The deck of the Myllysilta, or Mill Bridge, in the Finnish city of Turku has sagged suddenly by about 1m, prompting its closure.

Kuwait's Ministry of Public Works has said that tenders invited for the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Bridge project will be opened on 8 July.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has announced a US$116 million funding package to design and construct the 7.2km Te Rapa section of the Waikato Expressway on State Highway 1. The design and construction contract has been awarded to a partnership of Fulton Hogan, Opus International and NZTA.

Ohio Department of Transportation in the USA has received four responses to its request for qualifications from teams interested in building the US$450 million Inner Belt Bridge.

Concerns about the hydraulic system of the west-half draw spans on the Hood Canal Bridge have led Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) officials to delay the formal completion of the bridge project.

Construction of a new bridge over the Yalu River between China and North Korea is expected to begin in October.

The cabinet of Delhi in India has approved construction of a US$238 million landmark bridge in the city's Wazirabad area.

A call for papers has been issued for an international conference on research and preservation of historic bridges. Abstracts are invited by the end of June and the conference will take place in Nanjing, China, in November.

Five teams from US universities have been shortlisted in a competition to design a pedestrian bridge made of titanium for a site within the University of Akron.

The Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA) of New South Wales in Australia is seeking expressions of interest from contractors for new bridges over the Macleay River and the nearby floodplain.

The operators of the Forth Road Bridge have today announced plans for excavations and load testing to determine the long-term structural integrity of the bridge’s main cable anchorages.

US transportation secretary Ray LaHood has announced the award of US$1.5 billion in grants under the Tiger programme, one of the initiatives to provide investment to generate economic recovery. A total of 51 schemes have been picked from the 1,400 that had requested funding of US$60 billion.

The Deh Cho Bridge in Canada's Northwest Territories is now expected to come in at US$14.35 million over budget, costing a total of US$174 million, the Department of Transportation has said. A new contractor is set to be appointed shortly to complete construction.

An 18-month closure of London's Albert Bridge begins today to enable Interserve Project Services to carry out a US$10.6 million strengthening and refurbishment project on behalf of the borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) has received and published the final design submissions from the three teams that were shortlisted in November in the St Patrick's Bridge design competition.

Researchers at City University London have secured US$329,000 in funding from the UK’s Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to explore the commercial potential of a sensor system for monitoring early signs of concrete corrosion.

Concepts for a skeletal suspension bridge have been unveiled as the preferred option for a new pedestrian crossing in Wolverhampton. The design is by Johnson Design Partnership with structural input from WSP.

The Port of Long Beach in California, USA, has released a draft environmental impact report on proposals for the US$1.1 billion replacement of the obsolete and deteriorating Gerald Desmond Bridge.

Contractors working for Transport Scotland have begun a major two week engineering operation to launch the Port Eglinton Viaduct as part of a scheme to install a "missing link" between Glasgow's M74 motorway and the M8.

Twelve preliminary bridge design concepts have been unveiled for the new double-decker Brent Spent Bridge linking Kentucky and Ohio across the Ohio River in the USA.

Shortcomings in design, inspection and maintenance meant that heavy corrosion was allowed to develop in a rail bridge that collapsed in Scotland last year, according to a report published today by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). RAIB has recommended 11 actions for Network Rail including improvements in the examination of hidden critical parts of structures.

A third series of ground and marine investigations for the Forth Replacement Crossing is set to begin later this month on behalf of the two consortia seeking to build the bridge.

Whangarei District Council in New Zealand has annouced details of its plans for a new crossing of the Hatea River, saying that the bridge will feature a design with an eye-catching mix of history, culture and industry. The council has released preliminary concepts featuring steel and wood options.

Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has issued an announcement today inviting individual companies and teams to respond to a request for proposals of interest in partnering on the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) project.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) has approved a capital budget for 2010 that forecasts investing US$106.9 million in transportation and bridge infrastructure improvements.

The European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS) and the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) are each inviting entries for awards.

The executive committee of Pakistan's National Economic Council yesterday approved five bridges as part of a package of 28 public sector development projects.

The government of Japan has announced that it is providing grant assistance amounting to about US$320,000 for detailed design work on five bridge projects in the eastern province of Sri Lanka.

A series of open houses begins next week where the Buffalo & Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority and New York State Department of Transportation will update the public about proposals and design concepts for the new Peace Bridge.

The governors of the US states of Vermont and New York have announced the selection of a modified network tied arch concept as the preferred choice to replace the Lake Champlain Bridge.

Brazil's national highways department, DAER, is putting in place emergency measures to rebuild a bridge that collapsed last week following heavy rains.

Plenary Roads Winnipeg has been announced as the preferred team to deliver the Disraeli Bridges project in the Canadian city of Winnipeg. Its proposal is for a scheme that will enable motorists to continue using the 50-year-old existing bridges during construction of their replacements.

Opposition from close to 10,000 residents of Victoria in British Columbia has led the council to postpone plans to borrow US$47.6 million for a new bridge. The council has also announced that it will put the bridge borrowing to a referendum.

A citizens' advisory committee in the US city of Batavia has presented a report into options for a second bridge following a two-year study. The team of 11 people evaluated possible sites against five criteria and liaised with experts to produce a detailed report comparing the impacts of each corridor.

The governor of the US state of Indiana Mitch Daniels has said that an major highway bridge will be replaced as quickly as possible. He visited the Cline Avenue Bridge yesterday following an announcement last week that the 2km-long bridge on the Indiana 912 highway would remain closed permanently.

A cargo ship has left China's Zhenhua Heavy Industry Company carrying the first eight deck sections of the self-anchored suspension span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Plans for a new crossing of England's River Thames have taken a major step forward with government approval of three key legal orders, covering compulsory land purchase, road alterations and permission to build a permanent road bridge.

Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission has awarded the Mississippi River Bridge main span contract to a joint venture of Massman Construction, Traylor Brothers and Alberici Constructors for US$229.5 million.

Shanghai's first double-decker bridge is set to be put into operation this week.

Human error is being blamed for the collapse of a bridge under construction in Kota, India, where 30 workers died last week.

An international competition is being launched to come up with new ideas for wildlife to cross major highways. West Vail Pass on the Interstate 70 in the Colorado mountains in the USA has been chosen as the site for the competition, initiated by the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University and the Woodcock Foundation in New York.

Controlled explosive demolition of the unsafe Lake Champlain Bridge is set take place at 10am local time tomorrow (Wednesday 23 December) in preparation for construction of a new crossing.

The Gold Line Foothill Extension Authority in California, USA, has revealed the design of a freeway crossing that will pay homage to local wildlife and crafts.

DHV has won a contract to improve navigability of 250km of the Mekong River in Vietnam. The work involves construction or restoration of 18 bridges as well as provision of a new lock and widening and deepening of the river.

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and Vermont Agency of Transportation today announced that a public survey has shown overwhelming support for a modified network tied arch bridge to replace the existing Lake Champlain Bridge.

Five new designs for the long-stalled Peace Bridge project have earned federal approval. All five have been deemed environmentally acceptable and any of them can by chosen by the project sponsors and moved forward to construction, New York's governor David Paterson has announced this week.

Hong Kong's government has announced that a ceremony will be held tomorrow to mark the start of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge project.

Dublin's Samuel Becket Bridge was opened to traffic today following an inauguration ceremony yesterday.

A joint venture of Massman, Traylor and Alberici is the apparent low bidder for the main span of the New Mississippi River Bridge project.

California's transportation department Caltrans begins work on Friday on a long-term repair to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge's failed eyebar.

The board of the Asian Development Bank has approved supplemental funding of US$10 million towards the design of Bangladesh's Padma Multipurpose Bridge.

The NÖMAYG joint venture has awarded Fugro a US$18 million contract for site investigation and consultancy work on Turkey's Ismit Bay Bridge.

Middlesbrough Council in northern England has launched a bid for US$4.5 million of funding for work on the iconic Transporter Bridge.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has approved further funding to complete strengthening work on the Auckland Harbour Bridge and protected the planned route for an additional harbour crossing.

Two shortlisted teams will compete for the contract to build Scotland's new road bridge over the Firth of Forth.

Northern Ireland's environment minister Edwin Poots has announced planning approval for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge crossing the River Foyle in Londonderry.

The board of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA, has issued a request for statements of qualifications with a view to opening up parts of the structure to the public and providing a visitor centre.

The construction of the new Bacalan-Bastide lifting bridge over the Garonne River in Bordeaux, France, is due to start this month. Vinci Construction is the main contractor for the approximately US$188 million contract to build the structure, which has been designed by Egis-JMI, Michel Virlogeux, Lavigne & Cheron Architects and Hardesty & Hanover. Steel fabrication will be carried out by Cimolai.

The Uganda National Road Authority has appointed Mott MacDondald to assist with rehabilitation design for the Nalubaale Bridge.

All 1,800 bridges in the English county of Cumbria are now undergoing emergency inspections as a direct result of unprecedented rainfall in recent days. Several bridges have been destroyed by the floods and a police officer was killed when Northside Bridge in Workington collapsed.

The Panama Canal Authority has released a request for proposals for a study for a new vehicle crossing on the canal's Atlantic side.

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation has shortlisted three designs in its competition for the new St Patrick's Island pedestrian bridge in the city in Alberta, Canada.

Six shortlisted contractors have submitted tenders to build the Twin Sails Bridge in Poole, southern England.

Axiom International has signed a contract worth US$957,000 for the construction of two railway bridges made almost entirely of recycled plastic.

The Canadian city of Ottawa's transportation department is asking the council to allocate US$947,000 of funding so that it can explore the feasibility of building two pedestrian bridges, one over the Rideau Canal and the other over the Rideau River.

The Saudi government has announced the completion of the fifth and final phase of the US$1.12 billion Jamarat Bridge project, with the bridge ready for use by pilgrims during the current Hajj season.

Engineers checking the 80-year-old Lake Champlain Bridge have found that it is too unstable to be renovated and have recommended demolition.

A section of a bridge under construction in the small principality of Andorra collapsed on Saturday, killing five workers.

Installation has begun this week of the structural steel that will transform the Huey P Long Bridge from a single barrel to triple barrel structure. The US$453 million contract to widen the truss is expected to be completed in 2012 and will involve an estimated 17,500t of structural steel and 750,000 new bolts.

A series of briefings is being held by the departments of transportation in the US states of Minnesta and Wisconsin to update the public and industry about plans for the St Croix River Crossing. Public briefings yesterday and today follow on from an industry meeting last week about the US$668.5 million design and build project.

Missouri Department of Transportation in the USA has celebrated the completion of work on the 100th bridge to be upgraded as part of an initiative to fix its worst 802 bridges within five years.

A 22.5km tunnel and bridge crossing of China's Yangtze River opened this weekend, providing a link from the Pudong district of Shanghai to the island of Chongming.

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge reopened on Monday morning local time after being closed to traffic since last Tuesday when a cross bar and two rods had fallen. The steelwork that came adrift was part of an emergency repair that had been carried out last month on a cracked eyebar.

A team of Leonhardt, Andrä & Partner and AV1 Architects has won a competition to design a new bridge across the Lauter Valley near Kaiserslautern, Germany.

The first steel arch of the Arbour Stone Twin Arch Pedestrian Bridge in Alberta, Canada was erected earlier this week.

San Francisco's Bay Bridge closed on Tuesday evening after the failure of an emergency repair which was put in place during the recent Labor Day weekend closure.

Representatives of the Serbian government, Belgrade city and China Road & Bridge Corporation have signed an interim agreement for construction of a new US$255 million bridge to link Zemun and Borca.

Engineers from the USA's University of Maine held a demonstration on Friday to showcase technology designed to make bridge building cheaper and easier.

Flint & Neill and Studio Bednarski have beaten nine other teams to win an international competition for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over Copenhagen’s Inner Harbour.

A team led by Portugal's Mota Engil and Soares da Costa is to build and operate a bridge over the Zambezi River in Mozambique.

Barry Colford, the engineer in charge of Scotland's Forth Road Bridge, has warned that the bridge’s corroded main cables will almost certainly need to be monitored and inspected for the remainder of their service life, and that there will always be some degree of uncertainty as to how much more strength the cables will lose.

The N25 Waterford Bypass in Ireland was opened yesterday, including its focal cable-stayed bridge over the River Suir.

Proposals for an arch bridge designed by Parsons Brinckerhoff have been given the go-ahead by the development management committee of Devon County Council in south west England. The committee's approval means that planning permission can now be granted.

The Inter-American Development Bank has authorised a US$350 million loan to Ecuador as part of an agreed US$1 billion credit line for infrastructure work.

Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalifa Bridge to Saadiyat Island was inaugurated yesterday.

Ruukki has signed a contract with YIT Construction to supply and install the steelwork for a 400m-long bridge over Finland's Kyrönsalmi Strait in Savonlinna.

The city council of Pasadena in the USA has appointed Parsons to design a pedestrian bridge to provide a southern access to the Sierra Madre Villa light rail station.

The deck structure of the cable-stayed Can Tho Bridge that is being built over Vietnam's Hau River was joined up yesterday.

Entries are being invited from professional teams to design a pedestrian and cycle bridge as part of the restoration of the Four Mile Run in Northern Virginia, USA. Four Mile Run is a flood control channel that forms the border between the city of Alexandria and Arlington County.

The Canadian province of Manitoba has announced that it will give the city of Winnipeg additional funding, which will eliminate the need to close the busy Disraeli Bridge for 16 months. The city will receive an additional US$50 million for its roads over 10 years.

A public hearing will be held tomorrow to discuss the alignment of a proposed toll bridge over Lake Lavon in Collin County in the US state of Texas.

Kurilpa Bridge was officially opened yesterday in the Australian city of Brisbane. The 470m-long bridge, which has been engineered by Arup, features an array of cables and masts that have been likened to the ropes and spars of sailing boats.

TRC Companies has announced that it has been awarded a contract to provide design and construction support services for the complete rehabilitation of the US 190 Old Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

Gainsville in the USA is inviting statements of qualification from designers for a pedestrian and cycle bridge that will become the new "face" of the city. The bridge will serve as a gateway to the University of Florida and to the city's core.

Kiewit Southern has won a US$81 million contract to build a bridge that will help improve freshwater flows in the Everglades National Park in Florida.

Mabey & Johnson has appeared in court in London for sentence in relation to admitted offences of overseas corruption and breaching UN sanctions. The company is to pay US$10.5 million.

The National Steel Bridge Alliance has named eight winning projects in its eightieth bridge awards, which were open to projects from the USA and Canada. The major span award has been won by Tempe Town Lake Light Rail Bridge in Arizona and the long span prize has gone to Corridor D/Route 50 Bridge over the Ohio River and Blennerhassett Island.

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has released the results of a study completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, which finds that the Bayonne Bridge’s height will pose an increasing obstacle for the newest and largest commercial ships in the coming decades.

Overnight work to lift new bridge beams into place as part of the M1 motorway widening has been hailed a success by England's Highways Agency.

Missouri Department of Transportation has announced a change to the dates for advertising and opening bids for the new Mississippi River Bridge in St Louis.

Parsons Brinckerhoff's chief executive officer Keith Hawksworth announced today that the company's board and executive committee are recommending approval of the acquisition of PB by Balfour Beatty for US$626 million.

Edinburgh City Council has published a report outlining its position on proposals for a new Forth Crossing in advance of the Scottish Parliament considering a Bill to introduce powers to build the bridge.

US rail company CSX Corporation has awarded a US$60 million contact for alteration works to the 14-Mile Bridge over the Mobile River in Alabama.

Measures proposed for the construction and operation of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge have been deemed environmentally acceptable, the project's chief engineer Aaron Bok has said in Hong Kong.

Councillors in Sunderland in northern England have given their approval for construction of a dramatic cable-stayed bridge over the River Wear, almost four years after the concept design was chosen. Work is expected to begin on site in 2012 for completion in 2014.

Philippines president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has led a groundbreaking ceremony for the US$33 million Twin Skyway Bridge in Camarines Sur.

The Oklahoma Transportation Commission in the USA has approved an eight-year plan that includes more than US$1 billion for bridge construction.

Engineers working to repair a crack found during the long-weekend closure of San Francisco's Bay Bridge pulled out all the stops to enable the bridge to reopen just two hours later than originally scheduled.

The final piece of a new US$ 4 million foot and cycle bridge was put in place last week in Norwich, eastern England, ahead of the official opening next week.

An inspection of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge in California has revealed a serious crack in an eyebar on the eastern span. Engineers working for California's transportation department, Caltrans, had taken the opportunity of a weekend closure of the bridge to carry out detailed inspections.

Sunderland city councillors in northern England will take key decisions next week on the next steps for a transport project that includes a landmark bridge reaching 180m above the River Wear.

A major five-day operation starts today on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in the USA. Crews working for California's transport authority Caltrans will cut out a 91m-long, 3,200t double-deck section of the bridge 45m above Yerba Buena Island in preparation for installation of a new connector.

Celebrations take place today in Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam to mark the opening of the US$114 million Phu My Bridge and the first section of a new east-west highway.

Work has begun to build the Cua Dai Bridge over the River Thu Bon in Vietnam's Quang Nam province.

The steel superstructure of the new Athabasca River Bridge in Alberta, Canada, touched down earlier this week at the second pier.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has given its unanimous approval for the construction of a new privately-financed toll bridge across the Elizabeth River to replace the now-closed Jordan Bridge.

Controlled demolition is being considered to bring down a Canadian bridge that has been closed since last week following major subsidence. State officials in Manitoba are monitoring the condition of the concrete structure amid fears that it may collapse.

A 20m-long section of a viaduct on a busy rail route in Northern Ireland has collapsed.

The largest of three tender packages was signed yesterday for the Nhan Tat suspension bridge in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The Oregon Transportation Commission has approved a US$30 million allocation towards the Columbia River Crossing project.

Holmes Consulting Group, working with the Getacross campaign, has proposed a method of adding walking and cycling lanes to Auckland's Harbour Bridge.

Canada’s Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) is seeking submissions for the conceptual design of a new pedestrian and cycle bridge.

The commissioners of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey have authorised spending of up to US$10 million on an analysis to help address navigational issues for ships passing under the Bayonne Bridge.

Washington State Department of Transportation in the USA has picked Aberdeen Log Yard as its preferred site for construction of the pontoons for the SR520 floating bridge. A request for proposals will be issued later this month to contractors.

Tomorrow is the deadline for the submission of queries about a design competition for Hong Kong's Cross Bay Link. The queries will be answered by next week and entries to the competition are then due in between 31 August to 10 September.

Students from Liverpool University in north west England have worked with Meccano enthusiasts and Atkins to create a 23m-long bridge from the model-building system. The bridge was tested on Saturday when it was crossed by TV presenter James May for series of programmes in which life-sized objects are being built from various toys including Lego.

Overall completion of Korea's 8.2km Busan Geoje Fixed Link has now passed 75%. The project includes cable-stayed bridges and a record-breaking immersed tube tunnel together with approach bridges and tunnels.

Connecticut Department of Transportation has awarded a joint venture of Walsh Construction and Poole Construction a US$417 million contract for the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge.

A night-time operation has completed the first major placement of concrete for the new Indian River Inlet Bridge in Delaware. USA.

Plans for the Twin Sails Bridge in the southern English town of Poole have taken a major step forward following the signing of a key agreement between the local borough and landowners.

A statement released by Save the Children to coincide with the inauguration of a new 2.4km bridge over the Zambezi River in Mozambique has hailed the project as more than a feat of technical engineering. Valuable lessons have been learned about the impact of huge infrastructure projects on vulnerable communities, said the charity.

The Canadian city of Calgary has released images of Santiago Calatrava's design for a new pedestrian and cycle crossing of the Bow River.

Plans for a cable-stayed pedestrian and cycle bridge made of Cor-ten steel have been approved by Bradford on Avon town council in the English county of Wiltshire.

The city of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, has awarded a US$2.95 million contract to MMM Group for the project management of a design and build scheme to replace an 85-year-old bascule bridge.

Italy's record-breating suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina will be completed by 2016, two key government ministers said in a statement on Friday.

Skanska has announced that it has been awarded a US$260 million design and build contract in joint venture with Facchina Constuction for the reconstruction of the 11th Street Bridges and adjacent interchanges in Washington DC, USA.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority has announced a contract to replace, or in some cases refurbish, rocker and roller bearings on the approach viaducts to the Forth Road Bridge.

The Thuan Phuoc Bridge in the Vietnamese city of Da Nang was officially inaugurated on Sunday by prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung, He also attended the ground-breaking ceremony of another major crossing of the Han River, the Rong Bridge.

Five vehicles were plunged into the water killing at least three people when a bridge collapsed on Friday in Mexico.

The governor of the US state of Kentucky Steve Beshear has unveiled the designs of two bridges that will carry highways traffic across Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

A preliminary hearing is being held tomorrow in London to determine sentencing for steel bridging supplier Mabey & Johnson, which indicated in court last week that it would plead guilty to the charges of corruption and breaching UN sanctions.

Turkey's general director of highways Cahit Turan has announced that the tender process for a third bridge over the Bosphorus will begin by September.

A new bridge to link Stratford town centre to London's Olympic Park and the new Stratford City development has been successfully pushed into position across 11 railway lines.

At least five people died and many others were injured today when a bridge under construction collapsed in Delhi.

Chetwoods Architects' idea for a living bridge with glass spires and space for allotments has won an international ideas competition that marks the 800th anniversary of the original London Bridge.

Ireland's planning board An Bord Pleanála has given its approval to proposals for a new cable-stayed bridge over the River Nore in Kilkenny.

A joint venture of GA & FC Wagman and RE Pierson Construction has won a US$251 million contract to replace two drawbridges on Route 52 in the US state of New Jersey.

Dozens of people were plunged into a lake when a pedestrian bridge collapsed while up to 80 people were crossing it as they left a firework display on Saturday in Merrillville, Indiana, USA. About 25 people were hurt by the fall, though their injuries were not life-threatening.

The UK's Department of Transport has begun a public local inquiry this week into a new bridge across the River Thames in Walton, Surrey.

Mumbai's Bandra Worli Sea Link is being inaugurated today following a laser, lights and fireworks show put on last night by the contractor, Hindustan Construction Company.

Transport Scotland has launched the tender process to find a contractor to build the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC).

Germany's Dresden Elbe Valley has been removed by UNESCO from the World Heritage List because of the impact that a new bridge is having on the landscape.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in the USA has awarded Michael Baker Jr an engineering services contract for the SR 579 Veterans/Crosstown Boulevard Bridge Preservation Project in Pittsburgh.

An extensive independent peer review of Maryland Transportation Authority's (MdTA) bridge and tunnel inspection programme has highlighted shortcomings in procedures. The review was carried out by a seven-member expert panel chaired by consultant Mary Lou Ralls, who is former director of Texas Department of Transportation's bridge division.

Washington State Department of Transportation in the USA has issued a request for qualifications for the design and contruction of pontoons for the replacement of a floating bridge carrying the SR520 highway.

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has announced that an agreement has been finalised with with Vermont for the progression of a project to rehabilitate or replace the Lake Champlain Bridge. HTNB Corporation has been selected as design consultant.

Norfolk County Council in eastern England has begun consultation on transport plans for the borough of Great Yarmouth, including proposals for a third bridge over the River Yare.

The German parliament gave its backing yesterday to the 19km sea link across the Fehmarbelt to Denmark although there was some opposition to the scheme. Denmark's parliament had approved the proposal almost unanimously in March.

Saskatchewan's highways and infrastructure minister Jim Ritter has set out the timetable for the new St Louis Bridge in the Canadian province.

Chile's public works minister Sergio Bitar has announced a revival of proposals for a 2.6km bridge over the Chacao channel to link the mainland and the island of Chiloé.

Celebrations yesterday marked the completion of the Golden Ears Bridge in Vancouver, Canada. Tens of thousands of pedestrians packed the bridge for a day of entertainment ahead of tomorrow's opening to traffic.

Malaysia's prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today spoke in favour of a new bridge being built to Singapore.

Indonesia's Suramadu Bridge was inaugurated today by president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Cepezed Architects has won the design tender for a 275m-long bridge in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

Transport charity Sustrans, Denbighshire County Council and the Welsh Assembly Government have unveiled the design for a US$6.4 million new crossing of the River Clwyd at Rhyl's Foryd Harbour and appointed the design and build team that will create it.

The upgraded Hood Canal Bridge in the US state of Washington has opened to traffic, eight days ahead of schedule. Celebrations are planned for tomorrow.

Guangdong Highway Construction Corporation is inviting design submissions for the Second Bridge of Humen, China. Total investment in the project will be about US$1.8 billion.

The Royal Institute of British Architects has launched an ideas competition to mark the 800th anniversary of the opening of the first London Bridge. The Old London Bridge, which opened in 1209, was an inhabited bridge and the competition asks designers to imagine a new version.

The USA's National Institute of Standards & Technology is funding a $14 million research project into the structural health of ageing bridges. The work will be carried out by the University of South Carolina (USC), the University of Miami, Virginia Tech and Physical Acoustics Corporation.

The US Coast Guard is inviting comments on the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed replacement of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Goethals Bridge across the Arthur Kill between Staten Island and Elizabeth.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has awarded Parsons Brinckerhoff a construction supervision contract for a new bridge carrying the Garden State Parkway over the Mullica River in Port Republic, New Jersey.

The Ethiopian Road Directorate has awarded four road and bridge contracts to Grontmij Carl Bro working in co-operation with a local Ethiopian firm.

The government of Brazil's São Paulo state has announced that a 2.8km road bridge will replace the current ferry service between the coastal cities of Guarujá and Santos.

The final deck section has been positioned this week for the Phu My Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

A record-breaking bridge has opened in a Californian park. Designer TY Lin International said that the 305m-long David Kreitzer Lake Hodges Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge is the world's longest stress ribbon bridge.

A section of a viaduct that was due for demolition has collapsed killing nine people and injuring 16 in China's Hunan province.

A public inquiry begins today into the Mersey Gateway Bridge in north west England.

The Infinity Bridge at Stockton's North Shore in Northern England officially opened yesterday, with celebrations including a spectacular firework display. It comes into public use tomorrow.

Washington State Department of Transportation has installed the first of three pontoon sections for the eastern half of the new SR104 Hood Canal Bridge.

The next round of ground and marine investigations for the Scotland's Forth Replacement Crossing begins this week.

Six people were injured yesterday in an incident involving a passenger lift at London's Tower Bridge. The lift is believed to have fallen 3m while carrying them up to the high-level walkways.

The superstructure of Dublin's Samuel Beckett Bridge has arrived in the Irish capital's port after a week-long sea trip from a Netherlands shipyard. The cable-stayed bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, will form a link between Guild Street to the north side of the city and Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the south side.

The Canadian govenment has announced funding for major rehabilitation of the Alexandra Bridge and the repair and restoration of the Chaudiere Crossing.

The deck of the Interstate 90 Innerbelt Bridge in Cleveland, USA, is to be moved by about 100mm to 125mm this weekend to prevent future stress to the steel structure.

A three-year scheme announced by Network Rail will allow contractor Palmers ThyssenKrupp to accelerate its current restoration work on Scotland's Tay Bridge.

Forthside pedestrian bridge in Stirling, Scotland, has now opened. It was due to have been completed last year but the complex stressing process took longer than originally anticipated.

The Hale Street Link Bridge in Australia reached a major project milestone this week with the pouring of the first concrete segment over the Brisbane River.

Earthquake damage to China's Miaoziping Bridge has now been fully repaired, following Saturday's placement of the final batch of underwater concrete after a difficult operation to install steel formwork deep underwater. The bridge over the Zipingpu Reservoir in the Sichuan province suffered severe damage in last year’s major earthquake.

Delaware Department of Transportation and Skanska USA Civil Southeast yesterday held a workshop which launched a public vote to decide on three details of the new US$150 million Indian River Inlet Bridge.

A team made up of Heneghan Peng Architects, Arup and Mitchel & Associates has won the competition to design a crossing of Germany's River Valley to link St Goar and Sankt Goarshausen. Their prize is about US$53,000.

Bridge engineering company Buckland & Taylor has hired Steven G. Hunt, as its new president and CEO.

Work to reconstruct the Popps Ferry Bridge in Biloxi is on schedule for completion on 28 April, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Benthem Crouwel Architekten and Arup Amsterdam have teamed up to produce a winning bridge design for the 'Ponte Palazzo' footbridge in Den Bosch in the Netherlands.

The UK's Department for Transport has announced its intention to carry out further investigation into the feasibility of building a third crossing over the lower River Thames near Dartford, east of the capital.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has announced a fast-track project to replace the Charleroi-Monessen Bridge.

Plans for a second crossing alongside the Brent Spence Bridge are set to be unveiled by an advisory committee set up by the transport departments of the US states of Kentucky and Ohio.

An interim report by Faber Maunsell into the failure of nine heavy-duty nuts on the Forth Road Bridge has recommended that all 1,888 similar nuts should be replaced.

Sunderland City Council's executive cabinet has agreed to the appointment of a consultant to carry out traffic modelling and update the business case for the transport project that includes the New Wear Bridge.

Dublin City Council is advertising for pre-qualification submissions for the Marlborough Street Public Transport Priority Bridge. The single-span concrete bridge in the Irish capital will carry public transport, including a light rail line, over the River Liffey.

The USA's Federal Transit Administration has given approval for preliminarary engineering to start on the Portland-Milwaukie light rail project, an 11.7km line that includes a major bridge over the Willamette River. The design by Rosales & Partners and Schlaich Bergermann & Partner is for a hybrid cable-stayed and suspension bridge.

Network Rail has announced plans to improve services in eastern England, including a a new US$74 million viaduct at Cambridge Junction, north of Hitchen, to relieve a key bottleneck.

The USA's Federal Highway Administration has announced that it has awarded Berger/Abam Engineers a grant to develop connections for use in seismic zones. The grant comes under the Highways for Life programme, which promotes innovative technologies.

Portugese high speed rail company Rave has launched the competition to find a public-private partnership for the provision of the Lisbon-Poceirão line, which includes a major road and rail bridge across the Tagus in Lisbon. The contract involves the scheme's design, construction, finance and maintainance including the provision of rail infrastructure.

The final section was installed last night to complete the main span of Indonesia's Suramadu Bridge.

Devon County Council in south west England has secured US$7.8 million of government funding to build a cycling and walking bridge over the M5 motorway at Exeter.

Kansas Department of Transportation has accepted a bid of US$59.4 million for the replacement of the aging Amelia Earhart Bridge.

Tenders have been invited for an independent consultancy contract for the 29.6km-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

Two separate international engineering consultancy groups have been chosen to deliver competing solutions for the 19km Fehmarnbelt crossing to link Germany and Denmark. One group will plan for a bridge - currently the preferred option - while the other will work on an immersed tube tunnel.

The Danish parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a crossing of the Fehmarn Belt between Denmark and Germany. There were just three votes against the project, and 104 in support.

The final section of Stonecutters Bridge's 1018m-long main span is now being welded into place after being raised into position last week.

TY Lin international has announced that it will be spearheading the design of two new cable-supported bridges in Chongqing, China.

Part of the Popps Ferry Bridge in the US state of Mississippi collapsed on Friday after being hit by a tugboat. This is the second time that the bridge has been badly damaged in recent years - a US$8.3 million repair project was carried out following Hurricane Katrina.

A cable-stayed design by Price & Myers and Hakes Associates Architects has been chosen for a new highway bridge linking a development in western Moscow to the city centre.

Turkey's highways department plans to invite tenders next month for a new highway scheme that includes a 3km-long suspension bridge over the Izmit Gulf.

Latvia's national auditor has published a highly critical report into the procurement of the landmark Dienvidu Tilts (Southern Bridge), saying that tens of millions of dollars were wasted.

New Zealand's Auckland City Council has said that no decision has yet been taken on whether public transport will also be included in the Te Wero cycle and pedestrian bridge across the Viaduct Harbour. Design work will now be finalised by 2012 and the bridge is scheduled for completion in 2016.

The Welsh Assembly Government and Cardiff Council have announced an investment in sustainable transport that includes the final funding required to build the Pont-y-Werin Bridge.

Vietnam's transport minister has called for better supervision and site safety following the fatal collapse this week of a bridge under construction.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has awarded Michael Baker Jr a three-year, US$1.8 million construction inspection contract for the rehabilitation of the Shippingport Bridge over the Ohio River.

Malaysia's prime minister has confrirmed that he has instigated a feasibility study into a bridge to link Labuan Island with adjacent Sabah.

Ponting and architect Peter Gabrijelčič have won an international competition to design a bridge over the Dunabe River in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Approval of a US$400,000 local grant for a study into a new Buffalo Harbor Bridge in New York has opened the way for a further US$1.6 million of federal funding. Parsons Brinckerhoff will carry out the study which is due to report by 2011.

An international competition to design two new pedestrian and cycle bridges in the town of Opladen near Leverkusen in Germany has been won by an Anglo-German team of Knight Architects and Knippers Helbig.

A consortium of five consultants including Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong and Cowi is reported to have won the contract to design the 29.6km-long Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macau Bridge. The team also includes three companies from mainland China - CCCC Highway Consultants, CCCC First Harbor Engineering and the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering & Rail Transit Design & Research Institute.

A team of Buro Happold and Explorations Architecture has won the competition to design a new foot and cycle bridge crossing the River Soar close to the National Space Centre in Leicester, England. The announcement comes just days after the same team won a competition for a rail bridge in Ireland.

The provincial government of British Columbia, Canada, is to finance the Port Mann Bridge having being unable to reach final agreement with Connect BC Development Group for a public-private partnership contract. The bridge and associated highway work will now be built to a fixed-price design-build contract, said transport minister Kevin Falcon, and remains on schedule for completion in 2013.

The transportation departments of the the US states of Minnesota and Wisconsin have chosen Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) to provide concept design and associated services for the St Croix River Crossing.

A team of Schlaich Bergermann & Partner and Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes has won the design competition for a new 220m-long footbridge over the Rhône River in Lyon, France.

Bids for the contract to replace all the stay cables on the Mississippi River Bridge in Louisiana - known as the Luling Bridge - have been opened with Kiewit Louisiana the apparent low bidder. Four bids were received for the contract, the cost of which was estimated at approximately US$35 million; bids ranged from Kiewit's US$30.4 million to almost US$57 million.

Ireland's Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) has announced that Buro Happold and Explorations Architecture have won the competition to design the Metro West–Liffey Valley Bridge. The rail bridge will have a slender suspended design, with the suspension cable crossing the deck in elevation to provide support from below.

The Bermuda government said in its budget on Friday that is considering a public-private partnership to replace the hurricane-damaged Causeway.

The governor of the US state of North Carolina Bev Perdue has announced that she will be seeking grant funding to enable construction of the US$300 million replacement of the Yadkin River Bridge.

The state of Missouri has said that its US$8.5 million contract to replace the Osage River Bridge is the first transportation project to be started with funding from the new federal economic recovery package signed yesterday by Barack Obama. Construction began within moments of the president's signature, according to the state.

Restoration of Shanghai's century-old Waibaidu Bridge is nearing completion and the structure is set to be floated back from the dock where repairs took place and reinstated at its original site.

Canada's National Capital Commission is having detailed studies carried out of three possible routes for a new crossing of the Ottawa River instead of ratifying its consultant's initial recommendation.

A review has concluded that replacement of Forth Road Bridge's expansion joints can safely be delayed until the new crossing opens in 2016, subject to conditions including a significant increase in inspection and monitoring. The review's findings are in a report that was presented yesterday to Scotland’s Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) by chief engineer and bridgemaster Barry Colford.

The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in the US state of Alaska has published a new estimate that puts the cost of the Knik Arm Crossing project at US$686 million, of which US$373 million is for the 2.5km bridge itself.

The new Port Mann Bridge over the Fraser River in western Canada is now to have 10-lanes and replace the existing crossing instead of standing alongside. A symbolic first pile for the bridge was driven last week.

Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development has been authorised to study the feasibility of building a bridge between Taiwan's outlying Kinmen island and China's port city of Xiamen, a government spokesman said today.

Singapore's Land Transport Authority has awarded the last of six major civil contracts for construction of the Marina Coastal Expressway.

The General Mark W Clark Bridge in Washington State in the USA will be replaced under a US$82 million design and build contract awarded to Parsons/Kuney.

The Highways Agency has awarded Costain a US$121 million design and construction contract to strengthen the M53 Bidston Moss Viaduct in north west England.

The Bangladesh government has signed an agreement with Maunsell Aecom for the design of the Padma Bridge.

The government in the Canadian province of British Columbia has reached an 'agreement-in-principle' for a public-private partnership to expand the Port Mann crossing. The scheme involves building a new cable-stayed bridge and widening a section of highway.

Construction work on the 1,380m-long Hardanger Bridge in Hordaland, Norway, is due to start this summer after the award of three contracts this week.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is partnering with the University of Michigan (U-M) on a U$19 million project to research advanced bridge sensor monitoring technologies.

London's Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea has published a contract notice for major strengthening and repairs to the Albert Bridge over the River Thames. The work is estimated to be worth US$9.7 million.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held yesterday to mark the start of construction of a 1km-long bridge over the River Chenab in Pakistan.

Cardi Corporation emerged as the lowest bidder for the replacement of the Sakonnet Bridge in Rhode Island, USA, when bids were opened this week.

London's Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has announced that a bridge has been lifted into place to create a new entrance to Stratford International Station ready for the station's official opening in December for high speed domestic services.

A contemporary access bridge has opened at Caernarfon Castle in North Wales. It was designed by Ramboll Whitbybird's bridges team in collaboration with Cadw, the Welsh Assembly Government's historic environment service, as part of a larger project to improve access to the monument.

Vancouver's Pattullo Bridge remains closed after a fire yesterday. The bridge, which handles a fifth of daily traffic across the Fraser River, is expected to be closed for repairs for up to six weeks.

Construction has begun this week of a long-awaited pedestrian bridge in Norwich in Norfolk, eastern England. St Anne's Bridge will provide a link between a development zone and the city centre.

Bangladesh's communication minister Syed Abul Hossain said yesterday that consultants are due to be appointed this month to finalise design work on the Padma Bridge.

Public works minister Christian Paradis has announced that the Canadian government is making investments in Montreal's bridges to enhance the safety of commuters and stimulate the local economy.

China's Changhai County is developing a new island tourist resort, which will involve major infrastructure investment including a 1.8km bridge.

Vietnam's prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung said this week that he hopes that an agreement will soon be signed with Australia regarding support for the construction of Cao Lanh Bridge in the southern Dong Thap province. He was speaking at a reception for the speaker of Australia's House of Representatives Harry Jenkins.

The USA's Federal Railroad Administration has announced that it will proceed with a combination of fixed and opening structures in a US$1.344 billion scheme to replace the century-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey.

Kettle Island has been confirmed as the preferred location for a new bridge linking Ontario and Quebec.

Hong Kong's Highways Department has announced that its bridge design and construction will feature more environmental elements, including wider footbridges to allow room for planting.

A new bridge over the Ohio River opened on Tuesday. The Pomeroy-Mason Bridge is a US$65 million, four-lane cable-stayed structure in the south east of the US state of Ohio.

A planning inspector has given permission for construction of the Milton Creek Bridge in Kent in southern England following a public inquiry in July. The next step is to appoint a contractor with a view to work starting on site in 2009.

Shanghai Construction Group has announced the completion of the main structure of the Minpu Bridge in Shanghai, China. Construction of the Puxi-side tower of the bridge finished yesterday, following September's completion of the tower in Pudong.

Construction of Poole’s US$59 million second harbour crossing could begin before the end of 2009 following approval of the final slice of funding for the bridge in southern England.

A shortlist of BMV (Balfour Beatty, Morgan Est and Vinci joint venture), Carillion, Morrison Construction and Roadbridge/Sisk has been selected to bid for the construction of Scotland's St James Spur, a main branch line rail viaduct stretching across the M8 motorway to a new airport station.

One worker was killed and 18 injured, some seriously, on Friday when an elevated walkway collapsed while under construction at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in the USA. The canopy-level 183m "skywalk" is designed to provide a route through the treetops of the park's wooodland.

Maytas Metro has appointed Systra and Parsons Brinckerhoff to carry out the engineering design and project management of the Hyderabad metro.

Newly-published research by civil engineers at Bristol University has studied how people balance while walking, giving new insight into the unexpected swaying that occured when London's Millennium Bridge opened.

The operator of the Forth Road Bridge has ordered a review of the planned project to replace the main expansion joints, in light of increased costs and last week’s confirmation that a new crossing will be in place by 2016, albeit with a reduced budget.

Construction of a cable-stayed viaduct spanning east China's Qiantang River began yesterday. The Jia-Shao Bridge - short for Jiaxing-Shaoxing - will be 2,680m long, making it 200m longer than France's Millau Viaduct.

California's Department of Transportation, Caltrans, is setting up a citizens' task force of up to 40 people in a bid reduce construction impacts of a new bridge on the local mountain community. FCI Constructors begins building the US$39 million Big Bear Bridge early next year.

Scottish ministers yesterday set out transport plans that include a new strategy for a replacement crossing the Firth of Forth. The cost is now put at US$2.5 billion to US$3.46 billion - a US$2.5 billion reduction on original estimates.

A joint venture led by Astaldi Group has won a US$189 million contract to build the Hãlic Bridge over the Golden Horn in Turkey.

Bolivia and Brazil have established a joint commission as a first step to building an international bridge over the Mamoré River.

An accelerated bridge repair programme for the US state of Massachusetts moved forward this week when the Executive Office of Transportation filed a US$3 billion eight-year bridge repair plan.

Independent private consulting practice Flint & Neill has become part of Danish consulting group Cowi.

Ireland's planning board An Bord Pleanála has opened an oral hearing into Kilkenny's proposed central access road, which includes a cable-stayed bridge over the River Nore.

Members of the decision-making cabinet in the northern English city of Sunderland will consider the next steps for a proposed bridge over the River Wear when they meet on Wednesday.

The three juristictions involved in the 29km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will launch the tender for the main bridge's design on Monday, Hong Kong's government has announced.

A worker was killed on Monday while cables were being adjusted for bridge construction on the Hoover Dam Bypass project in the USA. The accident occurred during a routine operation to adjust a cable used to align the temporary concrete towers that support construction of the Colorado River Bridge's twin arches.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission today awarded a contract to DMJM Harris to continue serving as its capital program management consultant. DMJM Harris also will serve as design management consultant for the I-95/Scudder Falls Bridge improvement project, which currently is in the midst of an environmental assessment review process by state and federal agencies.

Latest estimates for a new floating bridge to carry the SR 520 highway in the western USA have put the cost at US$1.728 billion. The costs cover the pontoon construction site, primary and supporting pontoons and the floating bridge's deck.

Dubai's prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has approved the design of the seventh crossing over Dubai Creek. The bridge, to be known as the 'Dubai Smile', will carry six lanes in each direction across the 400m-wide waterway.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has announced that the US state will receive US$20 million in a settlement with HNTB Corporation, which designed the Wakota Bridge project that carries Interstate 494 over the Mississippi River.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the probable cause of last year’s collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the inadequate load capacity some of the gusset plates due to a design error by Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates. The plates failed under a combination of substantial increases in the weight of the bridge following previous modifications, and the traffic and concentrated construction loads on the bridge on the day of the accident.

A two-year project is under way to upgrade 19 bridges in the Puget Sound area of the north western USA to current seismic standards.

The USA's Federal Highways Adminstration has launched a website for its long-term bridge performance programme.

Construction of a 1.2km cable-stayed bridge is scheduled to start next year in Botswana.

London's mayor Boris Johnson has excluded the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge from a multi-billion dollar 10-year transport expansion plan that he outlined today.

Plans for a new Popp's Ferry Bridge have been outlined by the city of Biloxi in Mississippi, USA. The cost of the preferred option - a combination of drawbridge and causeway - is put at US$37.7 million, as part of a US$76.5 million project cost.

A low-profile concrete arch pedestrian bridge has been chosen instead of a 'signature' cable-stayed crossing for the city of Durham in North Carolina, USA.

The English city of Leicester has launched an international design competition to design a foot and cycle bridge over the River Soar.

A third bridge is to be built over Londonderry's River Foyle in Northern Ireland.

The full funding required for a long-awaited new pedestrian and cycle bridge in Norwich in eastern England has now been secured.

Eleven workers have been killed and 12 injured when a crane cable failed at a bridge under construction near Chongqing in south west China.

Arup and JDA Architects have won the competition to design a bridge over the River Douglas in Lancashire, north west England.

A groundbreaking ceremony yesterday kicked off work on the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge in San Diego, USA. The structure will be one of the world's longest self-anchored suspension bridges.

Proposals for a cross-border bridge linking Northern Ireland and the Irish state have gone on display.

A section of flyover under construction in Delhi, India, collapsed yesterday killing two people and injuring up to 30. The flyover is part of a series of new lines being built for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

Plans have been submitted for a dramatic revolving cable-stayed footbridge at The Quays in Manchester, north west England.

Construction has begun of a “woven” pedestrian bridge that will connect athletic fields at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA with a new park that is being created.

A pedestrian bridge over a creek in Giles County in the US state of Virginia collapsed yesterday injuring nine people.

The directors responsible for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA, have voted to proved a horizontal net system 6.1m below the deck to prevent people jumping to their death from the bridge.

The USA's New Jersey Turnpike Authority is to expand the number of traffic lanes crossing the Mullica River from two to three in each direction with a new northbound bridge.

Scotland's Stirling Council has said that the opening of its Forthside Bridge has been put back until next year as it is has been advised by contractor Edmund Nuttall that it is taking longer than planned to complete the final elements of work.

Macquarie Infrastructure Group has accepted a firm offer from Vinci that will increase Vinci’s stake in the concessionaire for two River Tagus bridges in Portugal. Vinci’s stake in Lusoponte will rise from 30.85% to 37.27%.

Hundreds of people watched yesterday as a 137m-long section of the old Liberty Memorial Bridge was blown up in North Dakota, USA. The historic crossing of the Missouri River has been replaced by a new bridge which opened to trafffic in July.

Britain’s largest crane manoeuvred a new footbridge into place across Scotland’s M8 motorway on Friday evening. The eye-catching US$8.9 million structure has a spiral design, formed from tubular steel, and encloses a glass-sided walkway.

A new report to Scotland’s Forth Estuary Transport Authority (Feta) recommends appointing Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering as preferred bidder for the scheduled replacement of the Forth Road Bridge’s main expansion joints next year. Feta has also announced today that routine inspections have identified damage to some of the nuts that attach the bridge's hangers to the main suspension cables. The cause is being investigated.

The largest bridge and tunnel project in the history of Queensland, Australia, has reached two milestones. Spending on the scheme has passed AU$2 billion (US$820 million), coinciding with the second anniversary of the signing of contract documents.

Authorities in the US state of New York have announced plans for a US$6.4 billion replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge. A study has recommended that the new structure should include provision for bus rapid transit and commuter rail services as well as road traffic.

New Zealand's Auckland City Council has commissioned an independent peer review on the transport, urban design and amenity requirements and navigational standards for the new Te Wero Bridge.

Turmoil in the financial markets has prompted the US state of Missouri to change the procurement method for its planned rehabilitation of 802 bridges. Missouri Bridge Partners (MBP) had previously been identified as the apparent best-value proposer for a design-build-finance-maintain contract to replace them over a period of five years. The work will now be carried out using design and build packages managed by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

A major bridge over the Bagmati River between Sinamangal and Old Baneshwore in Kathmandu, Nepal, has been closed after one of the bridge piers subsided and a crack appeared in the middle span of the bridge, writes Ramkrishna Wagle.

Lancashire County Council in north west England has opened a public consultation about the seven shortlisted designs for a new bridge over the River Douglas.

A major new suspension bridge is to cross the Aizhai Gorge as part of the Jishou-Chadong Expressway in west of China's Hunan province.

Dublin City Council has said that construction of a new public transport bridge over the River Liffey will begin late next year.

A joint venture of Jacobs Engineering Group, Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems and HNTB Corporation has won a contract from New Jersey Transit to provide design services for a project to enhance the capacity of the Portal Bridge. Jacobs estimates the project's overall construction value to be US$1.3 billion.

The US city of Oklahoma has unveiled the design for a new pedestrian link to the city's downtown, the Skydance Bridge.

A competition to design the proposed Ballsbridge-Dodder Pedestrian Bridge in Dublin South City, Ireland, has been won by architect Alan Dempsey.

Surrey County Council in southern England has added an automated warning system in a bid to stop tall vehcles from striking or becoming wedged under a railway bridge in Staines.

Brazil's Andrade Gutierrez is to build a US$200 million viaduct high above the Rhumel River in the Algerian city of Constantine.

Finishing touches are being applied this week to Minnesota's new Interstate 35W Bridge ahead of it being opened to traffic little more than a year after the fatal collapse of its predecessor.

Bids from four pre-qualified groups of engineers and architects will be invited later this year for the position of technical consultants for the proposed Fehmarnbelt crossing between Denmark and Germany.

The larger of the two arches has now been positioned for the North Shore Footbridge in Stockton, northern England. The arch was lifted into place by the UK's largest mobile crane, and sits alongside a smaller arch, which was positioned earlier this summer.

Aecon Construction & Materials Ltd has won a US$17.8 million contract to replace the southbound Vernon Lakes Narrow Bridge in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Sunderland City Council in the north east of England has finally revealed the winning design in its River Wear Crossing competition - three years after the design was chosen. The winning concept - by architect Spence Associates and structural engineer Techniker - was selected by the competition jury in 2005, but the council refused to make the details public.

Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev has signed an instruction for the building of a major suspension bridge linking Vladivostok to Russky Island.

Support from the British government has enabled Sri Lanka to approve the construction of seven flyovers costing some US$60 million and 54 rural bridges costing US$30 million.

The Highways Agency has begun work on a US$9 million scheme to refurbish the westbound carriageway of the M50 Queenhill Viaduct near Tewkesbury in England. It is the first phase of a US$36 million strategy to upgrade the structure over the next few years.

Gammon Infrastructure has been appointed by the government of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to build and operate a major bridge over the Godavari River.

Transport ministers from Germany and Denmark will meet in Copenhagen on 3 September to sign an agreement to build the Fehmarnbelt Link linking the two countries.

Construction of Vietnam's Can Tho Bridge resumed this week, 11 months after work had been suspended following a fatal accident. A 90m-long section of the approach collapsed last September, killing 54 workers and injuring many more.

Michael Baker Jr has won a US$1.1 million contract to determine the type of bridge for the replacement of an existing crossing that carries the US 421 over the Ohio River between Milton, Kentucky, and Madison, Indiana in the USA.

The Alfords Point Bridge duplication project in Sydney, Australia, has been completed on time and under budget and opened to traffic today. Abigroup was contractor for the project, which came in 7% under budget at US$36.7 million.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has published the latest plans for the project to improve the I-95/Scudder Falls Bridge.

A design by Hyder Consulting, Denton Corker Marshall Design and Kenneth Grubb & Associates has been chosen for the Te Wero Bridge in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has released preliminary drawings for a new Goethals Bridge to a cable-stayed design.

Crews from Total Construction have almost completed removal of the west approach to the old Liberty Memorial Bridge in North Dakota, USA. This has allowed Lunda Construction and J&L Steel to begin work on the west approach for the new bridge.

Baker Engineering has been awarded a seven-month bridge inspection contract by the Illinois Department of Transportation in the USA.

Ireland's Waterford City Council has published a notice this week inviting expressions of interest from consultants to work on a new city centre pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Suir. The bridge will have an opening span.

The Port of San Diego has recommended teams from France, the UK and the USA as finalists to design a multi-million dollar artistic lighting scheme for the the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. The Bideau Company of France, the Peter Fink team from London and a Californian team of Ned Kahn, Patrick McInerney Associates and Jason Edling were picked, together with two alternate teams, both from the USA.

At least seven people died on Friday when a bridge in the eastern part of the Czech Republic collapsed into the path of an express train. Dozens more were injured by the accident which derailed the locomotive and six carriages, trapping passengers.

Box girder strengthening at New Zealand's Auckland Harbour Bridge has begun this week. The box girders are for 'clip on' lanes either side of the bridge and the project to strengthen them will take two and a half years.

Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau have agreed funding arrangements for construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, opening the way for the next steps in the project's feasibility and design. China's central government will also contribute funds towards the 29.6km-long bridge. Yesterday's announcement said that construction is to start by 2010.

Government funding of US$193 million has been awarded for a new river crossing in Sunderland in the north of England.

Winners of the Bridge design & engineering Footbridge Awards 2008 were recognised in a special awards presentation evening at the Footbridge 2008 conference in Portugal in July. Engineers, architects and owners representing seven winning footbridge projects and 12 highly commended projects collected their trophies and certificates at the event, which was held in the beautiful Alfândega building on the riverfront in the centre of Porto.

All work on the new I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River will stop this afternoon in observance of the first anniversary of the old bridge's collapse, which killed 13 people.

Royal Haskoning's design for a 450m-long cable stayed bridge has been chosen for a new motorway link to Dubai's largest artificial Palm Island, Jebel Ali.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has published a report outlining the scale of bridge repairs needed in the USA. Bridging the gap: restoring and rebuilding the nation's bridges cites findings by the Federal Highway Administration that put the cost of repairing or modernising the country's bridges at US$140 billion, assuming all were fixed immediately.

More than US$1 billion is to be spent on an Iranian project that includes 2.46km-long bridge across the Persian Gulf to Qeshm Island. The plans were announced by the managing director of Qeshm Free Trade Zone, Mohammad Asghari.

A 118-year-old bridge in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, is to be rebuilt at a cost of some US$53 million dollars. The Starého mosta - Old Bridge - fails to meet today's shipping and road transport requirements.

One of the UK's largest mobile cranes today positioned a 55m-span stainless steel bridge over the floating harbour at Temple Quay Central in the English city of Bristol.

Axion International has received an order from the US Army for the fabrication and installation of a thermoplastic composite I-beam tank bridge for a base at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The plastic used will be entirely recycled.

Concrete beams were lifted across one of the busiest roads in Brisbane, Australia, on Thursday as the US$61.4 million Tank Street Bridge started to take shape. The operation involved positioning two beams, each 25m long and weighing 55t.

Plans to build a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Avon in the English town of Stratford have been withdrawn. Warwickshire County Council cites a cost increase from US$4 million to US$6.6 million as the reason for dropping the project.

A new suspension bridge was completed today spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead - though it is only temporary. The 120m bamboo crossing has been built by Australian firm Bambuco as part of a weekend music and arts festival.

Utah Department of Transportation is part way through an ambitious programme to replace 12 bridges on or near the I-80 highway in just two months. The latest bridge was moved into position this weekend.

Prefabricated steel trusses are set to be lifted into place for a new pedestrian bridge at Seattle's Museum of Flight in the USA. The bridge’s design is inspired by an aircraft contrail. The metaphor has been carried out in a tube truss design, made of crossing circular steel pipe sections surrounding an inner glass enclosure — which also references the shape of a fuselage.

Five options for suicide prevention measures on the Golden Gate Bridge have been outlined in an environmental impact report published this week. Wind tunnel testing has shown that all of the alternatives would require the addition of some form of device to counter instabilities induced by high winds.

Skanska has appointed Rautaruukki to supply and install the steel superstructure of the Partihallsförbindelsen Bridge in Gothenburg, Sweden. The contract is valued at about US$14 million.

UNESCO's world heritage committee has allowed Dresden's Elbe Valley to remain on its world heritage list for the time being, despite concerns about the visual impact of a new bridge.

Vietnam's Minister of Construction has reported to the government following the investigation into last September's collapse of the Can Tho Bridge.

Ecuador's Ministry of Transport & Public Works signed a US$102 million contract yesterday with China's Guanxi Road & Bridge Engineering Corporation for construction of the fourth bridge over the River Babahoyo.

The record-breaking Sutong Bridge was formally opened on Monday in east China's Jiangsu Province after five years of construction. The cable-stayed bridge’s main span of 1,088m is the world's longest and its steel and concrete towers stand 300.4m high.

A key part of the US$2 billion Yangtze River Tunnel & Bridge project was completed in Shanghai, China, on Friday. Major engineering work on the 10.3km bridge section from Changxing to Chongming Island and the 8.9km tunnel section are now finished.

Glasgow's Clyde Arc is due to reopen to traffic this weekend. The bridge has been closed since earlier this year when a hanger connection component failed.

Representatives of the US states of Washington and Oregon have voted in favour of replacing the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River with a new bridge and light-rail extension.

The Jerusalem Light Rail Train Bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, is being inaugurated today.

Designs for a new pedestrian bridge in Norwich, eastern England, have been put on public display. The bridge, designed by Ramboll Whitbybird, will provide a link over the River Wensum between the north of the city and its centre. Site owner Jarrold & Sons will shortly be submitting a detailed planning application, following the grant of outline permission last year.

Massachusetts Port Authority has announced that a new structural monitoring system will be fitted on the Tobin Bridge over the next 18 months, making it the US state's first 'smart bridge'.

Corrosion has caused the main suspension cables of the Forth Road Bridge to lose 10% of their strength, according to new inspection findings published today by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority. However, the inspection by Faber Maunsell shows that the cables may be deteriorating more slowly than previously feared.

Philippines president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered the Department of Public Works & Highways to fast-track the implementation of the US$243 million president's bridge programme.

Jacques Cartier & Champlain Bridges Incorporated and the Québec Department of Transport have given details of the two phases of a project to replace the deck of the Honoré-Mercier Bridge and extend its life by 75 years. It is the largest bridge repair project in Canadian history.

Completion of the missing motorway link between England and Scotland has moved a step closer with the opening to northbound traffic of Mossband Viaduct. The viaduct, which crosses a main rail line, is the key link in a 9km extension of the M6 motorway from Carlisle to Guards Mill.

The smaller of the two arches for the North Shore Footbridge in north east England is being installed today.

Vietnam's deputy prime minister Hoang Trung Hai has led a ceremony to mark the start of construction of the US$100 million Dong Nai Bridge, which will link Bien Hoa City with Ho Chi Minh City and relieve traffic on the existing crossing.

Plans for a new bridge over the Columbia River have been backed by the Metro regional government, which serves the Portland area of Oregon in the USA. Five members of Metro's council voted to offer provisional support for construction of the replacement bridge, with two opposed.

The River Cam's first new bridge in more than 35 years opens to the public at midday today in Cambridge, eastern England. The design by Ramboll Whitbybird, working with artist Gerry Judah, won a Cambridgeshire City Council competition in 2004.

Construction is now under way on the Hale Street Link project in Brisbane, Australia, following a groundbreaking ceremony last month. The scheme's river crossing will be Brisbane's first inner-city vehicle, pedestrian and cycle bridge to be built in more than 20 years.

The High Level Bridge, which links Newcastle and Gateshead in northern England, has reopened to southbound buses and taxis after being closed for repairs since 2005. Work on the US$78.8 million project has spanned seven years.

Canada's South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (Translink) has said that the future of the Pattullo Bridge will be determined next month. A study to be published in July will set out the options, which include twinning or replacing the current structure.

Leonhardt, Andrä & Partner has announced the completion this week of the final section of a new bridge over the River Elbe at Niederwartha near Dresden.

Debris from construction work a newly-installed bridge has caused severe disruption to rail services at one of London's main stations.

Italy's minister of infrastructure and transport Altero Matteoli has written a letter to Messina Bridge concessionaire Società Stretto di Messina's president Pietro Ciucci confirming the government's commitment to restarting the project.

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has invited tenders for consultancy work on three packages of footbridges over railways.

The Kane County Division of Transportation has awarded Baker Engineering a US3.4 million contract for the final design of the Fox River Bridge, the signature section of a project to improve the Stearns Road corridor in the US state of Illinois.

Two people were killed yesterday and three injured when part of a Swedish rail bridge being built by Skanska collapsed.

Minnesota Department of Transportation has announced that concrete placement is now complete for the south approach spans of the new I-35W St Anthony Falls Bridge. Work on the main span can now begin, with the first pair of segments scheduled for erection later this week.

Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson today visited the site of the new Harthill Footbridge to mark the start of its construction.

The governor of the US state of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, has filed legislation to accelerate the repair of between 250 and 300 bridges that have been identified as structurally deficient.

Chile's Ministry of Public Works is assessing technical bids for the planned San Pedro de Osorno Bridge which will serve the Rahüe and Osorno areas.

The Highways Agency started work yesterday on a US$8 million project to repair concrete columns and supporting crossbeams at Gravelly Hill Interchange - better known as Spaghetti Junction - in Birmingham, England. The 17-month project involves reinforcing eight bridge deck supports and several columns at the interchange on the M6 motorway.

Vinci has now signed the contract for the massive Qatar–Bahrain causeway that will reduce journey times from five hours to just 30 minutes. Vinci Construction Grands Projets leads a consortium for the US$3 billion design-build contract which will provide a 40km two-lane dual carriageway motorway between Qatar and Bahrain.

Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner has won the design competition for a bridge to cross the 200m-deep Tamina Canyon in the Swiss canton of St Gallen.

Acting US Federal Highway Administrator Jim Ray has announced a 20-year research effort to collect data on bridges nationwide aimed at improving investment decisions. The Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) has been awarded a contract, worth up to US$25.5 million, to carry out the programme through to 2012.

Transit New Zealand chief executive Rick van Barneveld today confirmed that Transit plans to start construction of the new Kopu Bridge by mid-2011.

The record-breaking sea crossing of Hangzou Bay in eastern China opened to traffic today after the final link was placed last year.

Contractors shortlisted for the Twin Sails Bridge in Poole, southern England, have been stood down pending the outcome of negotiations betwen the council and a landowner, JJ Gallagher.

The Government of Canada has announced the award of a contract for replacement of the deck of the Honoré-Mercier Bridge in Quebec.

Acciona and its subsidiary Mostostal Warszawa have been appointed to build a major cable-stayed bridge over the River Odra in Wroclaw, Poland.

A new 280m-long bridge over the River Chenab in the state of Jammu & Kashmir was officially opened today by India's prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Environmental considerations have led to the 173m-high two-tower cable-stayed design proposed for the new Peace Bridge being dropped in favour of a lower-profile arched scheme.

Kiewit-General crews have completed construction of the first of two trusses for the transition spans that will connect the pontoons of the floating Hood Canal Bridge to its approaches.

Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is embarking on beautification project covering a 10.5 hectares around the new Al Garhoud Bridge and the bridge itself. The intention is to reshape the bridge as a landmark of modern Dubai as part of a vision for roads, bridges, tunnels and open spaces that combine technical, aesthetic and environmental excellence.

American Civil Constructors has submitted the lowest of six bids to replace the First Street Bridge over the Napa River in the City of Napa, California. Design engineer for the new bridge is TY Lin International and the architect is William MacDonald.

The operators of the Forth Road Bridge have set up a multi-agency working group to seek ways of reducing traffic disruption caused by strong winds. The initiative follows an unusually windy winter, during which two lorries have been blown over and the crossing has been closed to high-sided vehicles for a total of 184 hours.

Transit New Zealand start preparations this month for upgrading the Auckland Harbour Bridge's "clip-ons" - box girders - to ensure they stay in good condition for the next 20 to 30 years.

The opening ceremony took place on Friday for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge West Approach. California's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the workers who completed the US$429 million seismic retrofit project seven months ahead of schedule.

Minnesota Department of Transportation today used its annual construction kick-off briefing to announce 135 new highway and bridge projects, including the replacement of the Highway 23 DeSoto Bridge in St Cloud. The bridge, which is similar to the I-35W bridge that collapsed last year, was closed last month following the discovery of distortions in the gusset plates at four locations.

New Zealand's transport minister Annette King has today turned the first sod in a ceremony to start construction of the new US$183 million Manukau Harbour Crossing.

Chile’s Ministry of Public Works is inviting expressions of interest for construction of the fourth bridge over the Bío Bío River. The project for the 2km-long bridge and some 30km of road is worth an estimated US$250 million.

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Portugal's government has confirmed its approval of a third crossing of the Tagus and plans to launch an international tender in November.

Engineer Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner and architects Jean-Jaques Zimmermann and Short Cuts have beaten four other shortlisted teams to win the design competition for a bridge taking the A14 highway over the Elbe River near Wittenberge in Germany.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has ratified the award to Cherry Weber & Associates of a design engineering contract for repairs to the steel bearings, bridge seats and pier caps on the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge.

A bridge was lifted into place over the weekend to form a key part of the new East London line. A 1,200t mobile crane - the UK's biggest - lifted the 350t bow-string bridge into position across Shoreditch High Street.

Mexico's transport and communications ministry, SCT, has announced a US$421 million highway scheme to connect Oaxaca city to coastal towns. The 283km project will include 78 bridges and three tunnels.

Construction of a 2.1km crossing of the Mahanadi River was completed this week with the placing of the final steel girder.

A 63m-long bridge weighing 250t was lifted into position in Copenhagen over the Easter weekend, as part of a project to create new cycleways across the city.

Owners of Canada's 24 international vehicular bridges and tunnels will be required to inspect and report on the safety of their structures under new proposals from Transport Canada.

Hong Kong's Kowloon - Sha Tin section, including the 1.4km Lai Chi Kok Viaduct, will open tomorrow.

Carillion Civil Engineering is starting a US$6.3 million project this month to carry out essential structural repairs on the Canford Main Bridge and Canford Flood Arches in Poole, southern England.

New Zealand railway infrastructure Ontrack has awards a contract to HEB Smithbridge to build a road and rail bridge at Arahura. The new structure, which is jointly funded by Transit NZ, will replace an existing 120-year-old timber bridge which provides the only direct route between Greymouth and Hokitika but is nearing the end of its serviceable life.

The first two deck segments of the second Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, were lifted into place today. The 80t concrete segments form part of the 750m northern approach to the bridge.

WSP Finland has signed a contract to design a major cable-stayed bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam. The company’s proposal had an international design competition last year.

Auckland City Council in New Zealand has put on public display the seven competing designs for a dramatic opening bridge on the city's waterfront.

South China's Guangdong province is planning a 5.63km-long bridge to link Foshan and Jiangmen along the Xijiang River.

Michael Baker Jr has been awarded a two-part contract, worth an estimated US$2.7 million, to complete environmental investigations and both preliminary and final design for the new Vrooman Road Bridge over the Grand River in Lake County, Ohio.

The governor of the US state of Washington, Chirs Gregoire, has announced an accelerated project schedule for the replacement of the SR 520 Bridge. The floating bridge links Seattle to the east side of Lake Washington.

Tendering is to start soon for a third bridge over the Klang River in Malaysia. Designs for the US$72 million project have been completed and work is due to start in four months and take two and a half years, said works minister Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu.

The governors of the US states of Illinois and Missouri have announced an agreement to build a new bridge over the Mississippi River. The US$640 million project involves construction of a cable-stayed structure 1.6km north of the existing Martin Luther King Bridge.

Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau have struck a deal on the financing of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge's construction. Hong Kong will be responsible for 50.2%, the mainland 35.1% and Macau 14.7%. The ratio reflects the economic benefits to each location.

Surrey County Council's plans for a new River Thames bridge have been given the go-ahead by environment secretary Hilary Benn.

A series of revised dates has been announced for the new Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River between Kentucky and Ohio in the USA. Recommendation of the preferred alternative has been put back to August next year, with a view to publishing the draft environmental document in September 2010, instead of February next year as originally scheduled.

HNTB Corporation has been chosen to complete the final design for the new South Park Bridge for King County in Washington, USA. The bridge over the Duwamish River near Seattle provides a key link between Seattle and Tukwila.

Michigan Department of Transportation has begun public consultation on the draft proposals for a new international crossing of the Detroit River.

The Sixth China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge opened to traffic today. The prestressed concrete box girder structure - also known as the Mukterpur Bridge - is 1,521m long, with 37 spans across the River Dhaleswari.

Network Rail has awarded Balfour Beatty a contract to complete the remaining restoration and painting of the Forth Bridge. The contract is set to mark the end of the oft-repeated story that painting of the iconic rail bridge is never ending, starting again from the beginning as soon as the work is complete.

Engineers at the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland have unveiled plans for “mini-bridges” designed to minimise impact of major roadworks that are scheduled for next year.

Engineering researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have received a US$2 million grant to explore ways to make new and existing bridges last longer.

Wyndham City Council in Victoria, Australia, has chosen architect WMCQ's snaking schematic designs for a new crossing of the Werribee River. Three teams had been shortlisted in the first stage of the project.

Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority has awarded the New York district office of American Bridge Company a U$41.1 million contract for structural retrofit work to the Throgs Neck Bridge.

The design of the Waldschloesschen Bridge in Dresden has been modified in a bid to keep the city's world heritage status.

Preliminary investigations by Ghana's Ministry of Transportation have indicated that an 8km-long bridge is required over the Oti River. Minister Godfrey Tangu Bayon said in Parliament that the bridge would be the country's longest.

A century-old bridge in Shanghai is to be taken away for a year while a tunnel is built beneath its site. The two span Garden Bridge was China's first steel bridge. Shanghai's city government will dismantle it piece by piece and take it to a local shipyard for conservation.

A consortium of Vinci Concessions, J&P and Cybarco has been named prelimary preferred bidder for the first motorway public private partnership contract in Cyprus. It consists of 30 year contract that includes the financing, design, construction and operation of a 31km stretch of motorway between Paphos and Polis.

The engineering team working on the Clyde Arc in Glasgow has developed a system for repairing the bridge by replacing all 28 connectors on the hangers. A temporary hanger has been installed to replace the failed one and the team led by contractor Edmund Nuttall has started to mobilise barges, cranes and access equipment to help install temporary supports ahead of work on the connector replacements.

Dubai Creek is to be crossed by the world's longest arch bridge, the Roads & Traffic Authority has announced.

Glasgow’s Clyde Arc Bridge could be closed for up to six months after engineers discovered a crack in a second cable connector. The bridge was closed last week after a cast steel connection between the cable and the arch fractured and the cable fell on to the deck. An inspection of the remaining 13 cables revealed a crack in the same component on a different cable.

Lunda Construction has been named by Minnesota Department of Transportation as the apparent low bidder for a new contract to restart work on the eastbound stretch of the Wakota Bridge. Lunda had previously been working on the project, but the contract was halted when negotiations with the client came to an impasse following a redesign.

Ramboll Whitby Bird and Tim Norlund, a 23-year-old Danish architect, have won first prize in the Sheffield Parkway footbridge competition, beating more than 100 entries.

Delaware Department of Transportation has named three teams to compete for the contract to design and build a new bridge over Indian River Inlet.

New York State Department of Transportation has announced major procedural changes to the Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 corridor project, aimed at faster implementation of the project at lower cost.

SNC-Lavalin's Vancouver-based division has won a contract to design and construct the Coast Meridian Overpass for the City of Port Coquitlam in British Columbia.

The UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has begun a project aimed at developing a structural health monitoring system that would be as simple to understand as traffic lights.

The USA's National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a safety recommendation for the checking of bridges following the discovery of undersized gusset plates in the I-35W bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi river in August 2007. The investigation into the accident has has discovered that the original design process of the I-35W bridge led to a serious error in sizing some of the gusset plates in the main truss.

The Clyde Arc Bridge in Glasgow, Scotland, has been closed to traffic after the failure last night of one of its 14 cables. It is likely to remain closed for several weeks.

The Hull-Albern Joint Venture has won a US$281 million contract from the Queensland government for the duplication of the Houghton Highway Bridge in Redcliffe. It will be Australia's first coastal bridge capable of withstanding a one-in-2000-year storm event.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj has announced that work is now under way to implement the fourth phase of the Jamrat Bridge.

The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has approved the initial financial plan for the multi-billion dollar Ohio River Bridges Project. The document outlines project costs, schedule and funding mechanisms through to completion of the scheme in 2024.

India's Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has started the tender process for consultancy services on four flyover contracts in the city of Pune.

A cable-stayed bridge with a 73.5m-high "fish-shaped" observation tower as its pylon opened yesterday in east China's Anhui province.

A ceremony yesterday marked the start of construction of the Fourth Yangtze River Bridge at Nanjing, China. The main span of its focal three-span suspension section will be 1,418m. Total length of the bridge is almost 29km.

The planning application is being submitted this month for a new bridge over the River Tone in Taunton, western England. It has been designed by Flint & Neill in conjunction with Moxon Architects and will be a key element of the Taunton Third Way scheme, which is aimed at alleviating congestion in the town centre.

New Jersey Department of Transportation has awarded a contract for the replacement of the Highlands Bridge over the Shrewsbury River in the US state.

The Skyway section of the eastern span of the new bridge across San Francisco Bay has been completed on schedule. The US$1 billion contract has been carried out by a Kiewit-FCI-Manson joint venture for California's transportation department, Caltrans.

The main arch for the Sauvie Island Bridge in Oregon, USA, was brought to its site by barge yesterday. Completing the installation of the arch for the US$38 million project is expected by contractor Max Kuney to take three days.

Bridge collapses in Nepal and Indonesia have claimed dozens of lives.

Transport Scotland has announced the preferred bidder for the new Forth bridge's project consultancy contract. A joint venture of Arup and Jacobs - and including Flint & Neill Partnership, Dissing & Weitling and EC Harris - is expected to be appointed as the project management team.

The Missouri Highways & Transportation Commission has chosen Missouri Bridge Partners as the apparent "best-value" bidder to implement a plan to replace or rehabilitate more than 800 of the state's lowest-rated bridges within the next five years.

The new crossing of the Firth of Forth is to be a cable-stayed bridge upstream of the existing road bridge, cabinet secretary John Swinney told Scotland's parliament today.

Norwegian artist Vebjørn Sand has used ice to build a bridge outside the UN building in New York to highlight the threat of melting glaciers resulting from global warming. The 10m-long sculpture is based on a design by Leonardo da Vinci and the ice comes from Antartica.

The presidents of Chile, Bolivia and Brazil have agreed plans to complete a highway corridor connecting the three countries. The route will run from Santos on Brazil's Atlantic coast to Chile's Pacific coast.

Sweden's Rautaruukki - known as Ruukki - has signed a contract with project consortium TYL Vt6 to supply structural steel for the Mälkiä bridge over the Saimaa canal in Lappeenranta, Finland. The 315m-long bridge is part of a project to develop the motorway between Lappeenranta and Imatra.

Planned pedestrian and cycle bridges around the UK will receive funding following today's announcement that Sustrans' Connect2 project has won a public vote to distribute US$102 million of lottery money.

The US Federal Highway Administration has awarded a contract to Physical Acoustics Corporation under a steel bridge testing programme. The company's Acoustic Emission Sensor Highway II System is one of the technologies that has been selected for the programme, which is aimed at improving the quality and safety of steel bridges by using non-destructive evaluation techniques to detect damage.

Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau has issued a response to the preliminary findings of a state House of Representatives committee investigation into the Wakota Bridge construction project. The committee had criticised the department for mismanagement of the project, which had been due for full opening last month.

Shanghai has confirmed plans for a 7km bridge across the Yangtze River as part of a 52km expressway linking Chongming Island and Jiangsu Province. The bridge will provide a connection to the small city of Qidong.

Austrian contractor Alpine has won two infrastructure contracts in Bucharest, Romania. The contracts are together worth US$95.5 million and each includes a bridge.

The centre portion of a dramatic new pedestrian bridge in Singapore was raised to position 37m above ground level at the weekend. It had been built immediately beneath its final location and was lifted in a five-hour operation.

A celebration was held yesterday to mark the merger of Hong Kong's two railway companies. The Mass Transit Railway Corporation has taken has taken up the transport services of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, including the East and West Rail and Light Rail Transit networks.

China's 10.3km-long Chongming Bridge topped out yesterday, when the final concrete was placed in the second of the main towers for the focal suspension section.

Civil engineering company Spencer has been appointed to carry out major dehumidification works on the Severn Bridge, which links England and Wales. The US$9 million contract follows a similar project currently under way to dry out the cables on the Forth Road Bridge.

The government of Canada has announced that it will make the construction of South Ottawa's Strandhern Bridge a priority for funding under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund.

Online voting opens today in a competition to choose the winner of US$103 million of UK lottery money. Four schemes are competing for the funding offered by “The people's £50 million”, with the winner chosen by public opinion and announced in December.

Construction of Dresden's controversial Waldschloesschen Bridge in the Elbe Valley has begun this week following the overturning of a final injunction that was preventing construction.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) has said that the Forth Road Bridge cable replacement study is on track but that additional work will be required to prove the structural integrity of the anchorages where the main cables are attached to concrete-filled tunnels bored into the rock on each shore.

Construction, asset management and project investment company Graham has announced the opening of new offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

FCC's Austrian subsidiary Alpine has won a US$71.4 million contract for a new bridge over the River Danube at Traismauer in Lower Austria. The 1km-long prestressed concrete bridge will link the S33 and S5 highways, shortening the journey between Sankt Pölten and Vienna by 20km.

Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has chosen Paseo Corridor Constructors as the design-build contractor for the Interstate 29/35 corridor improvement project. The U$245 million scheme features the landmark cable-stayed Christopher S Bond Missouri River Bridge as well as highway upgrades.

River barge pilots were last week given the opportunity to take part in aircraft-style computer simulations of the navigation around two major new bridges currently being designed in Kentucky and Indiana. The observations and experiences of the 13 pilots are being supplied to the bridge design teams and shared with the Coast Guard to determine whether the proposals would benefit from any changes.

Designers from the UK, Germany, Tokyo and Germany join local firms in the second stage of the Te Wero Bridge design competition in Auckland, New Zealand.

Hong Kong's government has issued a notice in its official Gazette confirming the proposed extension of a footbridge network in Tseun Wan.

Seven workers were killed and others injured today by the collapse of a bridge under construction in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai.

Uganda's Ministry of Works & Transport is seeking expressions of interest from consultants for emergency repairs to a road bridge across the Nalubaale dam on the River Nile at Jinja.

Widening of Dubai's Al Maktoum Bridge has been completed and the bridge opened to traffic yesterday. It is part of an integrated scheme aimed at increasing provision for crossing Dubai Creek.

The City of Port Angeles in Washington State, USA, has awarded Parsons a US$18.4 million construction contract for the replacement of two 70-year-old bridges.

Minister of shipping, road transport and highways Thiru Baalu has approved funding for a high-level bridge over the River Vena in the Indian state of Bihar.

Crews yesterday began drilling the first test shaft for the piers of the replacement for the I-35W bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi River in August.

Penang's chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon has said that the cost of the Second Penang Bridge is now expected to be more than the original US$1 billion estimate because of rising costs of building materials.

Delaware Department of Transportation has today issued a request for qualifications for the design and build contract for the Indian River Inlet Bridge. It has announced that the bridge is now to be considerably longer than originally planned and that its cost estimate has risen from US$130 million to US$150 million.

Nottingham County Council in northern England is to study traffic movements across a section of the River Tyne with a view to making better use of existing crossings after a report by Faber Maunsell found it unlikely that a new bridge would secure funding.

Work started yesterday on the 2.4km Pelješac Bridge, a cable-stayed bay crossing that will connect the Croatian peninsula of Pelješac with the mainland. A consortium of Konstruktor, Viadukt and Hidroelektra is building the US$378 million scheme. However, the project is controversial as Bosnia believes it may violate its territorial waters.

Germany's Second Strelasund Crossing opened to traffic yesterday, relieving the original bridge which had served as the only connection between Ruegen Island and the mainland.

The Olympic Delivery Authority has announced that Adams Kara Taylor Engineers and Heneghan Peng Architects have won the competition to design one of the key footbridges in the centre of London's Olympic Park.

Publication of a hard-hitting report into last year's fatal collapse of an overpass has led the government of Quebec in Canada to announced details of a modernisation plan.

Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority has issued a tender notice in which it is seeking expressions of interest from international consultants to investigate cracks in the bridge, suggest remedial measures and prepare tender documents.

Transit New Zealand's chief executive Rick van Barneveld has issued a public statement headed "Auckland Harbour Bridge is safe" to counter concerns raised locally in recent days about the safety of the structure's extra "clip-on" lanes, which were added in 1969.

The transportation departments of the US states of Oregon and Washington have put the cost of the proposed Columbia River Crossing project at between US$3.1 billion and US$4.2 billion in a new estimate released this week.

An ambitious infrastructure development agenda is expected to create more than 250,000 jobs, said Hong Kong's chief executive Donald Tsang yesterday in his annual policy address. He outlined progress on 10 major schemes, including the 35km-long cross-boundary Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge.

Minnesota Department of Transportation has officially awarded a Flatiron-Manson joint venture the contract for design and construction of the replacement for the Interstate 35W bridge that collapsed in August. The team had been announced as the apparent winner in September. Details have also been released of the proposal submitted by the team, whose lead designer is Figg Bridge Engineers.

The Canadian province of Alberta has invited three groups to submit proposals to develop the north Edmonton ring road as a public-private partnership.

The Ministry of Transport, Public Works & Water Management in The Netherlands has announced that US$25 million of additional funding will enable a new bridge carrying the N50 to have a higher clearance than originally planned.

The governors of Indonesia's Banten and Lampung provinces have given the go-ahead for a pre-feasibility study into proposals for a record-breaking suspension bridge across the Sunda Strait.

A report released yesterday by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) identifies the need for US$13.58 billion to be spent on structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges in the US state.

Aas-Jakobsen has annnouced that it has been appointed to carry out pre-engineering for Norway's Hålogaland Bridge using the patented "bridge symphony" hybrid concept, which combines aspects of three different bridge types.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed for the construction of a 40km causeway linking Bahrain and Qatar.

Perth & Kinross Council in Scotland has unveiled possible designs for a new foot and cycle bridge over the River Tay. The planned bridge will be part of a national TV show being screened in November in which projects will compete for US$100 million of lottery funding.

Part of the approach to a major bridge under construction in Vietnam collapsed today. Latest reports from the official Vietnam News Agency say that 34 people have died and more than 170 are being treated in hospital.

Alaska state governor Sarah Palin has directed that an alternative should be found to the proposed US$398 bridge to Gravina Island.

Venezuela-based financial institution CAF has signed an agreement to finance a structural evaluation of Peru's bridges. The project will allow the government to fill gaps in the information held about its structures with a view to identifying where additional maintenance or repair may be needed.

A joint venture of Flatiron and Manson has been named as the apparent best value bidder for the replacement of the I-35W bridge in Minnesota, USA. The fast-tracked emergency design-build project will replace the bridge over the Mississippi River that collapsed on 1 August.

All four tenders that were opened yesterday for a new highway bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway exceed North Carolina Department of Transportation's US$27.9 million estimate by more than 10%. English Construction's bid of almost US$31 million was the lowest but the state normally only awards contracts if the price does not exceed the estimate by more than 10%.

The 1.5km-long Jim Anderson Bridge was officially opened on Sunday near Sydney, Australia to form the high-level Windsor flood evacuation route, which is part of of a floodplain management strategy. A time- lapse video commissioned by the Roads & Traffic Authority, New South Wales compresses the 16 month construction of the concrete viaduct to less than a minute.

The US Senate has approved a transportation bill for 2008 that adds US$1 billion in funding to address structurally deficient bridges.

A joint venture of Granite Construction and FCI Constructors has been awared a US$138 million contract by the California Department of Transportation.

Surrey County Council has just submitted a new planning application for Walton Bridge over the River Thames in southern England.

TY Lin International has announced the start of construction a new segmental bridge over the Kanawha River in South Charleston, West Virginia.

A section of flyover under construction in the Indian city of Hyderabad collapsed in heavy rain last night, killing three people and injuring up to 10 others.

A survey of businesses has been commissioned by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to verify the economic impact of the traffic disruption that would be caused if the Forth Road Bridge's main suspension cables need replacing or augmenting.

An exhibition of more than 150 entries to the Te Wero Bridge design competition has gone on display in Auckland, New Zealand. Auckland City Council received entries from around the world in answer to its challenge to design a striking, sculptural design for the waterfront.

Vietnam´s government has asked the authorities of Hochiminh City and Dong Nai Province to work together to develop and manage a build, operate and transfer project for a new 2.2km bridge over the Dong Nai River together with approach roads.

Part of the new Northern Bypass Bridge has collapsed in Karachi, Pakistan, killing an estimated 10 people.

A four day project to replace a 110m-long section of the Bay Bridge is proceeding on schedule in California, USA, and is due for completion by contractor CC Myers tomorrow.

The new Park Bridge along the Trans-Canada Highway in Kicking Horse Canyon, British Columbia has been completed ahead of schedule and opens to traffic today. The 405m-long bridge is carried by five piers which stand up to 90m high.

The Missouri Senate has backed an ambitious plan to repair more than 800 of the US state´s worst bridges by 2012. The bill, which now needs approval by the governor, will change state laws enabling the award of a single contract to have all the bridges repaired and then maintained for 25 years. Total cost of the project is put at between US$400 and US$600 million.

An agreement has been signed between Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and contractor Atcon Construction allowing work to start on a bridge over the Mackenzie River in northern Canada.

Afghanistan and Tajikistan have opened a new 680m-long crossing of the river Pyanj to link the two countries.

Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development (DOTD) has awarded a US$453 million contract for widening the main span of the Huey P Long Bridge, despite the bid being more than 51% higher than the original US$299 million estimate.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued its second update into its investigation into this month's fatal I-35 bridge collapse. Removal of the structure is under way and investigators are developing a layout plan for critical structural elements removed from the river.

The executive committee of Bangladesh's National Economic Council yesterday approved construction of the US$1.5 billion Padma Bridge.

Flint & Neill Partnership, working with Marks Barfield Architects, Grontmij and MG Bennett & Associates, has won a US$460,000 contract to carry out preliminary design work for a public transport and pedestrian bridge in Dublin.

A joint venture partnership of HNTB and Parsons Transportation Group New York has been selected by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to provide design services for the rehabilitation of the main span upper level deck of the George Washington Bridge.

At least 41 people are now reported as having been killed by the collapse of a bridge which was under construction in Hunan province, China.

Planners have approved the design of the replacement for a bridge which was damaged three years ago by floods in the seaside town of Bocastle in south east England.

Minnesota Deparment of Transportation has met with Minneapolis officials to present preliminary design plans for the replacement of the I-35W bridge that collapsed this month.

A visit by Ecuador's minister of transport and public works Héctor Villagrán has prompted a government announcement that work is to start on a 2km bridge over the estuary of the Chone River in the north of the country.

The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario is using rapid replacement technology for the first time to remove and replace a pair of 600t bridges today during a 15 hour highway closure.

US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chairman Mark Rosenker has said that investigators have observed a design issue with gusset plates at particular locations on the collapsed I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. They are in the process of verifying the loads and stresses on the gusset plates at these locations, as well as the materials used in constructing the plates.

The New Brunswick government has announced a preferred option to replace the Petitcodiac River Causeway with a 280m-long bridge at an estimated cost of US$64 million.

The central 270t steel arch of the long-awaited new bridge over Venice's Grand Canal is due to arrive on site tomorrow night for placement early next week.

US secretary of transportation Mary Peters has called on all states to carry out immediate inspections of any steel deck truss bridges similar to the I-35 bridge that collapsed this week.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has described the collapse of the I-35W bridge as "another glaring example" of "our nation's infrastructure crisis".

The I-35 highway bridge in Minneapolis which collapsed on 1 August killing at least nine people and injuring more than 60 was identified as being at risk of fatigue failure as far back as 2001. An evaluation of the bridge deck carried out by researchers at the University of Minnesota on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Transportation found that the bridge truss had 'many poor fatigue details' on the main truss and floor truss system.

The catastrophic collapse of a major highway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minnesota has killed at least nine people. Up to 100 cars were crossing the I-35W bridge when it fell into the river during the Minneapolis evening rush hour.

Falsework from a bridge under construction in California collapsed onto the highway yesterday, injuring a worker and delivery truck driver.

The National Highway Authority of Pakistan (NHA) is inviting prequalification applications for construction of a bridge over the River Chenab at Chund. The NHA is also seeking expressions of interest from consultants for a design review and construction supervision of the bridge.

Gollifer Langston Architectsm engineer Michael Hadi Associates, lighting specialist Foto-Ma and quantity surveyor Measur have been announced as the winning team in a competition to design and deliver a new footbridge over the Rochdale Canal in east Manchester.

A decision on whether to build a new bridge over the River Thames in east London will be delayed pending the reopening of the public inquiry into the proposals.

The Danube Bridge at Dunaújváros on Hungary's M8 motorway came into operation yesterday.

Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering, Cleveland Bridge and Dorman Long have begun work on a US$31 million pedestrian bridge over the River Tees in northern England.

North Carolina's general assembly has approved a bill that will authoise the North Carolina Turnpike Authority to accelerate studies and preliminary design for a new bridge over the Yadkin River.

Canam Group has announced that its subsidiary Canam Steel Corporation has acquired the majority of the assets of Eastern Bridge.

The new Tacoma Narrows Bridge opens to traffic today, following a day of celebrations yesterday, attended by thousands of people.

The Exim Bank of China has agreed to lend US$800 million to Malaysia for construction of the Penang Second Crossing Bridge.

Finley Engineering Group is to provide design and construction engineering services to contractor Danya-Cebus for the Shelef and Nilly Bridges in Israel.

Auckland City Council in New Zealand has announced an international open competition to find an iconic concept design for a bridge on the city's waterfront.

A cable-stayed bridge will be built to improve the transport network of south Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong's director of civil engineering and development John Chai has said.

Celebrations in the Czech capital of Prague have been marking the 650th anniversary of the city's Charles Bridge.

A mix of long-established and young practices has been shortlisted from a field of 46 for a key footbridge in the middle of London's Olympic Park.

The Borough of Poole in southern England is heralding the completion of a new boat slipway as the first tangible step in its commitment towards building the new Twin Sails Bridge.

The second stage of Transit New Zealand's Harbour Link project enters the construction phase this week with the start of work on access platforms.

The transport ministers of Germany and Denmark have announced an agreement to go ahead with the 18km Fehmarn Belt Bridge linking the two countries.

Transport ministers from Denmark and Germany have signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the Fehmarn Belt, although the plans still have to be approved by both parliaments.

Cross boundary traffic between Hong Kong, Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta region has been boosted with yesterday's opening of the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and the Shenzhen Bay Port.