Environmentalists have raised concern over the ecological and economic sustainability of the St. Petersburg Western High-Speed Diameter, Russia’s first toll road which is due to be completed by 2012. Join discussion...

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) has scheduled a meeting Sept 17 in Harrisburg for companies interested in what they call a public private partnership (P3) for the remaining three sections of the Mon Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway near Pittsburgh. We think it's a toll concession they have in mind. (see Terminology at bottom) Join discussion...

RECORD petrol prices have not damaged Australian toll-road revenue after figures from operator Transurban revealed a jump in coffers for the June quarter. Toll and fee revenue from the road company's largest asset, Melbourne's CityLink road, jumped 9.7 per cent to $94.1 million for the quarter while traffic over the last financial year delivered $362.8 million. Join discussion...

Eight firms submitted qualifications in the first stage of a longterm lease of the 125km (78 mile) I-75 east-west tollroad from the Miami area to Naples Florida. Join discussion...

Brenda Znachko, chief financial officer and deputy exec-director at Mississippi DOT says the Jackson Airport Parkway is a financially "strong" project. She says a traffic and revenue study by URS is being finalized, and will be released at an industry workshop, compulsory for bidders, in Jackson July 1. Join discussion...

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell has accepted that the state legislature won't consider enabling legislation in time to accept the legally binding Abertis-Citi bid of $12.8b which expires June 20. He told reporters yesterday: "There isn't enough time (this month) to have the General Assembly review the Turnpike lease." Join discussion...

The private sector has more than $400 billion in the pipeline to be invested in planned and existing roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure. Michigan, officials say, needs to start planning for ways to take advantage of that money. Join discussion...

Mississippi DOT is looking for investor groups to develop a new highspeed toll link between downtown Jackson and the Airport - 20km (12 miles) of expressway including a major new bridge over the Pearl River. The project which goes back nearly two decades has also been known as the Airport Parkway and MS25 Connectors because a lot of the expected traffic will come from north and east of the Airport - Flowood, Perl, Brandon and the Ross Barnette lake. Join discussion...

At the release of its annual results earlier this month, Australia's biggest investment bank reiterated that it held $3 billion in excess balance sheet liquidity as a buffer for "volatility, growth and strategic flexibility". Join discussion...

Podgorica, Montenegro, May 2008— International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, today signed an agreement with Montenegro’s Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs, and Telecommunications to provide advisory services on structuring and implementing a public-private partnership for the Bar-Boljare Motorway to help improve transportation. IFC will serve as lead advisor to the ministry, helping attract developers for the new road. Join discussion...