News

The Scottish Government has announced that a project to complete the M8 and to upgrade several other highways is going to cost about €606 million (£508 million). In all some 18km of highway will be upgraded, although the project will not be completed until 2017, four years later than was originally planned. The delays are blamed on funding issues. The work is being handled by the Transport Scotland agency, which has opened the tender process

The highways authorities in Vietnam intend to increase the percentage of roads and highways built from concrete. A pilot project will see the construction of a 25km highway link connecting the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh and Hanoi-Haiphong expressways. The Department of Planning and Investment is setting out a plan for transport project development using concrete instead of asphalt. The plan will run at least until Transport. The aim behind this strategy is to increase the longevity of road surfaces.

The authorities in Albania are planning to open a new tunnel that will form part of the Tirana-Elbasan highway. This new link is currently under construction and is due to be opened in early May 2012. The tunnel is 4.3km long and is around 66% complete.

An investment of US$ 646 million will improve sections of road in Mexico’s Jalisco State, as well as other links. A 30km road connecting with Tepic will be upgraded, along with 169km of highway and 111km of another road. Mexican firm IDEAL is investing in the links.

The EU is granting over €160 million to support key infrastructure projects. This EU co-financing is to come from the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) programme to continue improving transport infrastructure across the EU. The 26 selected projects will use the EU’s financial support to speed up the implementation of important priorities of the TEN-T Programme in order to contribute to delivering a safe, competitive and efficient transport infrastructure network. Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas

Amsterdam in the Netherlands is to benefit from €131 million aimed at improving roads. The funds will be invested in 50 measures including a 9km of peak traffic lanes on the A7 and A8 highway between Purmerend, Zaandam and Oostzaan. This forms part of a €794 million programme of upgrades to the country’s transport infrastructure.

A new law in the US state of Pennsylvania will help boost safety for cyclists. This sets rules for Pennsylvania drivers to follow when encountering a cyclist. Drivers now have to leave a 1.22m space when overtaking cyclists. To achieve this, drivers may have to cross the centre line when passing a bicycle on the left, but only when opposing traffic allows. Drivers attempting to turn left must also yield the right of way to bicycle riders travelling in the opposite direction. The new law also calls for bicyc

The latest official figures on road safety in Europe are giving cause for concern, with data showing casualty reduction has slowed. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas recently announced a disappointing progress on casualty reduction on Europe's roads. The joint European police association, TISPOL, has added that it is also concerned that improvements in cutting fatalities on Europe’s roads significantly slowed in 2011.

Cause for concern has been revealed by a poll of 841 drivers carried out by UK insurance company Direct Line in partnership UK road safety charity Brake. This poll revealed that 48% of those with mobile phones use them whilst driving. Worse still, with two in three drivers admitted using hand-held devices whilst at the wheel. Of those questioned, 25% stated that they use their mobile phone whilst driving at least once/week. And 44% of young motorists and more than 25% of older motorists admitted to texting

Plans are well in hand for the fourth Laos-Thai Friendship Bridge connecting Laos with Thailand. The bridge is expected to be complete by 2014 and spans the Mekong River between Thailand's Chiang Rai province and Laos' Bokeo province. The two countries have also reached an agreement for the fifth Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge, which will span from Thailand's Bung Kan province to Laos' Bolikhamsay province.

The world famous Munich, Germany-based construction industry show is offering the Award in five categories: machinery; machinery component; construction process/construction work; research; and design. Backed by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the head associations of the German construction industry and Messe München International, the bauma 2013 Innovation Award is welcoming applications from now until August 31, 2012. bauma is held from April 15 to 21, 2013.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has awarded a US$182.5 million contract to widen the Yamunanagar-Saha-Barwala-Panchkula route in Haryana. Gammon Infrastructure Projects will handle the work, which will see the highway widened to four lanes. The construction work is expected to take 30 months and this forms part of a 22-year concession deal for the link. The work will be carried out under the design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model.