Road Structures

Drilling work on the Eurasia Tunnel connecting Istanbul's European and Asian sides has been completed. Total length of the tunnel will be 5.4km, of which 3.3km will run under the sea. At its deepest point, the tunnel will be around 106m deep, according to a report by Hurriyet newspaper. Completion of the whole project is expected in the first quarter of 2017. The cost of the project amounts to some US$1.2 billion, of which $960 million has come from investment banks. Upon completion, the tunnel wil

In Slovakia work on three sections of the D1 highway will be complete shortly. One of these is for a 9km section of the D1 from Janovce -Jablonov, which is built by the Czech firm Bogl and Krysl. A 9.5km section of the D1 from Janovce -Jablonov is being built by Eurovia and will be ready at the end of 2015. The 11.2km section of the D1 from Fricovce - Svinia is being built a consortium comprising Strabag and Doprastav and is scheduled for completion in October 2015. The 10.4km section of the R2 route from P

The authorities in Moscow will shortly open the tender process for the first section of the Solntsevo-Butovo-Vidnoye highway. The contract to build the road is worth some US$388.46 million. The work on the 7km section of the road will include the construction of eight lanes for traffic area, on and off ramps, pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, three overpasses and the installation of noise attenuation barriers.

Key highway projects are being planned for Indonesia. The Indonesian firm Wijaya Karya (Wika) will work on three toll road projects in the country worth just over US$922 million. The projects are for the Samarinda-Balikpapan, Manado-Bitung and the Soreang-Pasirkoja routes. The firm hopes to fund the projects using a mix of state and private funding. Meanwhile the toll road operator Jasa Marga is working on securing the funding it needs to finance work on the Kertosono-Ngawi-Solo section of the Transjava Hig

Bidding has been closed for the contract to construct the Toyo Tunnel in Colombia. Three offers for the project have been made. In all, eight firms are participating in the tendering, with six of the companies being from Colombia itself. The project is expected to cost some US$595 million. The new tunnel will improve connectivity between Medellin and Uraba and will run from Giraldo to Canasgordas. The tunnel will form part of the Uraba road which runs through the mountain range at 1,500m.

Interest is proving to be strong in the new Agua Negra Tunnel project which will link Argentina with Chile. A number of Chinese contractors are showing strong interest in the project.

Further delays to the planned Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link between Germany and Denmark appear likely because of objections to the project during the planning stages, Danish media reported. Government authorities in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein indicated that permission for the project, which focusses on a 17km immersed road and rail tunnel, will probably be given in 2017, and not next year as previously believed. German authorities have received about 3,100 objections to the project that has rise

The authorities in Vietnam have set a massive budget for road development in Ho Chi Minh City. Some US$5.54 billion will be spent on improving the city’s road network. The projects included in the 2016-2020 road transport development plan include the construction of Belt Roads No3 and No4, the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Highway and tunnels at the Cong Hoa-Truong Chinh and An Suong intersections. The work also includes building flyovers at the Nguyen Huu Tho-Nguyen Van Linh Intersection, My Thuy Roundabout and Go Va

Ecuador is planning a series of four PPP infrastructure projects worth a total of US$1.5 billion. The four projects include the development of the port of Posorja, which will be financed by the private company involved. Two other projects are for the development of the port of Machala and the Rio 7 highway in Huaquillas, both of which are located in El Oro province. New regulations and laws are being established for the PPP plan to go ahead.

A key road project in Panama has been the source of some controversy. The upgrade of Domingo Diaz Avenue in Panama City has been criticised for its poor quality by some of the users of the route. Also known as Tocumen road, the project is for improvement work to 12.1km of road from the centre of Panama City to the East districts. The US$237 million work required involved widening the route to six lanes, as well as building three bridges for vehicle traffic and five pedestrian bridges. A consortium made up o