News

Poland has invested some €5.15 billion on road projects in 2010. The Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) signed contracts to build 544km of roads, including 300km of highways and 244km of dual carriageways. Of this 15% came from the Polish Government, while some 85% came from the National Road Fund (KFD).

The head of the German firm contracted to build 14 satellites for Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system called the entire project a "stupid idea," according to a leaked diplomatic cable published in Norway's Aftenposten newspaper.The head of the German firm contracted to build 14 satellites for Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system called the entire project a "stupid idea," according to a leaked diplomatic cable published in Norway’s Aftenposten newspaper. Aftenposten said the cable quotes Be

A project to construct much-needed highway links in Argentina now looks to have hit delays. The tender process for the highway projects, which will lie along the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires Province, has now been held back. A partnership comprising IECSA, Chediack, Coarc, Equimac and Martinez de la Fuente had a proposal for the package of works disqualified due to financial terms of the various deals.

Progress is being made in the Czech Republic on two key urban tunnel projects. In capital Prague, the Czech contractor Metrostave has now completed the drilling portion of the Letna section of the Blanka road tunnel. Local residents have complained about the noise, vibration and cracks in their properties that they say have been generated by the drilling and blasting work. The project looks as though its completion date will be later than first planned however.

The Department of Transport is planning to improve traffic flow in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, in a bid to reduce congestion and delays. Some 18 major road projects are due to commence in the city in 2011. In total the 18 road projects will be worth close to US$600 million. The contractors carrying out the work have not been revealed at this stage. Some obstacles to a number of the projects exist however with financing and land clearance issues expected to provide some hurdles.

A massive highway project will boost Austria's international links. The €933 million Ostergion PPP motorway project is one of the largest PPP projects currently in operation in Europe. The financers of the project are AMBAC and EIB, while the routine maintenance activities are headed by Egis. The project intends to ease congestion Austria's capital, Vienna, improve commuter traffic, enhance road connections between Austria and the Czech Republic and increase safety on congested B roads around the country.

Internet auction firm IronPlanet plans to sell over 270 items of construction, materials handling and agricultural equipment in its January 26th online auction. Equipment for sale includes excavators, loaders, dump trucks, backhoe loaders, compactors, telehandlers, forklifts, tractors and generators. The equipment is located throughout Europe and includes machines such as a 2010 Hitachi ZX280 crawler excavator, a Caterpillar 160H Motor Grader, two 2003 Terex TR70 dump trucks, a 2007 Caterpillar 319CL crawle

Leica Geosystems and GOMACO Corporation are forming a new business partnership. The deal will cover stringless control technology for the concrete paving market. Leica Geosystems is a leading manufacturer of stringless paving technology and has entered into a definitive OEM value added reseller agreement with GOMACO Corporation, a leader in concrete paving equipment. The deal follows 12 years in which the two firms have worked together closely.

Plans are now well in hand in China's Hebei and Zhejiang Provinces to build new highway connections and boost transport infrastructure. In Hebei Province a total of 12 highway projects worth an impressive US$9.66 billion will commence in 2011. These new highways will add a total of 852km to the network of the province. In addition, the authorities in Hebei Province are detailing additional plans to continue to develop the highway network with a target set of 6,762km in total by the end of 2015.

The authorities in Poland and Serbia are using innovative approaches to funding highway investments. The Polish Government is considering reallocating savings made on railway tenders to road projects. The Polish Infrastructure Department hopes to transfer some €311 million from its railway programme to road projects instead. This will help deal with the shortfall for highway improvements.

Bidding is underway for a major highway project in Egypt, with the tender process attracting considerable international interest. The contract is worth some US$1 billion and is for the construction of the 35km Rod el-Farag highway. Construction work on the project is scheduled to commence in late 2011 and the highway will be built under the PPP model.

International interest is growing in major highway projects being planned in the Ukraine. The biggest of the highway projects for the Ukraine will form part of the E-97 European Transport Corridor and is expected to cost in the region of US$1.3 billion. The next largest project planned for the Ukraine is worth $750 million.

The Malaysian authorities are setting out plans to upgrade a key link in the country, the 62km Segamat-Tangkak road. The project to widen the road and improve its capacity is likely to commence in mid 2011 and cost in excess of US$229 million. At present the Malaysian Public Works Ministry is preparing the tender process and is finalising the design.

US president Barack Obama has received a highly critical open letter from Pete Ruane, president of the US-based American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The letter questions the lack of progress in the delivery of a long-term surface transportation bill by the US Government. This bill is now 15 months behind schedule, which has resulted in a knock-on effect for the already struggling US construction sector.

Finnish capital Helsinki may introduce congestion charging by 2016. The plan would see drivers in the city being charged for using their vehicles at peak periods, although off-peak night-time driving would be free. Other European cities such as Swedish capital Stockholm, Norwegian capital Oslo and UK capital London already have congestion charging. Other UK cities including Manchester and Edinburgh have previously considered but rejected congestion charging schemes however.