Monorail Station Renovation Project Awarded in Seattle

Renovations to the Seattle Monorail’s Seattle Center Station are set to begin with the selection of STV as the general contractor/construction manager for the project. Last year, the Seattle Center received a $15-million federal grant for the project, which is to upgrade the monorail terminal stop for the center’s 74-acre campus. Work is tentatively slated to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2028.

STV will handle the preconstruction support for the project including bid evaluation, contract negotiation, risk management, cost analysis as well as budget and schedule reconciliation. Additionally, STV will coordinate compliance with Federal Transit Administration requirements.

At just under one mile in length, the monorail connects downtown Seattle with Seattle Center and carries approximately 2 million passengers each year. The monorail, like the iconic Space Needle it runs adjacent to, was originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair.

San Bernardino County Names JV for $390M I-15 Project

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) has selected the joint venture of Skanska and Coffman Specialties for the $390-million Interstate 15 Corridor Freight Improvement and Express Lanes Project. The work involves the construction of two new express lanes in the median of I-5 and includes the widening of both the inside and outside lanes of the roadway.

The 10.8-mile-long stretch of new express lanes will connect with existing lanes just south of the San Bernardino/Riverside County line and will encompass the California cities of Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana. Construction is set to start in the next several months and reach final completion in mid-2028.

Oregon DOT Moves Ahead With $33M Wildlife Overcrossing Project

The Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT) is set to construct the state’s first wildlife overcrossing with a $33-million grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced in December. The crossing will be located over Interstate 5 in southern Oregon in the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument just north of the Oregon-California border. ODOT will provide $3.8 million in matching funds for a total project cost of $37 million.

The required match comes from a $7-million allocation to wildlife corridors by the Oregon legislature passed in 2022. The planned overpass will span both the northbound and southbound lanes and include directional fencing to funnel wildlife to the structure as well as to associated habitat improvements. There are currently six wildlife undercrossings in the state, which have resulted in an 86% decrease in vehicle-wildlife collisions. 

Construction Starts on $268M College of the Desert

Construction of the $268-million College of the Desert in Palm Springs, Calif., launched in December. C.W. Driver Cos. is handling the project, which includes the construction of a multiple-building campus spread across 27 acres on the former site of the Palm Springs Mall. The project is slated for completion in 2026. The primary structure, The Accelerator, will be a two-story building offering spaces for programs in digital media and the arts, health care and architecture. The campus will also include advanced technology labs, makerspaces, flexible classrooms and specialized facilities such as a film screening studio, radio station and café. Additional campus structures include a culinary institute, multi-venue event center for community and academic use, a central utility plant, a maintenance and operations facility and a multimodal transportation hub.

The Biogas Utilization Project will separate biogas from wastewater as part of the treatment process at San Francisco’s Southeast Treatment Plant.
Photo courtesy PCL

PCL Construction Wins $121M Design-Build Treatment Plant Contract 

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has awarded a $121-million fixed price design-build contract for the Southeast Treatment Plant Biogas Utilization Project to PCL Construction. Stantec is partnering with PCL as the lead designer. The project will treat the biogas generated in the new digesters to renewable natural gas quality for injection into the nearby Pacific Gas and Electric gas pipeline.

The Southeast Treatment Plant handles 80% of San Francisco’s stormwater and wastewater, treating an average of 57 million gallons of wastewater per day. Construction is slated to begin in 2027.

David Evans Enterprises Acquired by AtkinsRéalis

Portland, Ore.-based David Evans Enterprises Inc., the parent company of David Evans and Associates Inc., has agreed to being acquired by AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. David Evans has 34 offices in 10 states and approximately 1,250 employees handing engineering services for transportation, power, water and environment.

Under the terms of the transaction, AtkinsRéalis will acquire a 70% stake in David Evans for approximately $300 million in cash payable at closing, with a clear path to entire ownership within a defined agreed time period. If approved by David Evans’ shareholders, the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025.

WSDOT Unveils Work-Zone Camera That Enhances Safety

Washington State Dept. of Transportation has unveiled a work zone speed camera program aimed at enhancing the safety of work crews and drivers across the state. The program was approved by the state Legislature in 2023 and will be conducted in a collaborative effort with the Washington State Patrol and the state Office of Administrative Hearings.

There were 1,377 work zone crashes in Washington state in 2023, almost 20% more than in 2020. The system utilizes scanning light detection and ranging, also referred to as LiDAR, for vehicle speed detection. The readings are reviewed by a law enforcement officers and, if they determine an infraction occurred, a notice will mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Hawaii's Airports Raise $849M to Upgrade, Expand Infrastructure

Hawaii’s Airports System has raised $849 million in bond financing to pay for essential projects to upgrade and expand airport infrastructure, including runway repairs, terminal renovations, security enhancements and the construction of new facilities.

According to the Hawaii Dept. of Transportation, the transaction represents the largest bond issuance for Airports System in its history. Approximately $600 million of the funds will be used for the upgrades and expansions, while $233 million will be used to refinance existing debt. The state DOT operates and maintains 15 airports across the Hawaiian Islands.