WestConnex motorway project
The M4 Western Motorway outside of Parramatta, Australia. Credit: Beau Giles.
 Howard Frankland Bridge
Howard Frankland Bridge in 2017. Credit: Jake34178.
Separated Sound Zone (SSZ) technology has been in development since 2014. Credit: Hyundai Motor Company.
 Downer Group maintenance
Downer secures road maintenance contract in Tasmania, Australia. Credit: © Downer Group.

Samsung C&T wins $785m contract for WestConnex motorway project

South Korea-based construction and engineering firm Samsung C&T secured KRW882.6bn ($785.9m) contract to build a 12.9km section of WestConnex motorway in western Sydney, Australia.

The latest contract was awarded by Sydney Motorway Corporation established by the New South Wales Government in Australia.

With the latest contract win, the Samsung Group’s construction arm Samsung C&T will be able to participate in all three stages of WestConnex construction project.

Florida DOT to award $814m contract for Howard Frankland Bridge

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in the US is set to pay $814m to a contractor for the design and construction of the Howard Frankland Bridge.

The new eight-lane bridge will link Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and is the central bridge spanning Old Tampa Bay from St Petersburg, Florida to Tampa, Florida.

FDOT’s draft request for proposal released earlier contains the details of the project, which would also involve a bike and pedestrian lane.

Australia’s $950m CityLink Tulla widening project to open new exit

English Street exit, the final major part of the A$1.3bn ($950m) CityLink Tulla widening project in Australia, opened to traffic.

The CityLink Tulla widening project in Essendon, Melbourne, has been completed with five million work hours, more than 230,000t of asphalt, and 52km of new line marking.

The refurbished outbound Bulla Road and English Street exit includes a separated road through to English Street and Matthews Avenue.

US researchers create new AI camera for autonomous vehicles

Researchers at Stanford University in the US created a new type of artificially intelligent (AI) camera system that can classify images more quickly and could be used for autonomous vehicles.

The image recognition technology will enable autonomous vehicles to recognise objects such as animals, a pedestrian crossing the street or a stopped car.

The AI camera is expected to be built small enough to be embedded in the devices themselves in the future.

Hyundai unveils next-generation SSZ technology

Hyundai Motor Company unveiled its next-generation separated sound zone (SSZ) technology that enables vehicle passengers to experience an audio stream customised to their individual requirements whilst providing a headphone-free social space to converse freely.

This technology creates and controls the acoustic fields of the vehicle, enabling the driver and each passenger to listen to isolated sounds, including music, hands-free phone calls, and vehicle alerts.

Several speakers installed in the vehicle are fitted with a technology that uses scientific principles to cut down or raise audio levels of sound waves.

Wipro signs MoU with Genesys to develop maps for autonomous vehicles

IT services provider Wipro signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India-based geospatial services firm Genesys to develop maps and other solutions for autonomous vehicles.

Under the MoU, Genesys will use its core expertise for the development of high-definition (HD) maps and content.

Navigational and control technology will be developed by Wipro for autonomous system and smart mobility companies.

Downer wins $94m road maintenance contract in Tasmania, Australia

Transport infrastructure services provider Downer Group won a A$130m ($94.37m) contract to carry out road maintenance work in Tasmania, Australia.

Awarded by the Department of State Growth, the four-year State Road Network Maintenance Services contract covers the North West Region of Tasmania.

The North West Tasmania road network comprises 2,450km roads under management, which includes sealed and unsealed roads and bridges.

Design-build contract worth €111m awarded for A1 highway in Poland

A consortium of Budimex and Strabag secured a €111m design-build contract from the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Highways (GDDKiA) for the A1 highway between Tuszyn and Bełchatów, Poland.

Under the contract, Strabag will construct a 16km section of the A1 highway. The company’s share in the contract will account for 50%.

Both Budimex and Strabag will be responsible for planning and the subsequent execution of the design.

TomTom adds 1.5 billion changes in digital maps for improved updates

Traffic, navigation, and mapping product provider TomTom incorporated approximately 1.5 billion updates to its digital maps in a single month.

The updated maps were delivered to TomTom’s customers on a weekly basis as part of its effort to shape the future of mobility that increasingly depends on digital maps as an accurate representation of reality.

In a bid to provide more accurate and faster data, TomTom’s map database absorbs more than 570 modifications per second in real-time across the globe.

India’s SenRa and PNI partner to deliver smart parking solutions

India-based SenRa partnered with sensor systems provider PNI Sensor to deliver smart parking solutions to India.

The partnership will combine LoRaWAN technology, connectivity and an end-to-end smart parking solution.

It will deliver smart parking solutions with PNI’s IoT-enabled PlacePod smart parking sensor to ensure quicker enactment in the Indian market.