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APPROVAL HAS now been given for work to go ahead on a key section of Slovakia’s D1 highway. The work had been delayed as the European Commission (EC) was concerned over environmental issues facing sections of the route that passed through a nature reserve. The EC has now given its approval for construction of the highway between Martin and Presov on conditional terms. The EC says that the sections in zones belonging to the Natura 2000 network can be built once terms are agreed with the Slovak government o

THE CONSTRUCTION of the crossing for the A15 highway near Arnhem in the Netherlands now looks likely to cost up to €1 billion. It is required to reduce traffic density on surrounding minor roads and improve connections through to neighbouring Germany. The project was originally estimated to cost €750 million, of which the regional partners are to pay €112.5 million. A further €262.5 million is to be raised from tolls. However, this budget does not provide for the option, which includes a tunnel under the Pa

VIATEC UK, the Bath, south-west England-based manufacturers of road maintenance and reinstatement products, has exported its first order of the pothole repair, Viafix, to Malaysia. While on holiday in the UK last winter, Australian highway engineer John Hare saw Dorset Highways using Viafix to repair potholes in heavy rain. “He asked one of the maintenance team how they could fill potholes under such adverse conditions. The maintenance team explained about Viafix and explained how easy to use it had been,

A new joint-venture has been established between Russian Machines and Terex Roadbuilding. Under the terms of the deal, the partners will manufacture construction and roadbuilding equipment in Russia. The equipment being built, marketed and sold by the joint venture will include a number of Terex products as well as the entire range from Russian Machines. In addition, a number of products built by Terex will be marketed in Russia. This move follows an announcement of plans to form a joint venture in late 201

The European Transport Safety Commission’s (ETSC) 16th Road Safety Report measures progress made in EU countries since 2001 in tackling excessive speed, drink-driving and non-use of seat belts (the three biggest causes of road fatalities). It is published as the EU discusses priorities for the forthcoming Road Safety Action Programme for the next ten years. Available data shows that drivers have slowed down since 2001. Best progress has been made on highways (only up to 30% of drivers now exceed the speed l

PEACOCK SALT has secured a long-term agreement with Rio Tinto's Australian subsidiary Dampier Salt (DSL) to supply solar salt for the UK market.The agreement with the world’s largest salt exporter will see Ayr, Scotland-based Peacock importing in the region of 500,000tonnes of salt/year. Peacock says it currently controls 15% of the UK’s road salt market, supplying to a range of public and private sector clients. Director Angus Craig said the deal with Australia and UK-based Rio Tinto will secure the compan

The UK’s new government is investigating its transportation options with regards to raising capital to help offset its budget deficit. One of the plans being put forward is the potential sale of trunk roads and highways to the private sector. Under the proposed scheme drivers would be able to use existing roads without tolls. However, the private sector owners would then charge the UK government a sum based on traffic volumes over a given period.

Clearview Traffic has been recognised in the Best Green Companies Awards for its ecological approach and work towards helping local authorities meet their environmental targets. The award, presented by the Sunday Times, sets out to identify and celebrate the achievements of the top 60 British businesses that are striving to improve environmental performance. According to the group, the accolade is in recognition of the work undertaken by Clearview Traffic in improving both its own environmental standards an

THE NEW highway network currently being built in the Czech Republic will be completed in 2025, five years later than the original planned completion date of 2020. The country’s Transport Ministry has said that €19.55 billion will be needed to extend the total length of the network from the current 1,113km to 2,153km. However,it has pointed out that a new system of funding will be required or there will be a shortfall to pay for the plans by 2020.Various options are being considered at present with bond issu

M&T Expo 2012, the 8th International Exhibition of Construction Equipment and 6th International Exhibition of Mining Equipment, has opened in São Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city. It is the largest trade show for the construction and mining industries in Latin America. According to M&T Expo promoter Sobrameta (the Brazilian Association of Technology for Equipment and Maintenance) the prevailing tone at the opening ceremony was one of optimism among the leaders in the two segments of industry. Sobratema is expe

Topcon Europe Positioning says that Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS, Livermore, California, USA) has acquired InlandGEO, one of Topcon’s top performing distributors. InlandGEO is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, and has four additional offices in Spain, two in Portugal and one in the Canary Islands. In addition to continuing to distribute Topcon and Sokkia positioning products to the construction and survey markets in Spain and Portugal, InlandGEO will become the headquarters for distribution and support fo

ORGANSIERS OF SMOPYC 2011 say they have reached agreements with groups of buyers and trade missions from “strategic countries” that will make the event “a key gate to the markets of North Africa, the Mediterranean arc, South America and Asia.” The 15th international show of public works, construction and mining machinery (www.smopyc.es) is being held in Zaragoza, Spain, from 5-9 April, 2011. Feria de Zaragoza, the organisers, said that this edition of SMOPYC shows its ongoing commitment to the sector’s nee

A LEGAL dispute is now underway in Russia over the St Petersburg ring road project. Construction company Flora was awarded a €187.6 million contract for an 11km section of the ring road in 2008, winning the tender by making the lowest bid. However, the Russian authorities have taken the contract for this section of the ring road away from Flora claiming it did not meet set targets. Flora is disputing the loss of the contract with the authorities.

A STUDY of highway construction costs in eight European countries highlights Austria as the most expensive. The report says that highways in Austria cost €12.87 million/km. The next most expensive country is Hungary at €11.21 million/km, followed by Slovakia at €9.56 million/km and then the Czech Republic at €8.86 million/km.

Cooper Technology, among the leaders in the design and manufacture of computercontrolled testing equipment for asphaltic and unbound materials, has unveiled its next generation of intelligent technology. New developments to the pioneering company's standalone four-point bending beam (BB) machine SA4PT Control Unit MKII that facilitates the rapid throughput of modulus and fatigue tests, now integrates the fully automated software of the Beam Flex V3 1.0.

The early part of 2012 will see a whole host of new technology coming to market, as manufacturers introduce their latest models and solutions. At the same time, the construction equipment market is also seeing an increase in competition, with Chinese firms making serious inroads into the global supply sector. These new technologies and new competitors will ensure that the construction equipment sector will see major changes during this year. From a technical viewpoint, one of the biggest technical challenge

As part of an ambitious programme, HAZEMAG & EPR has opened its new communication centre at its headquarters in Dülmen, Germany. The mechanical engineering company (HAZEMAG is one of the pioneers in the production of machinery and plant for the raw materials processing, mining, power station and drilling industries) employs some 400 staff in Germany and abroad.

Kenya's highway network is to benefit from a tie-up with the Iranian Government. The new Rumuruti-Maralal road will be built using funding sourced by the Iranian Government. The 121km road is expected to cost some US$100 million.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) is providing funding worth US$1.14 billion for construction work on the north section of Sao Paulo's orbital highway. The Brazilian city is at the heart of the country's growing economy and traffic congestion has been a problem in the area. The work will commence in 2011 and is due for completion in 2014. The local authorities will need to find a further $1.82 billion however.

The Indian Government has granted approvals for 32 highway construction projects during the 2009-2010 financial year. These routes have a total length of 3,600km but this falls below the targeted 126 projects stretching for a total of 11,928km in total for this time period. For the 2010-2011 financial year, the plan is to build highways totalling in excess of 15,000km.