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All three of Moscow’s main airports are to benefit from major upgrades to their road connections. The authorities in the Russian capital have plans to repair and improve eight key connecting roads to Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo airports and with a target date for completion in 2015. The first section of the new Moscow - St Petersburg tolled highway forms part of the new route into Sheremetyevo airport and this is due for completion during 2014. In all some US$5.6 billion will be spent on repairing

The Papua New Guinea government is looking to borrow US$ 3billion to upgrade the country’s vital Highlands Highway. Francies Awesa, the works minister, will go to China to negotiate a loan for the project. The Highlands Highway serves three million people living in highland provinces, and upgrading the road is seen as an important priority for the government’s economic policies.

A pre-bid conference was held yesterday for the Secondary National Roads Development Project (SNRDP) in Samar, the Philippines. Monday’s event was a tender call for the first of four contracts of the road construction and rehabilitation project. Actual bids for the first contract, which involves a 550-day project to rehabilitate the Barangay Tinani-Buray Junction road that is scheduled to start on 5 September, 2012, must be submitted by 16 July, 2012.

Italian firm Marcegaglia has developed a new range of steel road safety barriers that is said to be versatile and cost effective. The units meet containment levels N2 to H4 and can be specified for different options in terms of working width levels (W). The line-up includes a dedicated system for motorcyclist protection designed to be fitted to all existing guardrails, a new P4 energy absorbing terminal system for barriers and a renewed range of steel New Jersey barriers, with optional integrated noise prot

A German car salesman recently decided to propose to his girlfriend in a somewhat unusual manner. The man arranged the vehicles in the car lot where he worked so that they would spell out the important question and he then flew over the site on a romantic aerial trip with her. Despite her surprise, the woman accepted the offer. The cars have since been parked in a more conventional manner.

A new study by civil engineers at MIT shows that using stiffer pavements on America’s roads could reduce vehicle fuel consumption by as much as 3%, that could add up to US$15.6 billion at today’s oil prices. This would result in an accompanying annual decrease in CO2 emissions of 46.5 million tonnes. The study, released in a recent peer-reviewed report, is the first to use mathematical modelling rather than roadway experiments to look at the effect of pavement deflection on vehicle fuel consumption across t

Inrix, a leading international provider of traffic information and intelligent driver services, has released its fifth Annual Inrix Traffic Scorecard revealing a startling 30% drop in traffic congestion in the US in 2011. In the report, which also scores Europe, 70 of America’s top 100 most populated cities showed decreases in traffic congestion last year. The report concludes these results are indicative of a ‘stop-’n’-go economy’ where lack of employment combined with high fuel prices is keeping Americans

New Zealand’s Waterview tunnel project in Auckland will provide a key link in, boosting capacity and safety while reducing congestion and journey times. A consortium will handle the work for the Waterview Connection road, in a deal worth $1.15 billion (NZ$1.4 billion). The Well Connected consortium includes local company Fletcher Construction as well as other New Zealand and overseas firms. The deal is of note as it will be New Zealand’s single largest highway project and work is due to commence in November

Major changes will be required in the way that highway infrastructure investment is funded in many developed nations. Fuel taxation is a key source of income for governments, with some countries (such as the US) using a set sum for road repairs, maintenance and new construction. Fuel taxation is a proportional way to fund road infrastructure improvements, basically as larger vehicles or those that are used more, will pay more.

MOBA Mobile Automation says that its PAVE-IR system is designed to improve paving by offering a new, non-destructive method for detecting thermal segregation in real time. Segregation is a leading cause of premature failure in asphalt roads and the system uses infrared sensors to produce a thermal profile for the entire project. PAVE-IR is said to deliver real-time QC/QA data to the operator on a colour touch screen and stores the files for additional analysis in the office. The complete job is documented w

The authorities in Indonesia are planning six toll road projects to link with capital Jakarta. These have a total value of US$4.52 billion and include the 18km Semanan-Sunter toll road, a 10km road linking Kampung Melayu and Kemayoran, the 9.6km Pasar Minggu-Casablanca road and the Ulujami-Tanah Abang road. Prequalification for tendering will commence once full approval has been given for the projects to become part of Jakarta’s 2011-2030 infrastructure programme. Also in Indonesia, Jasa Marga is investing

In Israel the contractor Shikun u'Binui Holdings has been awarded a road project worth some US$65.2 million. The tender was awarded by Israel National Roads Company and is for a four-year project. Under the terms of the deal Shikun u'Binui Solel Boneh Building and Infrastructure will upgrade the Upper Galilee interchange that connects Road 65 and Road 85. The project also includes widening both highways from two-lane to four-lane roads as well as building a small interchange near the Kahal village and const

A novel concept aimed at boost road funding is being introduced by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The new ODOT programme is aimed at generating millions in new revenue for reinvestment into highway funding. The scheme will permit advertising and sponsorship opportunities at interstate rest areas and welcome centres throughout Ohio. ODOT says it is seeking competitive bids for the Sponsorship, Maintenance, and Advertising Revenue Tartgeted (SMART) programme.

Volvo Construction Equipment has opened a new Competence Development Centre in Zhengzhou in partnership with local colleges and dealers to educate talented young people in technician training China's rapid urbanisation has meant that the construction machinery industry is developing quickly, and according the Five-Year Plan, the annual growth average for engineering machinery is projected to be more than 17%, while the annual output will be over US$900 billion Construction machinery will be a driving f

The commencement of work on a key road project in Mexico that will link Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido has now been delayed for 30 months. The project is expected to cost US$318 million to build and the construction work will start in January 2012. Once the highway is complete it will reduce the journey time between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido from the current 6-7 hours to just 2-2.5 hours. Omega has awarded the work to contractor ICA. Delays with the project have been a result of Omega having difficulties in

Hanson UK’s Ingleton Quarry is improving screening efficiency by employing new ceramic lining technology. The facility has taken advantage of the latest developments from Sandvik to improve performance with the replacement of existing quenched steel liners with ceramic inserts. The quarry, located in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, had wear problems with the steel wear protection plates used in the screening process. This cut efficiency while the plates were also noisy. In order to address the problem th

Australia’s Government will invest US$12.4 billion (A$12.5 billion) on the country’s road network in the 2014-2015 financial year. This does represent a decline from the $16 billion (A$16.1 billion) invested in roads by the Australian Government in the last financial year however.

The authorities in the Russian city of St Petersburg will spend some US$514.6 million on road construction and reconstruction during 2012. The city authorities will use public and private partnerships to push ahead with planned road infrastructure projects. Private investors will be invited to participate in construction of two highways with bridges across the Neva River, a highway with a bridge at the intersection of Fayansovaya and Zolnaya streets, and the Northern highway #7 connecting Arsenalnaya embank

Plans are in hand in Canada for repairs to the Gardiner Expressway near Toronto over the next 10 years. The plans call for repair works worth US$147 million (C$150 million) in all. The City of Toronto in Canada will provide some $14.7 million/year (C$15 million/year) during the 10 year period. So far, around $2.94 million (C$3 million) has been spent on maintaining expressway and the spending is set to hit $9.8 million (C$10 million) for 2012. At the same time a solution is being sought with regard to concr

Funding is being established for the Shoubra-Banha highway project planned for Egypt. The National Bank of Egypt is bringing together a consortium of lenders that will provide the syndicated loan required. The Shoubra-Banha highway project is planned by the Egyptian Transportation Ministry. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the General Authority for Roads, Bridges and Land Transport and the National Bank of Egypt. Construction of the 40km stretch of highway, which will carry 125,00