Road Structures

Wolffkran International has replaced its WOLFF 6015 clear with the WOLFF 6020 clear, the Swiss crane manufacturer has announced. A major improvement over its predecessor is an increased tip load capacity. Two versions are available. The new flat-top saddle jib is now available as the 6tonne WOLFF 6020.6 clear and the 8tonne version WOLFF 6020.8 clear, with three different tower connections per version. "Compared to its predecessor, the 6tonne version can lift 2tonnes instead of 1.5tonnes at the tip

An innovative electric road concept has been developed in Sweden by researchers at Lund University.. The new system features a conductive rail on the road surface, which is inactive until an EV passes over the top. The EV can be charged with up to 160kW by the rail, with the system offering an efficiency claimed to be as high as 97%. The system could allow EVs to feature smaller, lower cost batteries as range extension would be delivered by the charging system instead.

The tender process is being restarted for the project to drive the Zheleznitsa Tunnel, which will form part of Bulgaria’s Struma Highway. The tunnel project is expected to cost €128 million in all to construct with the work being split into three separate lots. Two of the lots, I and III are smaller packages for the roads at either end of the project, with the most valuable tender, Lot II, being for the €99.2 million deal to construct the tunnel itself. The tender process is being managed by the Bulgarian R

There is strong resistance mounting in Bolivia against the construction of a road link through the country’s TIPNIS national park, a conservation area. The new road is intended to improve transport connections between Villa Tunari and San Ignacio de Moxos.

Two firms holding concessions for major highways in Brazil are asking the government for the terms to be renegotiated. Odebrecht Transport and Triunfo Participacoes e Investimentos are looking to join a new concession renegotiation scheme.

Chile’s capital Santiago now looks set to benefit from a new road tunnel link, which will cost up to US$900 million to construct. The Americo Vespucio Oriente I (AVO I) will stretch 9km through the city and will include a tunnel section. The project has been the focal point for discussions between the local authorities as well as the companies OHL and Sacyr.

The city authorities in Russia’s capital Moscow are planning the construction of a new stretch of highway. The North-East Expressway will provide a connection between the existing Dmitrovskoe and Yaroslavskoe Highways. The new route will measure 13km long and design work should be complete by the end of 2018, with construction intended to be finished by 2020. Once the new link is complete it should help reduce the city’s notorious peak time traffic congestion.

A series of major road infrastructure upgrades are planned for Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. In all 24 separate projects are included in the programme of works being set out by the local authorities. The work will be worth close to US$193 million in all. One of the key upgrades will be the construction of a new flyover section that will run over the top of Suyapa Boulevard. The connections to the city’s Anillo Periferico ring road will also see a number of upgrades. The work is expected to cut conge