Road Structures

New Zealand’s Mount Messenger bypass project has attracted some controversy and opposition. The 5.2km route will cost around US$129 million (NZ$200 million) to construct and will include two bridges as well as a tunnel section. The alignment has been selected from five options as it minimise environmental damage. However there are complaints from environmentalists that the project will damage a 44ha area that includes forest and wetlands as well as posing a threat to some endangered bird life.

Building the North East Link in Melbourne, Australia, is expected to improve transport and reduce chronic congestion in the city. This will be Victoria State’s largest road building project and will cost US$11.14 billion (A$15.8 billion). The proposed alignment runs through the existing Bulleen Industrial Precinct, which will be relocated as a result.

The tender process is opening for a new road link to connect with Sydney International Airport in Australia’s New South Wales State. Called the ‘Sydney Gateway Project’ the new road link is expected to cost in the region of US$1.55 billion (A$2.2 billion) to build. The new route would improve transport connections between Paramatta, on the city’s western side, and the airport, located to the east. Building the new road connection is expected to help lower peak time congestion and journey times for drivers.

Discussions are in hand for two major bridge projects in Indonesia. The larger of the two bridges would be a 13.5km structure to connect Bangka Belitung Province with Sumatra Province. The new Selam Bangka Bridge would improve transport between Sumatra, Belitung Island and Bangka Island, boosting the tourist trade as well as agriculture and fisheries. Meanwhile a new 6.4km bridge is planned that will connect Bintan Island with Batam Island. This project is expected to cost around US$198 million, although

A new programme of works will see huge jump in the number of road bridges in Russia’s capital, Moscow. At present there are just 35 main road bridges in Moscow, but the building plans will see a further 24 being built, bringing the total to 59. The plan is costing over US$450 million. A number of new bridges will be built to span the Moscow River. Bridges will also be built to span the Yauza River and Skhodnya River. Construction work is already underway for a number of the bridges.

Building work for the toll road connecting Cileunyi with Sumedang and Dawuan in Indonesia will now be complete ahead of schedule. The route will open to traffic in 2020, instead of 2021 as originally planned. The work is being carried out in six separate sections. The contractor Citra Karya Jabar Tol is currently building sections 4, 5 and 6, having completed section 3, with the work costing close to US$555 million. Work is also well underway on sections 1 and 2 for the project.

A new contractor will take over work for Colombia’s Santana-Mocoa-Neiva road. The project is worth around US$956 million and forms part of the country’s 4G infrastructure development programme. The work will now be handled by Grupo Ethus and involves a series of improvements, upgrades and widening to be carried out along 457km of the route, including building a 54km section. This project will be carried out in seven sections and is due for completion in 2023. The work was originally awarded to a concession

In the wake of bridge collapses in Chile, the authorities are considering options for structural monitoring systems. A tender has been opened for an effective monitoring system that could be used to check the condition of bridges or tunnels or other civils structures. An effective monitoring technology is required as Chile’s Ministry of Public Works has revealed that 14 of the country’s bridges are in a critical condition with a further 245 requiring improvement works within the next 24 months. Three bids f