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Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has awarded a loan worth nearly US$35 million to the Sri Lankan government for reconstructing 25 deteriorated road bridges. The bridges include three in Southern Province, four in Sabaragamuwa Province, nine in Western Province, three in Northern Province, five in North Western Province and a bridge in Eastern Province. The loan comes after the Ministry of Highways, Ports and Shipping sent out an invitation to bid in October, covering eight bridges along the

Work has started on Algeria’s 63km bypass motorway to connect Guelma with Annaba and the East-West motorway, which is set to be completed within two years. Algeria’s Minister for Public Works Abdelkader Kadi made the announcement, has announced the launch of work on the 63km bypass connecting Guelma with Annaba. Nearly $346 million has been set aside for the 35km part of the project within the province of Guelma. In the province of Annaba, Kadi said that work had started on another section of the mot

The latest official data from Malaysia reveals a general, long-term improvement in road safety. In capital Kuala Lumpur, the road fatality rate has dropped by close to 50% in the 10 year period from 2004 to 2014. In 2013, the road fatality rate stood at at 0.44% of the 1.88 million population in the city, compared with 0.83% of the 1.52 million population recorded in 2004. During January-October 2014, the car crash rate and fatality rate in the city was reported to drop by 289 cases and seven cases respecti

Governments need more than ever to plan long-term highway strategies or face an increasing backlog of increasingly expensive maintenance requirements. “Insufficient maintenance has created a backlog and is affecting service levels,” said Jean-Francois Corte, secretary general of the World Road Association (PIARC), based in Paris. How to stop this seemingly endless downward spiral is what attendees to the major Pavement Preservation & Recycling Summit in Paris will find out in February. “What’s needed ri

The UK’s Highways Agency will rebrand as part of the organisation’s first five-year Strategic Business Plan to maintain England’s motorways and major A roads up to 2020. The plan for England’s strategic road network was developed response to the Road Investment Strategy published in early December. The UK government is getting set to make deliver the largest investment in roads since the 1970s and wants to make sure it gets value for money as well as nearly US$1.9 billion (£1.2 billion) of efficiency savin

In Russia the new Severny tunnel is planned for Rostov-on-Don. This four-lane tunnel will be 3.5 km long, and will be designed to carry up to 60,000 vehicles/day. The project is expected to cost in the region of US$188.43-226.12 million to construct. Design work will take two years, with the project due for completion in four years. The tunnel's service life is expected to total 24 years.

Construction of the Interamericana Norte highway in Costa Rica is said to be proceeding on track. Work is being carried out on the 50km Canas-Liberia section of the project. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) says that studies for the Canas-Limonal stretch of the new highway have been completed. The studies will then have to be submitted before the country's road authority Conavi to commence the tender process. A contract is expected to be granted by the middle of 2015. Funding could be provi

In Brazil financing issues have hit a number of transport projects in Minas Gerais state. The Banco do Brasil is holding back funds for planned work. As a result the state government of Minas Gerais has halted work on 32 construction projects. The Banco do Brasil has not provided the expected US$345.86 million for the work to be carried out. The finances were arranged by the central government through its funding programmes. The projects include a section of the MG-437 road between Sabara and Nova Lima. The

A new study on transportation investment has been carried out by forecasting company IHS. The firm is a global source of critical information and insight and the report outlines the economic benefits of federal highway and transit investment programmes on the US economy. The IHS report was commissioned by the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) and focuses on federal investment and examines outcomes on non-construction jobs, household incomes, and state and local tax revenues.

Engineer Abdullah Al-Mogbel, chairman of the International Road Federation, has been appointed Saudi Arabia’s minister of transport. The appointment was made by royal order of His Majesty Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Chairman Al-Mogbel's appointment is the latest development in a wide ranging career, which began in 1978 as a project manager at the Ministry of Communications (later renamed the Ministry of Transport). This was at the onset of Saudi Arabia