West Construction News

Five Construction Trends to Watch for California in 2014

By Scott Blair, Editor-in-Chief

Steel Suspends Berkeley Art Deco Building in Mid Air — In the year ahead, California may build its first stretch of high-speed rail track. Or it may be the year that the final nail gets driven into the $68-billion project's coffin due to unfavorable courtroom rulings and declining public support.

Image courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority

High-Speed Rail

Despite roadblocks, including a ruling that blocked bond sales, bidding continues

Since December, when a Sacramento Superior Court judge made a series of rulings that would block bond sales to finance the first sections of high-speed rail construction, proponents of the bullet train have not been idle. In January, state officials petitioned the California Supreme Court to overturn the lower court's rulings.

On Jan. 29, the Supreme Court ordered an expedited review of the rulings by the state's appellate court. The court is expected to rule by the middle of this month.

Meanwhile, the High-Speed Rail Authority selected five teams to bid on the next 60-mile segment of track, estimated to cost up to $2 billion. The authority is also requesting proposals, due May 17, for 15 train sets that could operate on the new line.

Sports Facilities

Sports complexes are planned and under construction, but not everyone is pleased

The $1.3-billion Levi's Stadium for the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara is on course for completion before the start of the next National Football League season. And there are several new venues under development.

Blair leads day-to-day operations of the ENR editorial team to ensure brand quality and further best practices. He spearheads ENR's various competitions, including Best Projects and the Award of Excellence, and organizes editorial content at events including the Top Young Professionals conference. A Jesse H. Neal, Construction Media Alliance and AZBEES-award-winning writer and videographer, Blair frequently contributes to ENR’s burgeoning video channel with project tour videos and interviews with industry leaders. He is also a frequent speaker and moderator on topics such as diversity and inclusion, design and jobsite technology, construction means and methods and marketing.

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