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Key bridge links are benefiting from major upgrade works in Romania’s capital, Bucharest. Work on the Ciurel Bridge is now coming close to completion. The work is costing €470 million. This work has taken 12 years to complete. The work forms part of a wider plan to upgrade bridges in Bucharest. Other bridges being upgraded are the Eroilor, Opera and Timpuri Noi, spanning the Dambovita River. The bridge improvements should be completed during 2020.

Tendering is due to start for the new bridge that will connect Paraguay and Brazil. The bridge will span the Paraguay River, connecting Carmelo Peralta in Paraguay with Porto Murtinho in Brazil. Financing for the project has been secured and the work is expected to cost US$73.7 million. Once it opens to traffic, the new bridge will link Brazil’s Route 267 with Paraguay. However the road links in Paraguay will have to be improved to connect the bridge to the country’s highway network. At present Carmelo Pera

PNC Infratech is to build a 32new highway connection in Uttar Pradesh in India. The project is expected to cost close to US$143.5 million and includes the construction of a 32km bypass, featuring two lanes in either direction. The contract was awarded by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and is expected to take 36 months to complete.

Two major road contracts have been awarded in Ecuador by the road authorities. OHL has won the concession for a 131km stretch of road between Babahoyo and Jujan. The 30-year concession package involves an investment of over US$726 million. Meanwhile Tecnica General de Construcciones has a 30-year concession for the 113km road connecting Buena Fe and Santo Domingo. This deal is worth $591 million and includes widening the road so that it features two lanes in either direction.

Work is starting on a section of the road that will connect Son La and Cam Lo in Vietnam.

Work on Route 15 that connects Nogales with Estacion Don in Mexico is nearly complete. Located in Mexico’s Sinaloa State this route is of particular importance for the country as it connects with the US border at Nogales and is vital for trade. Around US$1.06 billion has been spent on improving the 651km Route 15 and the upgraded road should be carrying traffic along its entire length by November 2019.

Belarus is planning to rebuild the existing M-10 highway link, which connects with the EU to the west and Russia to the east. Running through the south of the country the M-10 connects Brest on the border with Poland, to Gomel close to the border with Russia. The work is expected to cost €185 million to carry out and the project is being planned under the PPP model. Various bids have already been made for the work, with contractors from Turkey and China amongst those tendering.

The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has proposed a number of solutions that could help boost future road safety.

A new report from the UK highlights that utilising warm mix asphalt (WMA) can help cut CO2 emissions. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Highways has issued a report highlighting how the use of WMA can reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiencies on highways projects. WMAs are manufactured and laid at lower temperatures than traditional asphalts, using less energy and delivering carbon savings without compromising performance. Their use can reduce CO2 emissions associated with asphalt production for

An agreement has been reached in Vietnam for construction of a bridge over the Dong Nai River close to Ho Chi Minh City. The proposed 4.5km, six-lane cable stayed structure – the Cat Lai Bridge - could cost as much as US$268 million. It would replace the Cat Lai ferry service that runs between Nhon Trach District of Dong Nai Province and District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City. The bridge would also become a major route to the international airport, according to local media. The ferry service carries on averag