Road Structures

Plans are being drawn up in Armenia for the new North-South Highway project. Measuring some 556km in all, the project is expected to cost in excess of US$2 billion to construct, although there it is possible that the final pricetag will be somewhat higher. The country's Ministry of Transport says that the southern section of the highway between Artashat and Megri will cost $1.5 billion to build alone.

A new road project is commencing in Kazakhstan, which will improve the country’s transport connections with neighbouring Russia. The road connects the city of Petropavlosk in northern Kazakhstan with Kurgan in Russia and measures some 60km in length. Work is due for completion on the stretch by the end of 2018 and the project is costing US$79.2 million. However the project is not without its complexities as the area features many lakes, providing technical challenges for the construction team, with regard t

The new East Bay Highway link in Pakistan will be constructed with assistance from China following an agreement between the two countries. The project has a projected cost of US$161 million and the highway will stretch 19.5km. The construction of the new East Bay Highway will improve transport links to the Gwadar Port, easing truck traffic.. The project forms part of the wider China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) programme of works.

Work on Algeria’s East-West highway is drawing to its final conclusion, after several years of activity. The final stretch will connect Algeria with Tunisia and construction of this section is due to restart before the end of 2017. When the tender process is announced, the projected cost of the work will also be released. The Algerian Government is keen for work on this last stretch of the highway to be complete by the end of 2018.

A funding package from Japan will help pay for the third stage of Sri Lanka’s key Central Expressway project. The third phase of the Central Expressway project will be constructed by the Japanese firm, Taisei Corporation, with the work taking five years to complete. Financing worth US$883 million is being provided by the Japanese Government for the project. This third stage of the Central Expressway will stretch 32.5km and will connect Pothuhera with Galagedara.

Interest is strong in the project to build the Agua Negra Tunnel, which will connect Chile and Argentina. So far 10 consortia have been pre-selected to enter the bidding process for the project. However Ebitan, the joint Chilean/Agentinian commission with responsibility for the project has said it will not release the names of the consortia that have been pre-selected until November 2017 instead.

Senegal is setting an impressive target for its road construction projects. The country aims to have built 187km of new highways during 2018. The country’s current key highway development projects were started in 2012. Senegal’s whole programme of highway works has been worth US$2.12 billion in all. The country has also boosted its tertiary road network with 38 separate projects, adding a total of 1,061km of roads and seven bridges.

A new alignment is being considered for a major project in Russia’s second city, St Petersburg. A tunnel stretch running under the Neva River is being considered as an alternative route for the Eastern High Speed Diameter (EHSD) project. This tunnel would take the place of the fixed bridge, which has been criticised by some for its impact on the city’s skyline. However building the tunnel would increase the cost of the project by around US$52 million.

A new alignment is being considered for a major project in Russia’s second city, St Petersburg. A tunnel stretch running under the Neva River is being considered as an alternative route for the Eastern High Speed Diameter (EHSD) project. This tunnel would take the place of the fixed bridge, which has been criticised by some for its impact on the city’s skyline. However building the tunnel would increase the cost of the project by around US$52 million.

In the Netherlands, the consortium of BBV24 is appealing the awarding of the Blankenburg Tunnel construction contract to another consortium, BAAK Blankenburg-Verbinding. BAAK Blankenburg-Verbinding – consisting of Dutch construction firm Ballast Nedam, Belgian dredging company Deme and Australian investment bank Macquarie – won the contract earlier this year.