Road Structures

A low level of investment in improvements and upgrades to Germany’s highway network is causing concern in the country’s transport sector. Some states have revealed a backlog of works needing to be carried out, with road surfaces now reaching the end of their design life and bridges requiring replacement in different parts of the country. Transport groups say that continuing low road maintenance budgets will further exacerbate the problem.

The authorities in the Peruvian city of Lima are planning the construction of a tunnel to connect with Huancayo. A budget of US$1.86 million has been set to pay for a feasibility study into the project.

China is to provide a loan to Cambodia during 2012 for infrastructure development.

Serbia has managed to reduce the cost of building the Corridor 10 highway by €80 million. These funds will instead be used to pay for upgrades and improvements needed for the second section of the highway project, close to Neradovci.

There are questions over the funds available for Slovakia’s Visnove Tunnel project. A former Transport Minister believes that the Transport Ministry will face challenges finding €664 million needed to build the tunnel, which forms part of the D1 highway.

Plans are in hand for major upgrades to Russia’s road network. Russian Highways (Avtodor) aims to construct 958km of roads, as well as to reconstruct 963km of road and improve 700km of road bed by 2019.

A fresh set of problems has hit the long planned Messina Straits Bridge in Italy. There is now reduced funding available for the project from the Italian Government.

An important tunnel project is being put forward for the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Telvent GIT has been awarded a contract by the Transcity JV, with Brisbane City Council as the end customer, to implement the ITS for Legacy Way (formerly Northern Link) in Australia.