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Data from the A9 route in Scotland shows that the installation of average speed camera technology is helping cut crashes. This is Europe’s longest single enforcement scheme, with the technology having been installed along a 220km stretch of the A9 in Scotland. Figures from the route show that the average speed enforcement scheme, which uses SPECS technology supplied by Vysionics, is helping cut casualties while improving journey reliability and driver behaviour.

The police in England and Wales are introducing roadside tests to check whether drivers are under the influence of drugs. The crackdown on drug driving will see recently approved testing kits being used by traffic officers for enforcement purposes. Concern has been expressed following recent studies showing large numbers of drivers get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs. Young male drivers pose a particular risk for getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs. There are also

Work on four new road projects in India will be carried out by Spanish contractor Isolux Corsan. In all the work is worth US$306.5 million. The 130km stretch of road connecting Talcher with Chandikole in Odisha is costing $124.9 million to construct. One stretch is for a 160km road between Phalodi and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The other two sections of road being built are in Assam.

Plans are in hand in Brunei for a new bridge that will connect Brunei-Muara with Temburong. This project will require the construction of a 30km bridge and will be the largest of the kind in the country. Temburong is at present separated from the rest of Brunei as it is encircled by Malaysia and the project will provide an important new connection. The Brunei Ministry of Development is handling the project.

The Serbian Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure has set a target for road construction during 2015. In all the country will build some 160km of new roads during 2015. At the moment the country is also building or rebuilding some 150 bridges in a bid to boost its transport connections. Work to the Nis-Dimitrovgrad road is due for completion during 2015. The cost of this ambitious target has not been revealed and nor has the source of the funding stream.

A highway widening project in Nigeria will improve the connection between the city of Minna and the capital, Abuja. The road being widened connects Suleja, which lies close to Abuja, with Minna and the work is being carried out on a 41km section of the route. The work will be carried out by Italian contractor Salini Impregilo and involves adding a second lane to the route, while the project is worth some US$127 million. The 48 month project was awarded by the Nigerian Ministry of Public Works.

In the United States, the National Operations Centre of Excellence has officially launched a web site to provide the transportation sector with the latest knowledge and management tools. Practitioners, researchers and policymakers will find on the site the latest resources and have the opportunity to discuss topics related to systems management and operations. The centre launched its website at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in mid January. Click here to view the site

Demolition work has been carried out on the central section of the Chain of Rocks Bridge in the US. The bridge lies just to the north of the city of St Louis, with the eastern end of the structure on Chouteau Island in Illinois and the western end is in Missouri. For the demolition work to be carried out I-270 had to be closed to traffic, so as to ensure the new structure would not suffer damage and also to maximise safety. The other sections of the bridge will be removed in due course.

Australia’s road safety improved in 2014, with a reduction in road-related fatalities. Official data from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics shows that the number of people died on roads in Australia stood at 1,153 people, a drop from the previous year’s figure. This is the lowest annual death toll on Australia’s roads for 69 years, which is of note given the massive rise in vehicle numbers during that time. Vehicle safety has certainly played a role with massively improved p

Construction firm Al Jaber Transport & General Contracting will carry out work on two contracts worth a total of US$544.5 million in the UAE. The package of works was awarded by Abu Dhabi General Services Co. Under the terms of the deal, a subsidiary of Al Jaber Group will build two sections of the highway from Mafraq to Al Ghwaifat located near Qatar, and on the border with Saudi Arabia. The sections included the construction of highways from Al Mirfa to Abu Al Abyad, and the construction of highways and i