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A major loan from Japan will help develop the road transport network in Kazakhstan. The Japanese government will provide a loan to the Republic of Kazakhstan worth US$76 million. The sum will be used to develop the country's road infrastructure and will boost Kazakhstan's access to European and Asian markets. The loan will allow a new bypass to be built on one of the country's main transport arteries in the southern Zhambyl province, as well as the rehabilitation of other existing routes.

Vietnam is seeing significant expansion of its highway network at present, with another three major projects now moving forward and much of the financial backing coming from other Asian nations such as South Korea and Japan. A feasibility study is being carried out for the 94km Nghi Son-Bai Vot expressway and this should be complete by October 2010. The project is expected to cost US$1.04 billion and the expressway will have either six or four lanes, based on Transport Engineering Design's study.

A feasibility study is now in hand for a 10km bridge in Brunei to link Temburong with Brunei-Muara. Ove Arup & Partners has been awarded the contract for the bridge study, a deal worth some US$2.1 million that is expected to take 18 months to complete.

Additional funding is being sought for the third stage of a project that will upgrade the 3,010km Ho Chi Minh Highway in Vietnam. The third phase of the project has an estimated investment capital of some US$14.7 billion and foreign and local investors are being invited to invest in the road through different funding structures. The funding models will include the proven build-transfer-operate (BTO), build-transfer (BT) and build-operate-transfer (BOT) systems, with from 20%-30% of the funding to come from

Two key highway upgrades will be carried out in Australia by Valemus, a subsidiary of German construction firm Bilfinger Berger. In total the work is worth some US$219.4 million. Valemus is building a section of the Pacific Highway in New South Wales. This 8.6km four-lane road forms a bypass around Bulahdelah and is the final link in the southern section of this highway.

Ethiopia is targeting a major investment in transport infrastructure as a means to boost its economy in the long term. The country's government has plans for a road building programme worth an impressive US$8.97 billion. The aim of the programme will be to build 82,500km of roads over a five year period. This will extend Ethiopia's road network from 49,000km at present to a total of 136,000km.

The official opening of the new Corredor Bioceanico Central highway linking Brazil, Chile and Bolivia will be carried out in November of this year. The corridor provides a vital commercial link between the countries and is of particular importance to Bolivia, which is entirely landlocked. Better access to ports in Brazil and Chile and will help Bolivia's economy while also helping trade in those nations. Measuring 3,800 km long, the corridor comprises a number of roads that link Santos in Brazil to Iquique

The authorities in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo intend to invest in new storm drains in the near future. Photo courtesy of World Highways reader Lionel Rajapakse.

Plans are well in hand for a new link that will improve connections between capital Santiago and its fast growing satellite town of Lampa. The US$130 million project will shorten the current journey time of one hour to 35 minutes and is expected to carry some 10,000 - 17,000 vehicles/day when it opens to traffic.

Work will commence on a key new road tunnel connecting in Chile in 2001. The Chacabuco II tunnel will provide another road link between Santiago and the Andes mountain range along the Los Libertadores highway. This will improve Chile's connection with neighbouring Argentina as the highway runs to the border. The 2km tunnel will run parallel to the existing Chacabuco I tunnel, and will carry two lanes of traffic running towards Santiago.