Road Structures

Highways in the US state of Illinois will be upgraded during 2017, improving connections to and from Chicago. The budget for the work has been set at US$1.7 billion. Works planned include the north-south I-490 Tollway and building the Illinois Route 390 Tollway. The I-490 route will improve access to O'Hare International Airport, part of a $3.4 billion programme of works upgrading Chicago’s busy airport facility. Another plan in hand in Illinois is for a new HOT lane on the currently congested Eisenhowe

Istanbul’s new Eurasia Tunnel has been opened for traffic, connecting the Asian and European side of the Bosporus strait. The new link will help reduce congestion in Istanbul and should cut travel times to just 15 minutes for drivers using the link. The tunnel runs from Kazlıçeşme on the European side to Göztepe on the Asian side of the Bosporus strait. The new route is 14.5km long, with a 5.4km tunnel stretch lying up to 106m below the Bosporus Strait and features two decks for vehicles and it is expect

Drivers in the UK are to benefit from the opening of a new dual carriageway connection. The section of road is a key route for Highways England, improving the connection between junction 19 of the M6 and junction 7 of the M56 motorways. The new A556 Knutsford to Bowdon link road will cut congestion and journey times for drivers in the area. As part of the £192 million project to build the new dual carriageway between, Highways England has remodelled slip roads at Yarwood Heath and Bowdon roundabouts. The

New Zealand has plans to rebuild transport infrastructure damaged by the recent earthquake. Road as well as rail links were damaged by the earthquake in Kaikoura and the rebuilding will include measures to provide protection against future such problems, as well as improving safety. The work will cost an estimated US$1.03 billion (NZ$1.4 billion). Another project being planned is the rebuilding of Kaikoura Harbour, which was also damaged by the earthquake.

Malaysia is pushing ahead with a series of construction projects that will form sections of the Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak. Work will go ahead on eight sections of this important route and this will form phase one of the project, with the cost anticipated as some US$3.05 billion. The eight packages consist of the 95km stretch from Sematan to Sungai Moyan Bridge, an 89km stretch connecting Pantu Interchange with Batang Skrang and the 80km section from Sungai Tangap Interchange to the Pujut Link Road. They

Two new bridges are planned for Vietnam, with the work expected to cost a total of US$446 million. These bridge links will be built by local firm Trung Nam Construction Investment and will be designed to improve road traffic flow in Nha Be district, while also forming part of a wider flood control scheme. One of the bridges will be built at Cay Kho floodgate while the other is planned to be built at Muong Chuoi floodgate. In all the plan also calls for the construction of six gates to control tides and redu

Guatemala is pushing ahead with a plan to develop its road network. The expansion programme will see over US$225 million being spent on improving the country’s road connections during 2017. The work calls for the construction of 1,600km of roads, which will help improve access to many rural areas. Tolled highways will also be completed in Barberena and Chimaltenango. Funding will come partly from the general road authority, Direccion General de Caminos (DCG) and from the cooperation fund Fondo de Solidarida

The opening of a new bridge in Kazakhstan that spans the Irtysh River is now offering a shorter route for drivers. The link is 12.3km long and is now the longest such structure in Central Asia, while the project cost around US$157 million. Its length was necessary as the bridge crosses a floodplain area, with a channel that can widen considerably following periods of heavy rain. Located in the country’s Pavlodar region, the bridge cuts the route used previously by over 40km. The bridge is expected to carry

Work on the US$675.5 million (A$896 million) Torrens to Torrens project in the Australian city of Adelaide is well underway. One of the latest aspects of the project is for the construction of a new bridge link. This will carry vehicles at Torrens Road over South Road and will help improve traffic flow in the area.