Road Structures

Soilmec has developed new technology for its new generation of piling equipment. Now being unveiled, the latest version of the SC135 piling rig benefits from advanced electronics and hydraulics. The new systems are said to give the operator a finer degree of control during working for more precise, accurate and effective piling work. The new variant is said to deliver a higher degree of accuracy and quality as a result of its employment of the latest technology.

Work is underway in the US state of Delaware to upgrade the US 301 highway route. The 24km route is benefiting from the installation of the latest open-road tolling technology as part of the US$636 million improvement project, which is being managed by the Delaware Department of Transportation.

A new proposal to introduce road user charging for Hong Kong has been put forward in a bid to cut congestion. The Hong Kong Policy Research Institute (HKPRI) has suggested that open road tolling would help improve journey times for drivers, while delivering a smart city solution to Hong Kong’s chronic congestion. Cashless tolling technology has been suggested as helping deliver the best option, by eliminating the need for drivers to stop and make payments, optimising smart mobility.

Construction is still underway on new toll lanes for Interstate 77 in North Carolina. The US$647 million project is expected to improve traffic flow on the most congested stretches close to the city of Charlotte. Some new tolled stretches of the northbound section could be open before the end of 2018. However the southbound section is not expected to open until 2019.

A new highway link is planned to be built in China’s Ma'anshan city. The 19km link will improve traffic flow between the centre of the city and the Bowang District. Costing US$147 million, the new link will feature dual lanes for traffic in either direction. Construction will be carried out in three separate phases, with work on the first phase expected to commence at the end of 2018 and with tendering due for the second and third phase in due course.

Progress is being seen in New Zealand for the US$456.5 million (NZ$709 million) project to construct a highway connecting Puhoi with Warkworth. The new route will feature dual lanes in either direction and should be ready for traffic towards the end of 2021. Vehicle numbers are increasing in New Zealand and by 2026, the route is expected to carry 35,000 vehicles/day. The project includes extending the Northern Motorway and linking it to the SH1 routes, which involves removing 4 million m3 of spoil.

Funding from the World Bank will help with the development of Vietnam’s North-South Expressway project. The Vietnamese Government has sourced US$214 million for the project already from its own funds. The highway will stretch 654km across the country, speeding transport and helping develop trade and tourism. Because of the project’s scale, the work is being split into 11 separate stretches and should be complete by 2025.

A new partnership between Naim Holdings and Samuda has been formed in Malaysia with the intention of bidding for major road projects. The firms are keen to bid on the coastal highway, which will connect with the Pan Borneo Highway. The two companies are also working together as a joint venture at present on a US$284.7 million contract to build an 89km stretch of the Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak, one of 11 sections of the route currently under construction.

Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave has set a budget of over US$180 million for road development during the 2019-2021 period. This will be used for maintaining and improving existing roads, as well as developing new links. Regional and municipal roads will benefit from the spending programme. Although Kaliningrad is itself Russian territory, it lies in between Poland and Lithuania and is separated from the rest of Russia.

A major tunnel project in Australia is facing a serious delay due to slow progress between the construction firms and construction unions. The US$4.73 billion (A$6.7 billion) project for the West Gate Tunnel will provide an imporoved link between the West Gate Freeway and the CityLink, reducing congestion and cutting journey times for drivers.