News

The Ministry of Transport, Works, and Housing (TWH) in Jamaica is the first recipient of the International Road Federation’s (IRF) ‘Decade of Action Find a Way’ Award. IRF chairman, His Excellency Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel, has introduced the award to recognise the value of political leadership in driving road safety strategies as part of the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. Under the leadership of Dr, the Hon. Omar Davies, the Jamaican TWH Ministry has overseen an ambitious regulator

The Spanish Ministry of Works requires further funds to complete work on the 261.5km A-11 Duero Highway. A further €1.13 billion is needed to pay for the work on the stretch between Los Rabanos (Soria) and San Martin del Predroso (Zamora) on the border with Portugal. There has already been €54.2 million invested in the project, which paid for construction of the 15.2km of the Aranda de Duero bypass but work is currently at a standstill. No new work has been carried out since July 2010 when the 6.2km Ronda N

The Danish government has shelved the plans for a road toll scheme for Copenhagen. The decision has been welcomed by opposition parties, and the government is now set increase funding for public transport so that ticket prices can be reduced.

Israeli financing looks to be one funding option for the Northern Tunnel project planned in the Russian city of Rostov. The plan calls for a 2.5km tunnel that will be tolled and link the city centre with the Northern residential area and will help reduce congestion on Nagibin Avenue. This is at present the only large highway linking the city centre with the residential district and is congested at peak periods. The tunnel project is valued at US$252 million and construction work is expected to take six year

Plans are moving forward in France for the beltway project around the city of Strasbourg. This tolled highway project is now expected to cost up to €756 million, compared with the original estimate of €400 million quoted during the call to tender in 2009. Vinci won the concession for the link. Should the project progress according to schedule, construction work could commence in 2013. The highway would then be opened to traffic in late 2016 or early 2017. The 24km highway is intended to features two lanes

An International research project into the effects of extreme weather on Europe’s transport network has shown that rain causes the most problems. Heavy rain can cut off or submerge low-lying areas, cause bridge scour, flood underpasses and damage earthworks. The Project is headed by the Finnish research body VTT and is investigating the impact of extreme weather on transport further.

The authorities in Romania are launching the tender process for a new highway section. The country’s national roads and highways company,CNADNR, is handling the tenders for the project, which involves designing and building a 9km section of the Transilvania Highway between Gilau and Nadaselu in Cluj county. The deadline for ids is 21st March 2012. The project is expected to cost from €73 million to €80.3 million to construct.

Ireland's Ministry of Transport is focussing on road maintenance rather than building new links at present. With the country’s economy still struggling under a burden of debt, finances are limited. Around 30 road maintenance projects are planned to be carried out in in Ireland during 2012. The Irish Government intends to invest around €200 million/year on road maintenance until its finances improve. New road projects are being delayed and will be held back until 2016 or 2017.

A new bypass around Carlisle in North West England has opened to the public two months ahead of schedule. The Carlisle Northern Development Route (CNDR) starts from the Wigton Road (A595) to the south west of Carlisle, follows a route around the west of the city crossing the River Eden on a new bridge near Stainton and the West Coast Main Line on a new two-lane bridge constructed at Kingmoor. The road layout allows easier access to West Cumbria from the roundabout at Junction 44 of the M6 rather than havin

The latest official data from the European Transport SafetyCommission (ETSC) shows that young people are amongst those facing the highest fatality risks while on the road in Europe. Some 140,000 young people aged 15-30 have lost their lives on Europe’s roads since 2001. Of these, 9,150 died in 2010. While this age group represents 20% of the population of the EU, the same group accounts for 30% of the total number of road deaths.

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) president and chief executive Pat Olney said demand for construction equipment in North America could jump by a quarter in 2012, after revealing the company posted a 111% increase in like-for-like first quarter year sales. Olney said Volvo CE’s strong Q1 2012, and improved overall construction equipment trading in the US and Canada, had re-emphasised the company’s belief in a sustained North American market recovery.

More than 100 representatives from local authorities, the police, and the highway safety-related business world attended UK Roads Crash Demonstration Day at MIRA near Nuneaton, in central England yesterday. The event included five crash demonstrations of road safety solutions developed by leading highway technology companies and an exhibition of safety products and services inside a marquee next to the demonstration site.

Croatian motorways company Hrvatske Autoceste (HAC) is reported to be planning to launch its new automatic road toll payment system from the beginning of June. HAC purchased the prototype of the system last year for US$426,807.75. The new system is expected to speed up the paying of road tolls, thus increasing traffic flow.