Road Structures

Two new bridge projects planned for Ecuador will cost a total of US$116 million. Studies submitted to the local councils in Guayaquil, Daule and Samborondon determined the cost for building the two bridges to connect these areas. However, an additional $7 million might be needed if another structure is to be built over Samborondon Avenue. Enylic, CPR and Consultola worked on the design studies at a cost of $1.05 million.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has opened new lanes on the New Jersey Turnpike between Interchange 6 and 9.

The Kuwaiti Government has awarded a US$520 million bridge construction contract to South Korean construction firm GS E&C. The deal will see GS E&C building a 12.43km bridge that features eight lanes. The central 7.72km section of the bridge will be constructed over water, in Al Asimah Governorate. The Doha Link Bridge will connect Entertainment City with Shuwaikh Port and is due for completion 36 months from now.

A major programme of PPP road construction concession contracts is due for Colombia. This has been given the go ahead by Colombia's National Council for Economic and Social Policy (Conpes). The programme is for a second round of 4G highway concessions through PPPs, worth up to US$16.5 billion in all, with 10 highway projects to be built. These are: the Autopista Mar 1; Autopista Mar 2; Neiva-Girardot; Villavicencio-Yopal; Rumichaca-Pasto; Puerta de Hierro-Palmar de Varela-Cruz del Viso; Santana-Mocoa-Neiva/

Work on the Trans-Sahara highway is on track with its construction schedule.

The authorities in Uzbekistan have plans in hand to construct some 423km of roads in 2015. Funding for a considerable portion of the construction work will come in the shape of loans. The Asian Development Bank is one of the funding sources and is providing loans being sued for financing 85km of the work required. The country has budgeted around US$1.17 billion for purchasing of road building equipment, an increase of 35% from the previous year.

A new 2.85km bridge is being built in Vietnam to span the Red River at Hung Ha. The Thai Ha Bridge will connect Thai Binh Province and Ha Nam Province with the Ninh Binh highway in Cau Gie Province. The link will be constructed under the build-operate-transfer model and the concession deal means that from 18th October 2016, investors will collect toll revenues from the bridge for 19 years and two months. The highway itself will feature four lanes with a maximum travel speed of 80km/h.

The Bulgarian and Romanian Governments have agreed over projects to build new bridges crossing the Danube River and linking the country. One of the two bridges will be constructed between Nikopol and Turnu Magurele while the other will connect Silistra and Calarasi. Funding for the projects will be provided by the Cross Border Cooperation Programme Bulgaria-Romania 2014-2020. The work to upgrade to the existing bridge at Ruse-Giurgiu will be included in the EU's operational transport programme for 2014-2020

In Nigeria plans are in hand for the rebuilding of two key connections, the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. Contractor Julius Berger is carrying out the work on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and this should be complete before the end of 2014. Meanwhile Lagos State looks set to handle the widening and improvement work required for the Lagos-Badagry Expressway project. At the moment the Lagos-Badagry Expressway features two lanes in either direction, however this is proving unable to c

The Colombian Government is keen to retart work on the important La Linea Tunnel link. The project has been delayed for a number of reasons and on a number of occasions since it was first envisaged. Engineering firm Valores y Contratos (Valorcon) has now been suggested as a likely candidate to become a strategic partner to join the Union Temporal Segundo Centenario joint venture that will carry out the La Linea tunnel scheme. Valorcon would provide sufficient cash flow US$68 million, either directly or thro