CONTENTS 15.01.09
NewCivilEngineer
ncc:
www.nce.CO.UK
New Civil Engineer
lst Floor,GreaterLondonHouse HampsteadRoad,LondonNW17EJ EDITORIALfNQUIRIES
Tel:(020) 77284544 (fax4666) Email: prefixplus @emap.com EDITOR!Antony Oliver (020)77284541antony.oliver DEPUTYEDITOR1JackieWhitelaw (020) 77284542 jackie.whitelaw CONTENTEDiTOR1MarltHansford (020)77284543 maJk.hansford NEWSEDiTOR!JohnMcKenna (020) 77284544 john.mckenna SENIORREPORTER1AlexandraWynne (020)77284540 alexandra.wynne SENIORREPORTER(WEB)1EdOwen (020)7728 4545 ed.owen
TECHNICAL REPORTER1Jessica Rowson (020) 7728 4546 jessica.rowson ADVERTISING
DISPLAYADVERTISING1JohnCoates
(020) 7728 4523
RECRUITMENT1JonathanStroud (020) 77283826
~ ,E~U-IT~
2 O.J~N.
,UU'605
NEWS
Consultantcrunch
CICchiefKeithClarkewarns that goodfirmswillfailduring a creditfamine.
www.nce':co.uk1 15.01.09 NEWCIVILENGINEER3
21
CDVER STDRY Busan-GeojeLink The South Korean fixed link project comprises of a roadway tunnel and a cable stayed bridge.
30
HIGHWAYS SPECIAL Osloimmersed tube
Norway is building its first immersed tube turmel in olso as part of the city's regeneration.
Alsoin this issue
06 News
WCML failures: cold weather suspected
08 News
Councils face losing out on TIF cash
10 News
Gerrards Cross restarts
16 Analysis
The three big Crossrail decisions
letters
Sustainability, planning, environment, transport
18
40 ICE News
Public and engineers unite over transport
Comment
Antony 01iver 1
PPAEditorof theYearDiredory sta rts p43))
"The real challenge is 10 convert ail Ihis aspiration into real commilmenl 10 adual projects"
Intrastrudure to rescuethe worldtromrecession
The Institution's latest initiative to set up an AlI Party Parliamentary Group on infrastruc- ture is to be applauded. It is a bold move with the potential to return civil engineering to the political top table.
As are its latest plans to develop select committee style hearings ta help guide policy makers when targeting vital public spending.
Although potentially a huge undertaking to get right, if carried out successfully,it could start to move the profession head and shoul- clefs above other voices.
The initiatives build on an already strong platform. We are, as a profession, currently pushing at an open door- even though it sometimes feels somewhat more difficult.
Hardly a claygoes by without a national media story referring to the need for infra- structure investment to drive the UK out of recession. Or a story referring to the nation's built environment needs or new government or opposition plans to boost the capacity on
the railways, roads or power supplies.
And it is a similar situation the world over
- at the heart of US president-elect Barack Obama's thinking, is a trillion dollar plus investment in infrastructure.
Obviously with the current economic situation everyone is up against it right now and perhaps even feeling quite distant from any short to medium term cheer, as our lead story shows.
Certainly it is reassuring to see that Cross- rail continues to plough on. The positive talk about getting this vital scheme going is starting to make way for actual progress towards letting contracts.
Notwithstanding this progress, it remains clear that talk about the need for investment in new high speed rail, new motorways, airport capacity, power stations and water treatment plants is, after aIl, just talk. The real challenge is to couvert aIl this aspiration into real commitment to actual projects.
And if past experiences are anything to go by, this certainlywill be a challenge of immense proportions. We know how difficult it is to negotiate the complex and competing demands faced by local and central governments.
We should not forger the recent example of Manchester's failure in December to win support for its vital f3bn package of public transport. It should serve as an important reminder that, as NCEwarned ahead of the public referendum, even the most blindingly' obvious proposaIs do not corne easy.
Hence the potentially huge value of the ICE initiatives. Here we have mecha- nisms which really cali win early cross party support and understanding for projects which should help to ease their path from talk to reality.
And that will be good not only for the whole industry but also for the whole nation.
