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Russia is establishing a new transport infrastructure fund. This is being set up jointly by the Ministry of Finances (MoF) and the Ministry of Economic Development (MeD). The fund is intended to top 3% of Russia’s GDP and should be in place within a six year period. The fund will target PPP projects in the transport sector, with financing being generated through selling bonds.

Financing from the World Bank will help pay for bridge building work in Nepal. The road from Muglin to Narayanghat is being widened currently, which will see the route featuring a lane in either direction, rather than the single lane that carries all traffic at present. This will boost its capacity and reduce delays to drivers on the route, which carries around 20,000 vehicles/day. Improving the 36km, north-south route however requires the construction of 18 new bridges. Much of the route is already surface

The tender process is still underway for three sections of the new super highway project to connect Nagpur and Mumbai in India. Meanwhile 10 of the contracts for the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway (NMSCE) have now been awarded. The NMSCE highway project will provide an improved transport link between Nagpur and Mumbai, which are around 690km apart. The NMSCE highway is expected to cost a total of US$6.8 billion to construct.

Slovakia said it will tender this year for the 14km R2 expressway linking Roznava and Jablonov nad Turnov with completion likely in 2024. Slovakia's transport minister Arpad Ersek said construction could start by Q3 2019. R2 is a 360km route that will run from Kosice in the east across the country to Trenčín, near the Czech border in the west. It will pass through Bánovce nad Bebravou, Prievidza and Lučenec. Roznava is an economic and tourist centre around 70km from Kosice.

The Government of Romania will build three motorway segments through a public-private partnership. The motorway segments in question are the 109km long Ungheni-Iasi-Targu Neamt segment, which will have a bridge built over the river Prut, the 100km long Rasnov-Brasov-Ploiesti motorway section, and the 550km long motorway segment between Alexandria and Lugoj.

Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD is supplying an order for 500 all-electric dump trucks from customers in China’s Shenzen area. The T10ZT models are said to be able to travel 280km on a single charge and feature 10.6m3 capacity dump bodies. The machines can be fully-charged in just 90 minutes and the deal also includes supplying both fixed and mobile fast-charging systems for both customers.

A new bridge is to be constructed in Russia that will span the Chusovaya River. The project is expected to cost in excess of US$241 million to carry out. The bridge will measure in excess of 9km-long. The cost of the project will be split between the Russian Federal Government, the Regional Government and the concession firm awarded the deal. The project will be carried out by the Perm Concession Company. The package of works includes rebuilding access roads. The concession package was awarded by the Federa

Two major highway projects are now moving ahead in Texas. One project is for the Grand Parkway around Houston, the other is for the construction of three bridges at an interchange on US 290. Grand Parkway Infrastructure is to construct a stretch of the Highway 99 Grand Parkway, which will run around Houston. In all the project for the 295km gyratory highway is costing US$1.28 billion. The package of works was awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation and involves building extra toll lanes as well a