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A Portuguese construction contractor has caused dismay amongst archeologists after he dug up some dinosaur bones. The man put the sauropod tail bones, which measure a total 3.6m long, for sale on the Internet causing a flurry of protest from Portuguese palaeontologists. The valuable bones are thought to be from 146-152 million years old. However, the contractor has so far refused an offer of €100,000 from a Portuguese museum and is also refusing to tell palaeontologists where the find was made.

Drivers relying on GPS systems sometimes find themselves stuck in narrow roads or trying to locate bridges that have yet to be constructed. However three Norwegian tourists travelling in Brazil had a rather more hair-raising experience. The men were driving back from a beach resort north of Rio on their way to drop off the vehicle at the airport when their GPS unit told them to drive off the main highway. Unfortunately, the suggested short cut took the men through the dangerous Mare slum area where the car

A Japanese designer has developed a battery powered vehicle that features bodywork, seating and floor made from bamboo. The vehicle offers a 50km range and is reputed to weigh just 60kg (it is not clear if this includes battery weight although it seems unlikely). The diminutive single seater also has bodywork that is 100% biodegradable. Crash testing results have not been announced for the vehicle so far, although bamboo's flexibility means that it may well offer good shock absorbing properties. However dri

A car enthusiast in the US state of Wisconsin built his own Lamborghini but had to hire an excavator and demolish a wall to remove the simulacrum supercar from his basement. The man was so inspired after seeing the B-movie Cannonball Run about an illegal car race held on public roads across the US that he decided to build his own Lamborghini. The film starred Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, Farrah Fawcett, Jackie Chan, Peter Fonda and Roger Moore, at least some of whom can be assumed to have

Spain's road maintenance deficit has now reached €8.6 billion in the period since 2005, according to road maintenance companies. The industry has now asked the authorities to invest 2.5% of the roads value on maintenance to take up the shortfall. The companies include Imesapi and Dragados (ACS); Grupisa (Ferrovial); Acciona Mantenimiento de Infraestructuras (Acciona); Martinsa (FCC); Valoriza (Sacyr), and Elsan (OHL). This group says that the value of all the roads the Spanish government is responsible for

Financing is being put in place for the new bridge planned for the Strait of Messina to link the Italian mainland with the island of Sicily.

The Scottish city of Aberdeen is to benefit from a new 45km bypass. The project is expected to cost €442.5 million and will provide a route around the city and tackle heavy traffic congestion on existing roads. Vehicles currently either have to use a series of small country roads or enter the congested city centre and these routes are unable to carry the volumes of traffic being handled at present. The new bypass will reduce congestion and improve safety but is likely to be completed well after 2012 as was

Sagem Sécurité (Safran group) has signed a contract with Russian company United Telecom to supply and install 110 MESTA automatic speed control radars in Belarus, along with an automated ticket processing center. United Telecom specialises in the integration of intelligent transport systems, and the radars will be deployed along the M1 expressway between Poland and Russia to improve road safety.

A TEAM of private companies led by Spanish toll road operator Cintra has secured its financing for the Texas, USbased mega-toll project, the North Tarrant Express. The project The US$2 billion (€1.4 billion) project will rebuild existing lanes along Interstate 820 and portions of SH 183, and add new managed lanes as well, with construction expected to begin in late 2010.

Bidding is underway for the first section of Bulgaria's Trakiya Highway. This will be followed shortly by the bidding process for the second 32km stretch of the highway which will be 32km long. The highway is due for completion by early June 2010.