Road Structures

The Brazilian Government now intends to evaluate plans for additional private investment in transport infrastructure. The country’s Ministry of Planning will start analysing work that was not covered under initial contracts for private investment in current road, railway and port projects. The plans represent substantial sums with an estimated total investment of US$9.76 billion in all. Under the current model, companies look for official permission to carry out work in order to improve their concessions. G

In Algeria the Japanese contracting consortium Cojaal is taking over work on the Djebel Ouahch tunnel project. This move represents a return to the positive for Cojaal in Algeria as the consortium previously had its contract on the East-West highway project terminated. Carrying on construction at Constantine, consortium Cojaal will take over work on the Djebel Ouahch tunnel. The project has faced recent challenges as the tunnel collapsed on the 1st of January 2014. In addition to the tunnel, the complete pr

The Republic of Mordovia has plans to construct and rebuild some 100km of roads. With this plan in mind, the government has set a budget of US$102 million to invest in its transport system during 2015. The plans include work to the eastern bypass around capital, Saransk. Additional funds will be allocated for the development of internal road network and improvement of settlements. The project forms part of the preparation in hand for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

In Thailand, official approval has been given for three new highways to connect major cities. The three new highways will cost an estimated US$4.92 billion in all to construct. The project to construct the Bang Yai-Ban Pong-Kanchanaburi highway will cost $1.71 billion and the work is due for completion in 36 months. Construction of the Pattaya-Map Ta Phut highway is expected to be complete in around 30 months and is costing $621 million. The Bang Pa-in via Saraburi to Nakhon Ratchasima highway meanwhile is

Construction has started of a second bridge over the River Pungue as part of the project to upgrade Mozambique’s Beira-Zimbabwe road. The bridge will link the districts of Dondo and Nhamatanda in the central of Mozambican province of Sofala. Construction of the two-lane 250m-long bridge was awarded to Chinese contractor Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Corporation (AFECC), according to a report by the daily newspaper Notícias. Anhui will also upgrade 288km of road between the port of Beira and the tow

Atlas Copco has boosted its breaker range with the addition of three new models. These breakers form part of the essential case-mounted (EC) range and are designed to fit 22- 49tonne carriers. The heavy range breakers are the EC 140 T, EC 150 T and EC 155 T. As with other models in this range, the new units are said to offer fast return on investment due to factors such as simplifed maintenance and operation. The firm claims that these EC breakers generate powerful forces inside a compact body while bein

A US construction sector group wants warning signs to be posted on bridges designated “structurally deficient" and in need of repair by state engineers. More than 61,000 structurally deficient bridges remain in need of significant repair, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), which analysed the US Department of Transport’s National Bridge Inventory database. However, by the end of 2014 there were more than 2,000 fewer structurally deficient structures than in 20

Tunnel construction in Chilean capital Santiago will help cut chronic congestion – Mauro Nogarin & Mike Woof write. Chile’s capital Santiago is a thriving city having benefited from the country’s economy growing strongly in recent years. The massive copper mining sector has helped boost the country’s GDP significantly in the past few decades, also aided by the growing international reputation of Chile’s large wine industry. The steady economic growth has resulted in an equally steady growth in average incom

The S Curve section of the old San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is the latest piece of the iconic cantilever crossing of San Francisco Bay to meet its maker. It has been professionally videoed by San Francisco’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission and is available on the website of the local newspaper Easy Bay Express. A sweeping new Bay Bridge has been built right beside the old crossing which is being dismantled in sections and phases.

The Kenyan Government is opting to privatise the construction and maintenance of several of its major highways. This change in policy will be introduced over the next two years. The main reason for the switch is that country has an annual infrastructure financing gap of some US$22 billion. The lack of funds available has meant that the Kenyan Government has only been able to allocate a mere $22 million/year for road maintenance. In addition to that, the government will at pave least 10,000km of roads over n