Road Structures

China's Guangdong province will invest US$16.36 billion (CNY 99 billion) in transport infrastructure construction projects during 2014. Of the total, $11.46 billion (CNY 70 billion) will be set aside for construction of expressways. Another $2.27 billion (CNY 13.9 billion) will be used to build local roads, while $1.31 billion (CNY 8 billion) will go towards construction of national and provincial highways. In 2014, eight new expressway projects measuring 938km in total will begin in Guangdong. They inclu

Construction of the eastern and central parts of the new motorway through Algeria's elevated plains could begin soon. The work is set to follow the completion of respective studies linked to the project, according to national motorway agency ANA. Studies on the western stretch of the project are still ongoing. The motorway will cover 1,030kms, linking Tébessa and Naâma. The project involves Algerian, Chinese and Japanese firms.

One of Morocco’s most dangerous roads could get tunnels in a bid to improve its safety. A feasibility study on the potential installation of tunnels on the RN9 mountain-passing route will begin in December 2014.

In China a new 88km highway is planned that will connect Chengde with capital Beijing. The highway will connect Chengde in Hebei Province to Beijing's Pinggu district. The project will cost some US$1.32 billion. The route will feature a design speed of 100km/h. Construction work on the Chengde section of the highway is due to commence in 2014.

A series of major trade routes are being upgraded in Nepal, which are intended to help boost bilateral trade with neighbouring India and China. This will see four key trade routes being upgraded to six lanes. These are the; Butwal-Belhiya, Rani-Ithari, Surybinayak-Dhulikhel and Birgunj-Pathalaiya highway sections. Work is already underway on the Butwal-Belihiya and Rani-Ithari highway sections while work is also being planned for the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel and Birgunj-Pathalaiya highways. Of the 24km stretc

Two important bridge projects are planned for Indonesia. The South Korean firm Samsung is keen to build a 6.7km bridge to link Bintan Island with the free trade zone (FTZ) located in Batam Island. The copmany has been in discussions with the Indonesian Government with regard to the project, which will also include developing a container port in Batam's Tanjung Sauh and is likely to cost in the order of US$576.5 million in all. Meanwhile plans are in hand for a new 600m bridge to be developed in Jayapura. Th

Hungary is experiencing a road development boom. In line with the country's New Szechenyi Plan (USZT), some €3.67 billion (HUF 1.1 trillion) is to be made available for road development works. National infrastructure development company NIF says it launched road projects worth a total of €1.5 billion (HUF 450 billion) in 2013. Contracts have been signed for the full amount. Hungary's M4 motorway is to be opened in 2016 between Abony and Fegyvernek. The 29km motorway section will also include a bridge over

The first ‘green’ road in the Middle East will reportedly be built in the United Arab Emirates. The construction of the 5km road is scheduled to start in Q1 2015. The project sees the Department of Transport teaming up with the UAE-based renewable energy firm Masdar, the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi and the Urban Planning Council Estidama Programme Team. Environmental-friendly construction material like scrap rubber tyres and recycled asphalt/concrete aggregates will be used for the construction of the

Poland is set to get around 1,800kms of new roads by 2020 as part of a continuation of the country’s highways development boom. GDDKiA, the Polish motorways and roads authority, is reported to be already advertising tenders for over 700kms of new motorways and dual carriageways. More than €17.81 billion (PLN 74 billion) was spent building Polish roads from 2007-2013, with €11.04 billion (PLN 46 billion) of that amount coming from the EU. At the end of 2013, the overall length of motorways in the country

The World Bank has made available US$160 million of credit for the Rajasthan Road Sector Modernisation Project in west India. Scheduled to finish in December 2018, the ambitious project aims to improve rural connectivity, as well as improving road safety and management in Rajasthan state. In recent years Rajasthan, India’s largest state by area and home to more than 68 million people, is said by the World Bank to have made considerable progress with developing its rural roads under the Prime Minister’s Gra