Road Structures

Representing an investment of around US$113 million, Botswana’s A1 national road between Tonota and Francistown is undergoing a major upgrade This single-lane section is being progressively transformed into a north- and southbound dual carriageway, crossing four existing river bridges along the way. A strategically important transportation route for both Botswana and the southern African region, the A1 passes through Francistown, the nation’s second largest city, heading northwards to end at the Zimbabwe b

A series of new road and bridge projects worth some US$186 million will help connectivity in New Zealand. The plans include studies for three projects in Bays of Plenty, Hawkes Bany and Nelson. Other planned projects include the Nelson southern link, Rotorua eastern arterial and a Port of Napier access package. The programme includes work on the construction of five road projects as well as building a number of bridges. This programme of works is in addition to plans for work on regional roads.

Demolition of the Bay Bridge in California is underway at present. A new cable stayed structure now carries traffic and the old steel cantilever bridge is being dismantled piece by piece. The work is being carried out in stages so as to maximise safety and also to meet the tough environmental legislation that forbids any waste material accidentally falling into the waterway. The dismantling process is taking three years in all to complete.

So far 18 companies have been registered as eligible for tenders in the Agua Negra Tunnel project, which will link Argentina with Chile. The tender process is commencing for the project in the second half of 2014. The new tunnel will provide a better alternative to existing routes connecting the two countries through the Andes Mountain range at present. One of the existing routes is through a high mountain pass, which is frequently blocked due to poor weather while being unsuitable for heavy vehicles. The o

So far 18 companies have been registered as eligible for tenders in the Agua Negra Tunnel project, which will link Argentina with Chile. The tender process is commencing for the project in the second half of 2014. The new tunnel will provide a better alternative to existing routes connecting the two countries through the Andes Mountain range at present. One of the existing routes is through a high mountain pass, which is frequently blocked due to poor weather while being unsuitable for heavy vehicles. The o

Two major highway projects are being planned in Yemen. A new 710km highway will link the southern port city of Aden with Saudi Arabia, while there are also plans for a new 85km highway in the country’s central region. The route connecting Aden with Saudi Arabia is expected to cost some US$3.5 billion to construct. Around $134 million is being provided for this project by the World Bank while the Saudi Development Fund will supply $320 million. Work is expected to commence in three months’ time although the

Brokk showcased its 800S demolition machine to the North American market for the first time during Conexpo 2014 in Las Vegas, US. The 800 machines are the firm’s most powerful demolition robots and, Brokk claims, the most powerful on the market. The Brokk 800S is built for the most extreme tunnelling, mining and construction work, and the Brokk 800P is for hot ladle, converter cleaning or whole refractory renovations in metal processing industries. The Brokk 800S features Brokk’s signature three-arm

A successful bridge demolition project has been carried out in Chicago Illinois. The work to remove the Ontario Street Bridge was carried out on behalf of the Illinois Department of Transportation. A fleet of Caterpillar excavators was used for the work. The machines featured demolition attachments, allowing the structure to be removed in a controlled fashion as the video reveals.

In Northern Germany plans are being set out for a new Autobahn bridge spanning the famous Kiel Canal. The A7 Autobahn crosses the Kiel Canal at Rendsburg but the existing concrete structure has been deemed unable to cope with the volumes of traffic it has to carry. The bridge has been subject to lane closures and the passage of heavy trucks has been restricted. The A7 Autobahn is an important route for Germany, running from the border with Denmark in the north all the way to the border with Austria in the s