

Hargreaves has made history by becoming the first mining project in Europe, Africa and the Middle East to invest in a total solution from the newly extended Caterpillar mining range. The seven year US$94.02million (£60mn) deal with Finning Equipment Solutions includes four new Cat 6030 hydraulic excavators and 19 777 Off Highway trucks, delivered earlier this year to the new Hargreaves’ Surface Mining Division for use at the Tower Colliery open cast mine site in Hirwaun, Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales.

The authorities in China have revealed that construction of the Fuzhou section of the new Beijing–Taipei highway will commence by late May 2012. The two-way four-lane expressway will have a design speed of 100km/h. The 53km Fuzhou section is expected to cost some US$1.04 billion to construct. This section of highway will take four years to complete.

Road tolls in Bosnia are to rise by over 100%. Director of the Bosnian motorways company Autoceste FBiH, Ensad Karic, said the federal government Federal Bosnia and Herzegovina had approved the increase, effective from 13 June, 2013. Prices for personal vehicles will increase from BAM 2 to BAM 4.20 (US$2.68) on the Sarajevo-Zenica 37km motorway.