2021 Global Sourcebook
Urban Park Is Part of Madrid's Tunnel Vision
The underground tunnel will be landscaped to extend the Madrid Río urban park.Photo courtesy of Ferrovial
Construction is underway to convert the last southern arc section of Madrid’s M-30 beltway into a tunnel. Part of an ongoing highway refurbishment program called Calle 30, the 2,000-ft-long, 69- to 85-ft-wide cut-and-cover tunnel will replace the above-ground highway section, which will be routed below the footprint of a now-demolished soccer stadium. Landscaping atop the new underground structure will extend the Madrid Río urban park, further enhancing mobility between adjacent neighborhoods. Spanish contractor Ferrovial, which is carrying out the 20-month project in a joint venture with infrastructure developer Acciona, will maintain traffic flows in both directions along the M-30 using a temporary detour beneath the demolished stadium. n
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Photo courtesy of National Highways
England
Motorway Junction anchors $670-million highway upgrade
The Black Cat roundabout near Cambridgeshire, England, is the centerpiece of a $678-million highway improvement program being carried out by Skanska for National Highways. Along with widening 10 miles of the A428 motorway between St. Neots and Caxton Gibbert, the project will transform the existing at-grade roundabout into a three-tier junction to provide a free-flowing connection with the A1, the main road connecting London and Edinburgh, Scotland. Other upgrades include new bridges along the widened highway to reconnect disrupted rights-of-way and enhance access for pedestrians, cyclists and horseback riders. The project is scheduled for completion in 2023.
Singapore Ang Mo Kio
Metro Station Extension
As part of the construction of Singapore’s eighth mass transit line, a $450-million design-build project will add an underground station, transit and pedestrian access tunnels and upgrades to the existing station facility, all in a constrained urban environment with challenging ground conditions. Vinci’s Bachy Soletanche subsidiary is teaming with Gammon Construction and Engineering for the project, which is scheduled to open in 2030.
Australia
New Airport Readies for Takeoff
The joint venture of CPB Contractors and Acciona has been tapped for a $194-million airside civil and pavement construction project at the new Western Sydney International Airport. The two-year project includes runways and taxiway and airside roads. This is the joint venture’s third project at the $3.9-billion airport, scheduled to begin operation in 2026.
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Egypt
A 'Suez Canal on Rails'
Egypt has signed a $4.45-billion deal for a 410-mile high-speed electric rail line to link its Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts. To be developed, built and maintained by a consortium that includes Siemens Mobility, Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors, the project includes passenger and freight lines with a scheduled 2027 start-up date. The country is eyeing two other high-speed rail projects that would bring the total network to more than 1,100 miles.
Maldives
New Island Connections Enhance Economic Resilience
Marine surveying is underway for the $530-million Greater Male Connectivity Project, a 4.1-mile-long bridge and causeway network that will link several islands with a proposed port and industrial zone. The 32-month project is the largest infrastructure effort in the country’s history. Afcons Infrastructure will oversee construction of three navigation structures across deep water as well as landside roads and roundabout intersections.
