News

Mozambique’s road network will benefit from investment by Brazilian mining company Vale, which is to spend US$691million on the Nacala Corridor road project during 2012 to provide a key link to the Moatize II coal mining project, on which it is spending a further $499million. In all, Vale has planned total investments of $4.44billion on the Nacala Corridor and $2.07billion on the Moatize II mining project.

The Mongolian Government is to boost investment in the country’s road network to improve access in major towns and cities and connect outlying areas. Approved projects include repairing 35km of roads and building 25km of paved roads in the capital Ulaanbaater. Other projects include a 104km road between Mangdalgobi and Ulaanbaatar; a 45km road connecting Ondorkhaan with Monkhkaan, Baruun and Urt, and a 127km road between Tosontsengel and Tsakhiur. These will all be built by 2013.

Mott MacDonald has been appointed design consultant for the proposed Raipur–Bilaspur national highway 200 in India. Part of the National Highways Development Programme Phase IV, established by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the new road will connect Raipur in Chhatttisgarh to Chandikohole in Orissa, passing through areas including Bilaspur, Raigarh and Jarsuguda. Costing US$244.2million, the 127km long road is primarily made up of four lanes, with 34km of the highway comprising six lanes

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing substantial funding to boost Serbia’s transport infrastructure. The EBRD's investments in Serbia for the 2000-2011 period total some €3billion for over 180 projects. For 2012 the EBRD is continuing its financial support of Serbia’s infrastructure, with the Corridor 10 highway being one of the key targets.

Design work is underway for the first section of the St Petersburg ring road in Russia, and work will be carried out from Gorskaya to Primorskoe in 2013 at a cost of some US$373million. The 24km road will be widened to six lanes and the road structure will be revamped with completion scheduled for 2015.

The award of a US$177million construction contract to Austria’s Strabag for a transport project in Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam in late February has raised the hopes of the city becoming the first in the region to modernise urban transport through elimination of minibuses and private cars from the city centre. This will pave the way for the introduction of improved high- capacity buses (with capacity of 140 passengers) that would use non-polluting energy, hence reducing air pollution in this city of 2.

Brazil's transport infrastructure department (DNIT) is planning to carry out US$7.72billion in roadworks throughout the country during 2012, a spokesperson for the authority told BNamericas. The largest construction project entails widening 65km of federal highway BR-101 in the north-eastern state of Alagoas.

The World Bank is reducing its financing of projects in Ukraine until 2016. The new cooperation strategy between the bank and the country's government follows a drop in financing through slow spending loans extended by the bank to the country. The bank will provide US$150million for the Second Project for Exports Development in 2012. And Ukraine can also receive $1billion in 2013–2014, but both financing packages depend on development of economic reforms in the country during the following two years. The

The Kenyan government is planning to invest US$4.82billion in a major multi-modal infrastructure project to reduce Nairobi’s traffic congestion. The Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) will include a new rail transport network, and a public road of 167km linking the city with key neighbouring towns and municipalities such as Athi River, Kikuyu, Kajiado, Kitengela, Limuru, Machakos, Ruiru and Thika. The MRTS project will be managed by Nairobi Metropolitan Transport Authority and the gov

The Tamil Nadu state government in southern India aims to build a 162km road connecting Chennai suburb Ennore and the town of Mamallapuram. State chief minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa said that a detailed report on the US$266.62million peripheral road project will be carried out soon. Meanwhile, the state government said that it intends to upgrade all 78.6km of existing roads, while another 83.2km of roads will also be laid soon.

Chile's Public Works minister Laurence Golborne has announced plans to invest US$500million to improve roads in the eastern part of the capital Santiago. The first of eight separate projects to ease traffic in that part of the city will begin in October, 2012. The works will include a tunnel under Mapoco River connecting Costanera Norte and the Central Motorway; two new bridges over Manquehue and Kennedy Avenue; and works on the La Concepcion exit. The Perez Zujovic roundabout will be eliminated through wo

Lafarge has opened a Construction Development Laboratory (CDL) in Mumbai, India to strengthen its product development capabilities. It will design building solutions and systems adapted to the needs of the growing and ever-moving Indian market, where Lafarge hopes to seize opportunities.

AUSA has opened a new subsidiary in Mexico to give the company a presence in a region. From Mexico, AUSA aims to strengthen its position in North America, said Paco Pérez Salinas, the company’s new sales director. Mexico also offers great growth potential.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has extended its support and endorsement to a major upcoming conference on Libya. The Libya Infrastructure & Rebuild Conference is to be held from 27-28 June at Dubai’s Dusit Thani Hotel. Over 150 delegates from Canada, China, Germany, Egypt, Italy, the UAE, the UK, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), the Middle East, the US and other countries, will be participating in the event Atiq Juma Nasib, senior director, Commercial Services Sector, Dubai Chamber, will delive