New construction methods are needed to tackle the surging demand for new roads and infrastructure in the Gulf, industry executives said.

Key developments could include standardising all roads in the GCC region, dealing with trucks' overloading weight on highways and creating one authority in the GCC for standards and safety during road construction.

Lack of insight was causing huge problems across the region, said delegates attending a conference on pavement management at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.

"Sometimes companies come for road paving without knowing about the drainage pipes that may have been newly-done. They damage the infrastructure under the road by cutting straight through pipes," Shell Bitumen's bitumen technical manager, Frits De Jonge said.

Also discussed was the introduction of privatising roads, an example of which has taken place in the UK. In Portsmouth, contractors are paid a shadow toll by the government for each vehicle that uses the highway. This form of contract would usually last 20 years before the government takes back management of the highway.

In places like Dubai, with 900,000 vehicles on roads - a number which is expected to reach 2.2 million by the year 2020 - toll booths or privatisation will not do credit to the already crowded roads. Demand for good road paving can reduce traffic jams by reducing the time that roads will need to be re-laid.

In Bahrain, the introduction of Vibraline - a special road marking used to alert drivers that they are leaving the highway or dual carriageway - is expected to be introduced by November.

Prismo Road Markings, a road marking company from the UK, will be handling the project, and have developed a new resin that has been developed by the company to retain its shape in the hot temperatures.

"The UK police have said Vibraline saved more lives than all the other road markings put together. Vibraline was developed by Prismo and is in use in more than 40 countries," Prismo Road Markings regional sales manager in the Middle East and Mediterranean John Lynch said.

"Prismo was to introduce Vibraline to Bahrain 18 months ago, but due to the high temperatures, no-one could produce a Vibraline that could retain its shape without softening. Prismo has now produced a Vibraline that has not been produced with typical ingredients such as hydrocarbon or alkid, but a new resin from a new ingredient."

Presentations at the conference included one on the development of terminal five of Heathrow airport in the UK, delivered by TPS Consult's technical associate director, Richard Moore, who emphasised the design of the runway and the necessity of taking into consideration the environment of the Gulf and its effect.

Presentations including design and production of airport runways were also part of the conference. TradeArabia News Service