Road Structures

A new stretch of the A7 road in Spain has opened. Costing €190 million, the 6.1km stretch runs between Puntalon and Carchuna, and is said to offer an alternative to the “endless traffic jams” on the Torrenueva crossing. In early-summer 2014, another new A7 stretch called ‘Taramay-Lobres’ will open, while a third stretch of the A7 is set to open in December, linking the municipalities of Castell de Ferro and Castillo de Banos (Polopos).

A consortium headed by Odebrecht Transport that has Tucuman Engenharia, Goetze Lobato Engenharia and America Empreendimento is reported to be the favourite to land a project to widen PR-323 motorway in Brazil’s Parana state through a public-private partnership. Valued at US$3.41 billion (BRL 7.7 billion), the 30-year contract will involve 207kms of motorway.

A contractor in China has completed an effective bridge demolition job efficiently and quickly. The pre-weakened structure was brought crashing into the river it spanned following one final push using the boom of an excavator. The defunct bridge collapsed in a controlled fashion without injury or inconvenience, allowing the rubble to be removed in a subsequent operation.

The Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) in Mexico has announced that roads and bridges in Guerrero affected by hurricanes during September 2013 will be repaired by mid-May 2014. However, repairs on the Barra Vieja bridge, costing US$38.27 million (MXN 500 million), will only be completed on 15 September 2014. Other projects are also planned for Guerrero, including school and housing schemes, following the hurricane damage. Guerrero will receive funds of more than MXN 30bn from the central gov

India's Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) has offered to build the 76km, US$1.01 billion Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track road in Nepal under an annuity model, proposing that the government issue a global tender. This model is suitable as investors, including IL&FS and other Indian firms Reliance Infrastructure and Larsen & Toubro, have proved unwilling to undertake the project under a BOOT system. The Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track road will carry an estimated 3,000 vehicles a day.

Indonesia’s transport expansion programme is seeing new projects commence, but others afflicted by questions over feasibility and delays. Questions over the economic feasibility of the proposed Sunda Strait Bridge project have been raised by the Public Works Ministry. This mega-project is intended to provide a road link between Sumatra and Java. But construction of the 30km structure could cost up to US$23 billion and might not be fully recovered, even if the investor collects toll fees under a 100-year con

China’s new longest highway is due to be completed by the end of June 2014. Around 97% of Xinjiang region's 428.9km Aksu-Kashgar highway is said to have been completed to date. The new route will eventually cost just over US$2 billion (CNY 12.3 billion) and is scheduled to open at the end of September 2014.

Moroccan road development fund CFR (Caisse pour le Financement Routier) is to receive a US$206.96 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The funds will be used for road modernisation in order to reduce congestion and improve the safety of road users. Around 30 sites will be modernised and 1,650km of roads will be widened.

Spanish construction firm Sacyr is set to invest around US$1.5 billion in Colombian road concession projects. The country is regarded as an ideal recipient for foreign investment. Current Sacyr projects in Colombia include a bridge costing $40.11 million (COP 80 billion), as well as the $116.79 million (COP 233 billion) road scheme between Buenaventura-Loboguerrero. The country has embarked on a major road development programme, via serious and transparent processes, according to Sacyr.

Vietnam’s government has secured an ODA (Overseas Development Agency) financial support package worth US$844.95 million (JPY 86.4 billion) for four infrastructure projects in the country. A total of $179.75 million (JPY 18.4 billion) of the package will go to Ho Chi Minh City-Dau Giay Highway that is scheduled for completion in July 2016, while another $165.1 million (JPY 16.9 billion) is allocated for Tan Vu-Lach Huyen Road, set to open in early 2017.