Prospective single coat products are to be tested later this year in a study being carried out by the US Federal Highway Administration and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Tests will be carried out on candidate materials with performance characteristics matching the 'coating performance wish list' that has been put together. Properties include slip coefficient, salt fog resistance and other weathering properties, adhesion, abrasion resistance, edge retention and so on, application criteria such as dry time to handle, temperature range for curing, sag resistance, chip resistance, cure time to measure DFT, pot life, recoat and overcoat with details of the type of tests that should be carried out and the suggested acceptance criteria.

The tale of how the first iron bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel was discovered and saved from demolition in the nick of time is the stuff of storybooks. At the centre of it is English Heritage inspector of ancient monuments for London, Steven Brindle, whose painstaking work and determination made this hugely important discovery possible.

Arup has been appointed by the contractor of China’s Sutong Bridge to provide construction management services. The project includes an 8km dual three lane carriageway over the Yangtze River Delta with a cable-stayed bridge of span 1088m. Bridge construction will start in June 2005 with target completion in February 2008.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has awarded URS Corporation a consultancy contract for eight high-level, curved steel box girder bridges in the core of the new Marquette Interchange in southeastern Wisconsin. URS will review the final design and provide specialised geotechnical services. Construction began in April and will be completed in December 2008 at an estimated cost of US$810 million.

Preparations are under way to begin work on the two towers of the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge. A tower crane has been erected immediately south of the bridge at the western tower’s position and another will be built on the other caison. When completed, each tower will be almost 154m high. The new suspension bridge is being built parallel to and south of the existing bridge.

Construction has started of a major rail bridge in Tibet. The 866m Beisangqu Extra-large Bridge is being built at a high altitude of 4700m over a tributary of the Pana River as part of a new railway. It has 26 arches and spans of 32m.

Safety concerns have prompted the Virginia Department of Transportation to close a major swing bridge over the Chickahominy River. State engineers had been monitoring the bridge closely following a shift in its alignment caused by deterioration of one of the piers of the 29 span structure. Reducing the weight limit on the bridge failed to stem the movement and the fixed and opening spans are now out of alignment by 165mm.

Construction has begun of a 330m concrete viaduct which forms the latest stage in Chile’s La Pólvora highway. The US$3.5 million Viaducto Las Lúcumas is part of a new southern access to Valparaíso which will allow heavy traffic going to and from the port to bypass the city centre.

Swansea Sail Bridge was one of four winners of the 2004 Structural Steel Design Awards, which were presented at a ceremony in London this afternoon.

Florida Department of Transportation has awarded Skanska a US$76.8 million contract to replace the 445m Bridge of Lions over the Matanzas River. The contract also includes construction of a temporary 670m bridge for use during the construction period. The characteristic steel arched beams of the existing 76 year old bridge will be reused in the new structure.

Nine prefabrication technologies have been recommended for adoption in the US following an international study tour by a team of engineers. The US Federal Highway Administration has published the results of the visit to Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. The tour focussed on techniques with benefits in six areas such as minimising traffic disruption and improving work zone safety.

Fifteen bidders have responded to the Bulgarian government’s prequalification notice for a road and rail crossing of the River Danube. The 2km bridge will join Vidin in Bulgaria and Calafat in Romania. Between four and eight applicants are now expected to be invited to tender for the US$275 million project.

The European Commission has agreed a memorandum of understanding which opens the way for a US$19.3 billion infrastructure programme across five Balkan countries. The Zezji rail bridge at Novi Sad in Serbia & Montenegro is one of 17 priority projects which together account for US$785 million of the proposed spending. The planned South East Europe core regional transport network covers 4,300km of railways and 6,000 km of roads, as well as the development of ports, airports and inland waterways.

A key stage has been reached in the construction of the cantilever deck units for the Four Bears Bridge in North Dakota, US. Eight pairs of segments have now been erected, marking the half way stage in the first cantilever operation for the 15 span bridge. The balanced cantilever length has reached 47.8m from tip to tip and when completed it will measure 95.6m.

A section of the 500m Tianzhuangtai Bridge has collapsed in Panjin City in northeast China. About a third of one of the concrete spans fell into the river, taking several vehicles with it. At least two people are reported to have swum to safety.

Preliminary engineering for the Cleveland Innerbelt highway project is to be carried out by a team headed by Burgess & Niple and including URS Corportation’s Ohio Transportation Group. The project for Ohio Department of Transportation involves reconstruction as well as increasing capacity through provision of extra lanes. The 1500m Central Viaduct Bridge will either be replaced or upgraded as part of the US$477 million scheme, depending on the results of a cost-benefit analysis.

The 200th roadway plank was placed at the Donghai Bridge near Shanghai yesterday. Another 470 of the pieces of the panelling are needed to complete the 25km structure which due be finished in late 2005. The bridge is key part of the development of Yangshan deep-water port at the mouth of Hangzhou Bay.

Australia’s government has published a detailed paper on its five year land transport plan, AusLink. The paper sets out US$8.2 billion in spending, including a major upgrade of the east coast road and rail systems. The plans represent a US$2.5 billion increase in funding, prompted by predictions of substantial growth in freight and passenger travel.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has invited registrations from companies interested in bidding to demolish the old Jamestown Bridge. The unusual demolition scheme includes relocating 20,000m³ of concrete for use as artificial reefs. The bridge was built in 1940 and closed to traffic in 1992 with the opening of its replacement.

The last in a series of 18 launches has completed the 2.46km deck of the Millau Viaduct in France. The 36,000t of steel deck was launched using high-pressure hydraulic equipment installed on all seven permanent piers as well as seven temporary supports. Enerpac provided contractor Eiffage with the hydraulics needed to lift the temporary piers and launch the deck. Work is under way to clamp the steel deck sections permanently. The project’s completion is scheduled for January 2005.

Messina Bridge concessionaire Stretto di Messina has held a trio of roadshows in New York, Tokyo and London following April’s tender advertisement for a general contractor to build the record- breaking crossing linking Sicily to the Italian mainland. Delegates heard presentations on the scheme’s technical, financial and legal framework. The road and rail bridge will have a main suspension span of 3.3km, dwarfing the current record holder Akashi Kaikyo’s 1.991km.

The Composite Bridge Alliance Europe is inviting proposals for papers to be presented at a conference next year. The two day international conference on bridge engineering with polymer composites will be held in Switzerland from 31 March to 1 April 2005. Subjects to be covered include FRP bridge decks, post strengthening and dynamics of lightweight bridge structures. The presentations will include case studies as well as research and development projects.

The sole bid received for construction of the self-anchored suspension bridge in new east span of the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge was about US$1 billion more than client Caltrans’ US$740 million estimate. A joint venture of American Bridge, NS Bridge and Fluor Enterprises submitted two prices: US$1.8 billion to use domestic steel and US$1.4 billion for an alternative with foreign steel. “Buy America” rules allow steel from elsewhere if the total bid using domestic steel exceeds the lowest based on foreign steel by more than 25%. Here the differential is 28.57% and so the foreign steel bid stands.

The final deck section of Rion-Antirion bridge was manoeuvred into place yesterday, three months ahead of the current programme. The bridge will be opened briefly on 8 August for the Olympic flame to be carried over, and fully opened to traffic later in August. Main contractor and designer is Vinci Grands Projets and the structural steelwork for the bridge itself is by Cleveland Bridge. FaberMaunsell is the independent supervision engineer for the project.

Bridge engineers in the UK will examining their change more closely this week with the launch of the first in a series of coins depicting bridges. The first of the £1 (US$1.79) coins features Scottish landmark the Forth Rail Bridge. Other designs will be introduced annually, showing the Menai Strait Bridge for Wales, MacNeill's Egyptian Arch for Northern Ireland and the Millennium Bridge in Gateshead for England. In addition to the nickel-brass circulating version, the Scottish coin is available as gold and silver limited edition proofs - details from www.royalmint.com/pound/ (opens in new window).

Tyco/Holland Railconsult came top of the seven bidders in a preliminary report evaluating project management tenders for Portugal’s high speed rail scheme. The network will cover a total of 600 km of double track railway along three routes. The first phase, starting this year, includes feasibility and design studies as well as the application for EU funding. Detailed design and construction will take place in subsequent phases from 2005 to 2011. Overall project investment is estimated at US$4.8 billion. The client is Rede Ferroviária de Alta Velocidade.

The construction contract for the Colorado River Bridge is due to be advertised on 8 June, the US Federal Highway Administration has announced. The bridge will be the centrepiece of a 5.6km project to realign the congested US 93, which currently runs across the top of the Hoover Dam. The composite concrete deck arch bridge will provide a spectacular river crossing 450m downstream of the dam. Approach contracts in Nevada and Arizona are already under way.

The first of Cooper River Bridge’s two diamond shaped concrete towers was completed this week. The final concrete to be placed was for the v-shaped parapet wall at the top of the 174.5m western tower. The cable-stayed bridge will link Charleston and Mount Pleasant in South Carolina, US.

High-Point Rendel has been appointed to advise on the construction of two railway bridges in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The company is offering specialist advice to Stup Consulting of Mumbai for the tender design of steel truss arches across the Chenab and Anjikhad rivers. The bridges have spans of 460m and 260m respectively. Stup is assisting Hindustan Construction, which is in competition against three other contractors. Promoter of the project is the Konkan Railway Corporation.

Nashville’s $29 million Gateway Bridge was opened yesterday by the mayor of the US city. Focus of the 505m crossing is a 165m silver and red steel arch, reaching 58m above the Cumberland River. The bridge reconnects East Nashville to the city’s downtown, replacing the historic Shelby Street Bridge which was closed to traffic in 1998. Lead design consultant was HNTB Corporation and the lead contractor was Ray Bell Construction.

Including industrial by-products such as fly ash in concrete mixes offer the potential to treble the life of bridge decks, according to engineers from Pennsylvania State University. Decks could last 75 to 100 years, concludes the study which involved full scale testing of 10 mixes containing materials such as silica fume and an alkaline earth mineral admixture. The exact life will not be known for many years, but the mixtures produced concrete with substantially lower permeability, higher electrical resistivity and lower cracking potential than the standard mix used in the state, said the study’s leader Paul Tilalsky. Ten bridges on Interstate 99 will now be built using the mixes and then fully monitored as part of the “100 year highway” project.

Vietnam’s Yen Lenh Bridge has been opened to traffic by prime minister Phan Van Khai. The 2.23km bridge is in the north of the country, spanning the Hong River. Traffic previously had to use a ferry service or make a 40km detour. Construction of the bridge took just 23 months, shaving 10 months from the time allowed. It was built by Thang Long Construction Corporation and the Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

A newly-installed 40t bridge girder collapsed onto the Interstate 70 in Colorado yesterday, killing all three occupants of a vehicle travelling on the highway. The 35m steel plate girder had been put in place earlier in the week as part of a US$11.95 million project to improve the interchange between the I-70 and the C470.

The Leonard P Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge has been named the 2004 outstanding civil engineering achievement by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The ultra-wide 10 lane cable-stayed bridge is a landmark feature of Boston’s multi-billion dollar Central Artery/Tunnel project. The first four lanes opened in March 2003, and the bridge will be fully operational in 2005. The client is Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the design was by HNTB Corporation and Figg Bridge Engineers from a concept by Christian Menn.

Edward Kraemer & Sons has started construction of the US$37 million Troup-Howell Bridge in Rochester, New York. The landmark arch structure replaces an existing eight span bridge and construction will be phased to keep traffic moving during the project. The bridge will carry the I-490 highway over the Genesee River.

A Japanese-Hong Kong joint venture has today signed a US$333 million contract to build Hong Kong's latest and biggest bridge, Stonecutters. Members of the Maeda-Hitachi-Yokogawa-Hsin Chong Joint Venture have previously worked together in Hong Kong building Kap Shui Mun Bridge. Maunsell is consulting engineer to the JV. The record-breaking cable-stayed bridge, which has a 1018m main span, will cross the Rambler Channel at the entrance to the busy Kwai Chung container port. Stonecutters will also be remarkable for its height. The two towers will be almost 300m high, dwarfing those of the nearby Tsing Ma and Ting Kau bridges which are about 200m. Its vertical deck clearance will be at least 73.5m above sea level to cater for shipping. Completion is due in 2008.

The Bulgarian government has published the prequalification notice for design and construction of a major road and rail bridge over the River Danube. The 2km crossing will link Vidin in Bulgaria with Calafat in Romania. Deadline for submission of applications is 14 June, after which between four and eight applicants will be invited to submit detailed tenders. Provisional start date for the scheme is December 2004. Construction is expected to take just over three years.

Canadian authorities along the US border have agreed to fund improvements to infrastructure including the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the Peace Bridge. The Governments of Canada and Ontario, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission and the Buffalo and Fort Erie Bridge Authority have committed some US$235 million to the programme. Work at Queenston-Lewiston Bridge – one of Canada’s busiest crossings - will include a new lane for commercial drivers. Among the measures at Peace Bridge are a redesigned border plaza and new traffic management technology.

A joint venture of Bouygues Travaux Publics and Hyundai Engineering has won a US$275 million contract for the Masan Bay Bridge in South Korea. The 1.7km crossing - made up of 740m cable-stayed bridge with two access viaducts - will improve access to Pusan, the country’s second largest industrial city. Bouygues and Hyundai’s contract covers the financing, design and construction of the bridge as well as operation and maintenance for 30 years.

Irish rail organisation Iarnród Éireann today published its report into last year’s collapse of the Cahir viaduct, which was triggered when a loaded cement train became derailed. Extensive studies showed that the derailment was caused by a dynamic interaction between the particular type of wagon and the track structure. Measures have been implemented to prevent any similar accidents.

Public comment is being invited on the proposed designs for the new Peace Bridge over the Niagara River. Thirteen concepts are under consideration, including cable stayed and arch options. The existing 1.7km bridge connects Buffalo, New York with Fort Erie, Ontario. It was opened in 1927 to commemorate 100 years of peace between Canada and the US. All but three of the proposals are for a companion structure alongside the existing bridge. A report published in March recommended against demolishing the existing structure.

HBG Constructors has been renamed Flatiron Construction, the company announced this week. The directors’ decision to discontinue use of the HBG name in North America stems from the acquisition of the company by Netherlands-based Royal BAM Group in 2002. Subsidiary HBG Flatiron has been renamed Flatiron Constructors. "The reemphasis of the Flatiron name reflects our pride in the history of the company," said president and CEO Garry Crabtree. Flatiron was founded in 1947 and named after rock formations near Boulder, Colorado.

Consultation has started on proposals for a bridge over the Yukon River at Dawson City, Canada following publication of the Yukon Government’s environmental assessment report. The preliminary design is for a 365m four span bridge with three in-stream piers. It would have a cast-in-place reinforced concrete deck acting compositely with three lines of steel plate girders. The bridge would allow year-long access across the river in place of a summer ferry service and winter ice bridge. The engineering design consultant has not yet been appointed.

WSP International Sweden has signed a US$2.5 million contract for the design of a major bridge over the Zambezi River in Mozambique. The 2.5km bridge will join Caia in the Sofala province with Chimuara in Zambezia, replacing a ferry service and thus completing a vital missing link in the country’s north-south highway. WSP’s design partners for the four year project are Louis Berger, TYPSA and GRID.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has awarded JD Eckman a US$771,000 contract for repairs to the I-95 Scudder Falls Bridge, including installation of stringer support brackets and the replacement of diaphragm members, bolts and rivets. Cianbro Corporation has won a US$1.46 million contract for repairs to the footpath structure on the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge. This involves replacement of the stringers and other steelwork as well as casting new concrete decking.

The European parliament has this week reinstated the Messina Bridge on its list of priority trans-European network schemes, following intense lobbying. Opposition had forced the 3.2km suspension bridge's removal from the list last month. Inclusion brings eligibility for partial EU funding towards the project's US$5.3 billion cost. The tender invitation was published last week.

The US Federal Highway Administration has given environmental clearance for the replacement of Foxburgh Bridge over Pennsylvania’s Allegheny River. Final design will now start, taking until late 2005. The new bridge will be built immediately upstream from the existing 158m steel warren truss structure.

Hong Kong’s government has launched the sale of US$770 million in bonds to help finance infrastructure projects. The bonds are secured on revenues from government-owned toll bridges and tunnels such as the Lantau Link - including the Tsing Ma Bridge, the Ma Wan Viaduct and the Kap Shui Mun Bridge - and the Aberdeen, Cross-Harbour, Lion Rock, Shing Mun and Tseung Kwan O Tunnels. It will be delivered through the largest retail distribution network ever established for a bond issue in Hong Kong.

The Romanian government has allocated US$58 million towards construction of a road and rail bridge across the River Danube, linking the port of Calafat with Vidin in Bulgaria. Bulgaria is providing US$223 million for the project which is due to start on site in 2005. The only existing bridge between the two countries is at Ruse-Giurgiu, some 300 km downstream.

Today's supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union carries the formal contract notice for the Messina Bridge. Responses need to be in by 13 July. The suspension bridge over the Strait of Messina will have a record-breaking 3.3km central span and will carry both road and rail. It is expected to cost about US$5.3 billion, with price accounting for up to 45 of the 100 points used to score the tenders. The decision is due on 15 January 2005.

Construction of Florida’s Lee Roy Selmon expressway suffered a setback this week when a 7m deep sinkhole swallowed a pier and caused the collapse of two 45m concrete deck segments. Work on the US$145 million, 9km elevated road was ahead of schedule when the accident happened. Completion is due in 2005.

US transportation secretary Norman Mineta toured the Woodrow Wilson Bridge site this week to highlight the latest prefabrication and concreting technologies. He also discussed the availability of government support to encourage the development and use of new techniques. Construction of the bridge over the Potomac River will relieve one of the worst bottlenecks in the US.

Construction of one of Ho Chi Minh city’s largest bridges is set to begin in December. The 2km Phu My Bridge will link up with the third phase of the US$40 million Nguyen Van Linh Expressway which started on site last week. Completion of the US$116 million bridge will connect the city with the Mekong Delta and Vietnam’s southeastern provinces.

The Philippines Department of Public Works & Highways is fast-tracking three infrastructure projects in the Mindanao Region. Largest of the three is a US$10 million project involving the repair of 13 bridges, over 43km of concrete paving, construction of 20 box culverts and extensive drainage ditches.

Engineers from Texas Department of Transportation plan a partial reopening of a section of the I-20 highway next week after repairing some of the damage caused by heavy rain on Monday. A wall of water coursed past the bridges that carry the highway, leading to the collapse of the eastbound structure. Damage to the westbound bridge proved to be less extensive than had been feared and it can be opened once it has been stabilised.

Oregon Department of Transport has signed a contract with Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners for the management of a the state’s US$1.3 billion bridge replacement programme. OBDP - a joint venture between HDR Engineering and Fluor Enterprises - has also signed the first work order under the contract. This covers the management of about US$250 million in bridge construction work.

Preparation work is under way for a new cable-stayed bridge over Japan's Yabegawa River following the award of a contract for the tower foundations. The bridge will have a central span of 261m flanked either side by a span of 128m. It is due to open in 2008 as part of the Ariake Sea Coastal Road.

The Vietnam Government has approved a US$58 million bridge linking Ho Chi Minh city centre with the Thu Thiem peninsula. The six lane, 766m Thu Thiem bridge will cross the Saigon River with a 10m clearance for shipping. Design is due for completion by the end of August with the intention of opening the bridge next year.

Budapest's general assembly has discussed plans for a new bridge to improve access to the city's fast-growing Ujpest district. Some US$4.3 million is earmarked for preliminary planning and design work on the Aquincumi bridge over the next two years. Armed with this, the City Hall plans to apply for a substantial EU contribution towards the project's estimated US$290 million cost. The crossing and an 8km approach road should be completed by 2010.