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Discussions are in hand for two major bridge projects in Indonesia. The larger of the two bridges would be a 13.5km structure to connect Bangka Belitung Province with Sumatra Province. The new Selam Bangka Bridge would improve transport between Sumatra, Belitung Island and Bangka Island, boosting the tourist trade as well as agriculture and fisheries. Meanwhile a new 6.4km bridge is planned that will connect Bintan Island with Batam Island. This project is expected to cost around US$198 million, although

Construction work is underway in Uganda for a new expressway project. The 24km Busega-Mpigi Expressway project is being handled by the Chinese contractor China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCEC). The contract is being overseen by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). Financing for the project worth US$143 million has been provided in the shape of a loan from the African Development Bank (ADB). Around 9km of the route has already been built, with completion expected in 4 years-time.

A new programme of works will see huge jump in the number of road bridges in Russia’s capital, Moscow. At present there are just 35 main road bridges in Moscow, but the building plans will see a further 24 being built, bringing the total to 59. The plan is costing over US$450 million. A number of new bridges will be built to span the Moscow River. Bridges will also be built to span the Yauza River and Skhodnya River. Construction work is already underway for a number of the bridges.

Building work for the toll road connecting Cileunyi with Sumedang and Dawuan in Indonesia will now be complete ahead of schedule. The route will open to traffic in 2020, instead of 2021 as originally planned. The work is being carried out in six separate sections. The contractor Citra Karya Jabar Tol is currently building sections 4, 5 and 6, having completed section 3, with the work costing close to US$555 million. Work is also well underway on sections 1 and 2 for the project.

A major programme of road repairs and maintenance is planned for Russia’s Vologda Region. A budget of US$585.5 million has been set for the work. The plan is for 50% of the road network in the Vologda Region to meet necessary standards for quality by 2024. At present just 32% of the road network in the region meets with the required standards. A budget will also be set for building new roads in the region. One of the priority projects to be carried out under the road building scheme is for the Vologda Bypas

A new contractor will take over work for Colombia’s Santana-Mocoa-Neiva road. The project is worth around US$956 million and forms part of the country’s 4G infrastructure development programme. The work will now be handled by Grupo Ethus and involves a series of improvements, upgrades and widening to be carried out along 457km of the route, including building a 54km section. This project will be carried out in seven sections and is due for completion in 2023. The work was originally awarded to a concession

Plans for major improvement works to sections of the Bruce Highway and M1 Pacific Motorway in Australia’s Queensland State have been approved. In all the work is expected to cost more than US$1.4 billion (A$2 billion). The improvements to the Pacific Motorway are intended to boost capacity by as much 50,000 vehicles/day. This capacity upgrade work for the Pacific Motorway will be carried out on two stretches between Varsity Lakes and Tugun as well as Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill. Meanwhile the work for t

A major road safety issue for the UK has been highlighted by a recent study carried out jointly by the Road Safety Foundation and insurance firm AGEAS. This study has revealed that 60% of fatal crashes in the UK for the 2015-2017 period occurred on just 12.5% of the road network. Numerous studies show that rural A roads with no centre divider and just one lane in either direction have the highest rates of fatal crashes. Two roads in particular, one on the Isle of Wight and the other in Derbyshire, have part

In the wake of bridge collapses in Chile, the authorities are considering options for structural monitoring systems. A tender has been opened for an effective monitoring system that could be used to check the condition of bridges or tunnels or other civils structures. An effective monitoring technology is required as Chile’s Ministry of Public Works has revealed that 14 of the country’s bridges are in a critical condition with a further 245 requiring improvement works within the next 24 months. Three bids f