Every time that Freyssinet project manager for major projects Bertrand Garin returns to Kosovo, usually about once a month, he notices new signs of regeneration. Whether it is the petrol stations that have sprung up every mile or so along the province's main roads, or the continuing proliferation of half-built houses, or the opening of a new hotel in the capital Pristina, things are now much easier than they were five years ago, he recalls.

With a total length of 2560km, the Orinoco is the longest river in Venezuela and the third longest in South America. Currently, the river is crossed by only one bridge, which is situated at Ciudad Bolivar, the capital of the state of Bolivar, in a region called Guayana.

Bahrain's Ministry of Works & Housing is planning for construction of a new US$190 million causeway to start by December. The three year project will replace the existing Manama-Sitra Causeway with a dual three-lane structure with scope for expansion to four lanes each way. Consultant Cowi Almoayyed has designed the new causeway.

Washington State Department of Transportation officials are this week presenting the design options for the replacement of the SR520 floating bridge over Lake Washington. The project involves provision of a new pontoon-supported bridge at a cost estimated at between US$1.7 billion and US$2.9 billion. Public meetings have been held this week to illustrate the designs that are being evaluated and the findings from the environmental analysis.

The Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority has approved a master agreement for the Golden Ears Bridge with four local municipalities. The agreement details roles and responsibilities relative to the bridge’s design, construction, operation and maintenance. The 1km crossing of the Frasier River is the focus of a US$460 million project, due for completion in 2008.

Bridges featured strongly among the winners of the 2005 Structural Steel Design Awards, presented today in London. Three of the five awards went to bridge projects: a crossing of the River Usk in Newport, a rail bridge in the Midlands and a small "rolling bridge" on a residential development.

Atkins Highways & Transportation has promoted Chris Hendy to be head of bridge design and technology. He had been group manager for special structures for the past four years in the company's TE Epsom office. Hendry's team designed the award-winning New Medway Bridge in Kent and his paper on the project was recently named by the Institution of Civil Engineers as its best bridge paper of 2004. One of his particular fields of expertise is in the use of and background to the structural Eurocodes.

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral has revealed models and images of the Bridge of Hope, a delicate glass and steel pedestrian structure designed by Hakes Associates Architects and Buro Happold. The 75m-span bridge will take pedestrians to the cathedral’s north porch across a chasm that was once a quarry and later became a cemetery.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmonov have laid the foundation stone for a bridge crossing the river bordering their countries. Rizzani de Eccher is contractor for the US-funded structure. Work on the 670m-long bridge will begin in earnest in the autumn when the water level lowers. The US$29 million crossing is intended to boost ties between Afghanistan and Tajikstan as well as opening up access to neighbouring areas such as Russia and the Persian Gulf.

Students from the University of California-Davis beat teams from 43 other engineering schools to win the US national student steel bridge competition. University of Florida and Louisiana State University earned second and third place, respectively. The two-day event was co-sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Institute of Steel Construction and hosted by the University of Central Florida. Entries were judged in seven areas - construction speed, lightness, stiffness, efficiency, economy, aesthetics and overall performance.

Missouri Department of Transportation has said that it will save nearly US$400 million over the next five years through the introduction of a new highway design concept. "Practical design" will involve customising projects to fit specific needs rather than applying generic standards across the board. The money saved will be used to fund additional projects. “It's a lot like when you go to buy a car,” said MoDOT director Peter Rahn. “You might like to have leather seats, but cloth will do the job at a lower price. You can then spend the money you saved on something else.”

Funding has been awarded by the East of England Development Agency for a bridge based on the appearance of windswept reeds. The structure will cross the A14 highway in eastern England, providing access to Wicken Fen nature reserve. It will take the form of a 54m-high sculpture inspired by wind-blown reeds and the flights of birds. A moveable bridge for use at events across the region has also been given support. Both bridges were among four projects which were awarded funding for feasibility studies following a competition last year.

Kings Harald V of Norway and Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden have jointly opened a new bridge that joins their countries across the Svinesund fjord. The 704m-long bridge takes the form of a slender concrete arch from which steel box girder carriageways are suspended. Bilfinger Berger was the main contractor and the design was by Bilfinger Berger and Meyer & Schubart.

Construction of the third Karnaphuli Bridge will begin early next year, Bangladesh's finance minister Saifur Rahman said in his budget speech yesterday. He said that the Kuwait government had informed Bangladesh earlier in the week of its decision to provide some US$50 million for the project. Other projects for the coming year include the rebuilding of about 4,000km of road including the 3rd Buriganga, Teesta, 2nd Shitalakshya and Dapdapia bridges. There are also plans for two flyovers of 1km and 1.9km.

The public inquiry into London's proposed Thames Gateway Bridge starts this morning. The dual carriageway bridge would cross the River Thames between Thamesmead and Beckton to the east of London. After the inspector's opening remarks, the case for the applicant Transport for London will be heard. This is expected to take until the middle of next week and it will be followed by the cases for the supporters and local authorities, with the objectors due to have their say from 7 July. Once this initial phase is over, the inquiry will be adjourned until 13 September.

Hyder Consulting has acquired Queensland-based Australian engineering and environmental services group Weathered Howe. Hyder in Australia has now acquired six companies since 2002 and employs approximately 550 people there across offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Work on Hong Kong's Route 8 expressway is progressing well, according to Hong Kong Highways Department deputy project manager David English. The first steel deck segment is due to be lifted into place on Stonecutter's Bridge by the end of next year. The bridge is part of the US$1.67 billion Route 8 highway, which also includes the Lai Chi Kok Viaduct and the West Tsing Yi Viaduct. The cable-stayed Stonecutters Bridge will have a record-breaking 1,018m main span. Piling for the eastern backspan has been completed, while piling for the western backspan and west tower is in progress, said English. The steel wire for the stay cables is being made in Japan and is ready for delivery to its fabrication yard. The first segment of the steel deck is now being made in the Shanhaiguan fabrication yard, near the Great Wall's eastern entrance. The fabricated steel will then be shipped to Dongguan for assembly, before being delivered to Hong Kong for erection.

The Highways Agency has announced the start of work on two projects to reduce accidents and congestion in Sussex, England. A US$34.5 million scheme on the A27 includes replacement of a level crossing with a bridge over the railway while a US$73.5 million upgrade of the A23 involves widening and alignment improvements.

A group of four experts including Halcrow professors Chris Fleming and Roger Falconer have helped Malaysia and Singapore to come to an agreement after an 18 month dispute about work in the Johor Straits. Malaysia had taken Singapore to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea as it said that Singapore had been carrying out land reclamation without an environmental impact assessment. The two countries have now signed a settlement agreement.

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has published a tender notice for consultancy services on Mumbai's Western Freeway Sea Link. The US$560 million project involves a 13.66km sea crossing and 4.2km of connectors. Scope of the consultancy includes feasibility studies and pre-tender, environmental, financial and legal services for implementation of the scheme on a build-operate-transfer basis. Bid documents are available between 7 and 28 June and the last date for submission is 14 July.

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Funding arrangements for the propsed HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge are being studied, Hong Kong's environment, transport and works secretary Dr Sarah Lau said at a Legislative Council panel meeting today. Liao said the bridge's advanced work co-ordination group intends to seek private sector participation in funding and operating the bridge. Preparations to invite expressions of interest are under way. The intention is to test the interest and gauge views from the market on possible arrangements.

Concreting of an 8.5m high section marked the completion of the final pier for the Swale Crossing in Kent, England. The pier is made up of two of tallest columns in the new bridge, both 30m high. Swale Crossing is part of a US$180 bypass improvement and replaces a lifting bridge with a high level structure to improve journey times. The 19-span bridge has been designed as a long, smooth-flowing structure that blends into the landscape. The superstructure will be of steel.

Two Italian-led consortia have submitted tenders for the record-breaking Messina Bridge. The deadline was noon today. Client Stretto di Messina has announced that teams led by Astaldi and Impregilo have applied to be general contractor on the US$5.89 billion project to build the 3.3km-span suspension bridge and its approaches. Both teams are largely made up of Italian companies, though each now has one member from elsewhere. Spain’s Ferrovial Agroman has returned to the Astaldi consortium after previously withdrawing, while Ishikawajima-Harima is part of the Impregilo team.

The Tay Road Bridge Joint Board has awarded Cleveland Bridge a US$29 million contract for refurbishment and bearing replacement of the crossing in Scotland. The project is to be carried out under a partnership agreement, said Cleveland Bridge managing director Brian Rogan. "We both believe that fully integrated team-working is vital to the successful delivery of this complex project." Work will start immediately and take two years, with the bridge remaining fully functional throughout.

Washington State Department of Transportation has started drilling soil samples for two major projects, the US$500 SR 520 Bridge over Lake Washington and the US$2 billion Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement. Crews on the bridge project will work at 15 drilling locations in the lake, each of which will take about two days to cover. The existing structure is one of the world’s oldest floating bridges. Six new drilling locations are being checked for the viaduct, following the earlier completion of investigations in the south and central project areas.

A crucial stage of the UK’s Paddington Bridge project is under way, with a section of the replacement bridge being launched into place across railway tracks in west London.

A soaring blue arch bridge under construction in Dallas will serve as a landmark for visitors arriving in the city from the direction of the Metro airport. The blue Gateway Bridge crosses the busy Interstate 94 highway. CA Hull is building the US$14 million structure to a design by Benesch for Michigan Department of Transportation. Completion is expected before the Super Bowl football game which takes place in the city in January 2006.

Opening of Vietnam’s new Binh Bridge over the Cam River in Haiphong was timed for 13 May to coincide with the city’s 50th anniversary of its liberation. The new crossing is the second biggest cable-stayed bridge in the country with a total length of 1,347m, an effective width of 22m and a navigational clearance of 25m.

US secretary of transportation Norman Mineta has announced that Florida's roads and bridges will be given US$928 million to help in the repair work following devastating storms last year. The money will be used to reimburse the state for past and future damage repair contracts to help restore the transport network to its pre-hurricane condition.

A landmark bridge on the world's highest railway has been finished. The 928m-long bridge stands on the 1,118km Qinhjao-Tibet railway which will provide access to Tibet's capital Lhasa. The piers of the main bridge have been designed to resemble the legs of yaks - which are native to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau - and the approach piers look like the snow lotus plant which grows only above the snow line.

The largest air passenger bridge in the world was opened today at BAA's Gatwick Airport. The 197m-long structure spans a busy aircraft taxiway to link the airport's north terminal with a new pier satellite building. Arup was lead designer and the concept architect was Wilkinson Eyre.

Construction of the Cau Rao 2 Bridge has started this week in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Finland is providing some 85% of the US$18.5 million funding for the project. The 248m cable-stayed bridge will span the Lach Tray River about 1km from the original crossing. It will include four road lanes and two cycle lanes. Completion is expected towards the end of 2007.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has received environmental and archaeological consents for the 22.25km Mumbai Trans Harbour Sea Link. One of the conditions of the environmental consent was that there should be no objection from the Archaeological Survey of India to the plans. The Archaeological Survey responded with a certificate confirming that the work will cause no disturbance to the nearby Elephanta Island.

Hong Kong's Environment, Transport & Works Bureau has rejected "wild speculation" that the local section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will not meet environmental standards and will require legal exemption. Claims were made that an environmental impact assessment demonstrated that the project could not meet the air quality requirement. The bureau responded that an assessment cannot yet be conducted as planning for the bridge is ongoing and major decisions have yet to be taken.

Business leaders in the Merseyside region have joined forces to encourage the UK government to back the proposed Mersey Gateway bridge. Prominent figures in business including Confederation of British Industry director general Digby Jones and Jaguar director of manufacturing Colin Tivey have written to the secretary of state for transport asking for the crossing to be made a priority. The team behind the project hopes that a final decision to approve funding will be made soon. A fast-track timetable could see the bridge open to the public by 2012.

The first foundations are to be sunk later this year for a 47km causeway bridge spanning the Gulf of Thailand south-west of Bangkok. Total length of the structure will be 90km, including a section running above rooftops on land. The bridge will be built in 100m stretches and will take two to three years to complete. This is the fifth very long international road bridge with Cowi involvement. "Causeway solutions are growing in popularity,” explains project manager Pisit Karnjanarujivut of local company Arun Chaiseri in Thailand. Cowi is currently carrying out studies for a 32km bridge in Kuwait and a 42km link between Qatar and Bahrain and has also been working on the 32km Dong Hai bridge in China and the 25km Saudi-Bahrain causeway.

The US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has cited JD Steel Company of Phoenix, Arizona and Fru-Con Construction of Ballwin, Missouri and proposed penalties totalling US$74,700 for safety and health violations on the Four Bears Bridge project. One worker was killed and three others were injured in November 2004 when a when a column about 20m high collapsed and fell into Lake Sakakawea. "The violations resulted because the employer failed to follow basic safety and health requirements for employees working on the Four Bears Bridge site," said Bismarck OSHA area director Bruce Beelman. OSHA cited JD Steel for four alleged serious violations with proposed penalties totalling US$25,200. Fru-Con was cited for nine alleged serious violations with proposed penalties totalling US$49,500. The companies have been given 15 working days to request an informal conference with the area director or to contest the citations and proposed penalties before an independent commission.

Fiberline has built what is believed to be mainland Europe's first glass fibre reinforced plastic road bridge. The German municipality of Klipphausen near Dresden opted for the lightweight, durable structure following the success of four GRP pedestrian and cycle bridges built by Fiberline two years ago. These replaced crossings that had been destroyed by flooding. Mayor Gerold Mann believes that GRP will save money. "Purchasing a traditional steel and wood bridge might be cheaper, but a traditional bridge is also expensive to maintain," he said. The bridge is bolted down, so that it can be removed temporarily if threatened by high water. Europe's first GRP road bridge opened to traffic in Oxfordshire, England in 2002.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority has agreed to procede with planning of a third major crossing of the Firth of Forth. The decision was taken at FETA's board meeting on Friday and design work is expected to begin soon. A report presented to the meeting by chief executive Douglas Sinclair recommended examination of the feasibility of the new multi-modal crossing to provide flexible capacity for long-term travel. The report says that it is essential that road space should be reallocated in favour of high occupancy vehicles and public transport. Provision of the new crossing would also allow current problems to be addressed, such as the current need to exclude high-sided vehicles during high winds.

Washington Crossing Toll Supported Bridge has reopened to traffic a month after one of the masonry piers suffered damage during floods. The bridge's substructure is made up of rubble stone-faced masonry. Emergency repairs were carried out once inspectors had been able to assess the damage after the flood water had receded. The bridge will remain closed at night for another month to allow grouting of the pier. Expansion joints will also be replaced at the same time as part of a programme that was already planned.

Ramet and Koor Metals has been appointed as contractor for a sweeping cable-stayed bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava for the entrance to Jerusalem, Israel. Shafir and Eiffel had won the tender but were not able to reach full agreement with the Jerusalem Development Company, known as Moriah, and the contract was offered to the other bidder. Ramet and Koor Metals reduced its original bid by US$2.3 million.The US$31 million bridge will be 140m long supported by 70 cables attached to the central 118m-high mast.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place this week for a US$70 million bridge in Ho Chi Minh City. The bridge will connect the downtown area to the Thu Thiem peninsula, opening the way for an eastwards expansion of the city. Thu Thiem Bridge will be 1.25km long and 28m wide. It will be the fourth bridge over the Saigon River, joining the Saigon, Binh Trieu and Binh Trieu 2 bridges.

A crane operator has died and another worker was injured when a barge-mounted crane collapsed during piling operations for the US$122 million Sanibel Causeway in Florida. Eye witnesses have hailed the crane operator Kent A Crappell as a hero for sounding his horn in warning and steering the pile away from the crew and bridge before the crane toppled over.

A coalition of companies led by David Evans & Associates has been appointed to carry out the environmental studies for a new bridge across the Columbia River in the west of the USA. The scheme is a joint project by the states of Oregon and Washington to ease the impact of bottlenecks on the Interstate 5 highway by increasing capacity across the river. The intention is to maximise the community benefit of the project by implementing a high capacity mass transit system in the same time frame.

Carl Bro Group and Dissing+Weitling are preparing the tender material for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge in Copenhagen. The 200m-long bridge will have a hinged section which can swing to provide passage for shipping. It will cross Sydhavnen between Fisketorvet and Islands Brygge, forming a key part of a new cycle route. Carl Bro came up with the idea for the bridge in 2000. It worked with Sjælsø Gruppen and presented the scheme to Copenhagen Municipality, which welcomed the proposal as of benefit to a large proportion of the city's population.

A Skanska-led joint venture has secured a US$243 million contract to design and build twin high level bridges on the I-10 highway across Escambia Bay in Florida. The project includes demolition of the existing bridges which suffered severe hurricane damage last year. Total length of the bridges is about 4.2km and construction is expected to take 29 months. Skanska has a 60% share of the work with Flatiron Constructors taking the remainder, as on the Cooper River Bridge which is under construction in South Carolina.

Groundbreaking is due to take place within the next six weeks for a new US$783 million bridge linking the South Korean city of Inchon with its island-based international airport. Amec is building the 10.25km Songdo-Inchon Airport Bridge and will be responsible for part of the funding with the government finding the remainder. Completion is due in 2009.

Shanghai Engineering Administrative Bureau has announced the start of work on a new bridge over the Suzhou Creek between the Changning and Putuo districts. The 725m-long Daduhe Bridge is expected to be completed by spring 2006.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the Rion-Antirion Bridge as the outstanding civil engineering achievement of the year. The record-breaking bridge has a continuous 2.259km deck suspended from four stunning 170m pylons. It was completed four months ahead of schedule in time to carry the Olympic torch over the Gulf of Corinth towards Athens. The main contractor was Kinopraxia Gefrya – a joint venture of six Greek contractors led by France’s Dumez-GTM. The contractor’s consultants were Ingerop and Domi and the supervising engineer was Faber Maunsell. ASCE chose the bridge as the winner from a field of five finalists, selected from 22 nominations.

China and Russian are aiming to complete design of the Heilongjiang River Highway Bridge by August this year. The bridge will be over 1km long and will provide a link between Heihe in China and the Russian city of Blagovescensk. The project is intended to boost trade between the countries, building on the expansion of Heihe’s port.

There will be a new link between the Chinese cities of Yangzhou and Zhenjiang from 1 May with the opening of the Runyang Highway Yangtze River Bridge. The cross-river part of the project includes one of the world's longest suspension spans - 1,490m - and a cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 406m.

The public inquiry into the Twin Sails Bridge in Poole, England is to start on 27 September. The hearing into the proposals is expected to last up to four weeks. In the meantime the Borough of Poole is continuing to prepare its case. "Between now and September we will continue to work with objectors to try and address their concerns," added policy director Bernie Topham.

Louisiana's state Bond Commission has given preliminary approval for a US$525 million bond sale to raise money for projects including a US$213 million bridge over the Mississippi. The bridge would link Saint Francisville to New Roads, as part of a US$3.8 billion programme, the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development. Construction of the bridge could begin by the end of the year.

The last of more than 3,000 concrete segments was cast this week for the I-280 bridge over the Maumee River in Ohio. The 85t segment was one of 42 designed to anchor the stay cables for the US$220 million crossing. The project is the largest highway scheme in the history of the Ohio Department of Transportation and is due for completion in late 2006. Erection work on the project was suspended for eight months last year following a fatal accident involving one of the launching gantries. A second failure on the day work restarted has led to further examination of the erection method.

A 10-member expert panel has recommended a northern alignment for the Y-shaped 29km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Hong Kong's secretary for the environment, transport and works Dr Sarah Liao has announced. The panel held a two day meeting in Zhuhai and made site visits. They have recommended a northern bridge and tunnel route, landing in San Shek Wan on the northwest of Lantau Island in the east and in Golbai to the west. A coordination group was convened immediately following the meeting to examine the next stage. Bidding is expected to start by the end of the year.

A preliminary meeting was held yesterday in preparation for the public inquiry into London's Thames Gateway Bridge. The meeting was designed to give the inspector Robert Barker and all parties the chance to prepare so that the inquiry can be conducted as efficiently as possible. The meeting's agenda covered topics such as nature of the inquiry, expected appearances and procedures rather than the merits or otherwise of the project. The inquiry is due to start on 7 June.

Placement began yesterday of the bascule girders for the Potomac River Bridge, part of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project. The 170t girders are 37.8m long and up to 6m high. They were fabricated in Florida and delivered eight days later by boat to the site near Washington DC. There will be eight girders on the Virginia side and eight on the Maryland side of the river. The new drawbridge section will be about 6m higher than the current Woodrow Wilson Bridge and will have a 21m clearance which will result in 70% fewer bridge openings.

West Virginia's Division of Highways and the Ohio Department of Transportation have awarded Walsh Construction a US$120 million contract for a new crossing of the Ohio River. It is the largest single highway contract in West Virginia’s history. The almost 1.6km long cable-stayed bridge is part of a upgrade of the US Route 50 highway being carried out as part of development of the Appalachian highway system.