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A series of road improvements are to be carried out in New Zealand to help boost road safety. The New Zealand Government has identified 870km of roads that suffer high crash rates and which are in need of safety upgrades. A budget of US$901.5 million (NZ$1.4 billion) has been set for the work, which should be complete by 2021. Rumble strips, guard rail and shoulder widening are planned to be carried out.

Kazakhstan is setting out a budget for road repair and upgrade work, in a bid to improve the country’s transport network. The Ministry of Investment and Development has plans to carry out works to 1,700km of Kazakhstan’s primary road links during 2019. The programme of works is expected to cost US$222.8 million. A similar road repair programme with a slightly smaller budget was carried out during 2018.

Uncomfortable questions are being asked about Australia’s WestConnex toll road project. An inquiry carried out by the New South Wales Parliament says that the transparency of the US$11.85 billion (A$16.8 billion) project has not been satisfactory. Questions have been asked about the operation of the Sydney Motorway Corporation, with regard to its accountability and disclosure methods. Questions have also been asked about the cost of the new highway stretch linking with Sydney’s international airport. The 3

Norway’s Public Roads Administration is looking to boost highway construction in the country. Previously only routes carrying more than 12,000 vehicles/day would be considered for upgrade to highway status. However a new report from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration is looking to upgrade roads carrying traffic loads of 6,000-12,000 vehicles/day to highway status also. This could result in an additional 1,110km of roads being upgraded to highway status. These would feature two lanes in either directi

Kenya is seeing a slight improvement in its road safety statistics, with a minor reduction in the country’s annual road casualty rate. The data comes from Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), which reveals a drop in road deaths for 2018 compared with 2017. In 208 3,207 people died in road crashes in Kenya, a notable fall from the 3,658 recorded in 2017. Pedestrians accounted for 1,023 fatalities, while motorcycle riders accounted for 669 deaths. Meanwhile 658 vehicle passengers and 322 ve

A funding package from Japan will help pay for road upgrade work in Ghana. The US$57 million finance package will be used to pay for works in Ghana’s Ashanti Region and in the Central Region. In the Ashanti Region work will be carried out on the Bekwai-Anhwia Nkwanta-Kumasi road links, boosting connectivity for the country’s copper mining sector. Meanwhile in the Central Region, work will be carried out on the N8 route from Yamoransa to Assin Praso, helping to develop the local economy.

In Australia a contract worth US$2.75 billion (A$3.9 billion) has been awarded to a consortium made up of John Holland and CPB Contractors. The design build deal includes constructing an interchange as well as a 1km stretch of tunnel that will connect with the Iron Cove Bridge. The contract is due for completion by 2023 and forms part of the WestConnex toll road project. Building the Rozelle interchange will be complex as the work will include construction three levels of tunnels as well as a connection to

A design by Italian architect, Renzo Piano, has been selected to replace the Morandi Bridge in Genoa. The new bridge design was submitted to the authorities in Genoa as a proposal in September. Piano is said to be Italy’s most famous living architect and is originally from the city of Genoa himself. The new structure will be built largely from steel and Piano claims that it will be able to last 1,000 years. The new bridge will be built by a consortium comprising the Italian contractors, Salini Impregi

A new expressway project is being planned in Vietnam. The expressway will connect Soc Trang Province and Can Tho City to An Giang Province's Chau Doc city. Half of the necessary funding will be supplied by the Vietnamese Government, with development funding and private sources likely to provide the rest of the financing required. The 200km highway will feature two lanes in either direction and will cost some US$1.27 billion to build. Construction should start in 2024 and be complete in 2026.