California High-Speed Rail Awards Track Contract and Other News
Work continues on the 6,330-ft-long Hanford Viaduct in Kings County, Calif., the largest high-speed rail structure in the Central Valley.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority board has approved the launch of track and systems installation for the nation’s first high-speed rail network, awarding a major contract to a consortium of Kiewit, Stacey Witbeck and Herzog. The team will install track, overhead electrical systems as well as train control and communications infrastructure across 119 miles of guideway under construction in the Central Valley, creating an electrified corridor capable of supporting trains traveling up to 220 mph. The approval follows completion of a 150-acre railhead facility in Kern County that will serve as the project’s staging and distribution hub. The phased contract allows track installation to begin as civil work is completed, supporting future extensions to Merced and Bakersfield while accelerating overall project delivery.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded approximately $70 million from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to the Port of Los Angeles for harbor maintenance, seismic upgrades and navigation improvements, part of a record $131.8-million allocation to the San Pedro Bay port complex. The funding stems from reforms intended to provide major cargo-handling ports a larger share of trust fund revenue generated through import taxes. The money will support critical infrastructure projects, including wharf repairs and resiliency improvements to help maintain port competitiveness and strengthen supply chain reliability.
STV has been selected by the California Association of Councils of Governments to lead a statewide effort evaluating road pricing strategies to reduce congestion and improve travel reliability. Funded through a U.S. Dept. of Transportation grant awarded to Caltrans and CALCOG, the initiative will assess tools such as express lanes, tolling, cordon pricing and congestion pricing. STV will examine the political, operational, financial and governance factors that influence implementation and produce guidance, outreach materials and a statewide assessment by August 2026 to support future transportation planning and policy decisions.
AGC of California and Teichert Construction led a statewide mental health standdown during Mental Health Awareness Month, pausing construction activity to promote discussions about worker well-being and jobsite safety. The effort encouraged contractors and crews to share mental health resources, reduce stigma and reinforce the connection between mental health and safe jobsite performance as part of AGC California’s broader industry awareness initiative.
The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority has awarded a $6.3-million preconstruction contract to SSH Joint Venture—a team of Skanska USA Civil, Stacy and Witbeck and Herzog Contracting—to support delivery of the 2.3-mile Pomona-to-Claremont extension. Working under the construction manager at-risk delivery method, the team will provide constructibility reviews, value engineering, third-party coordination and cost estimating as Parsons Transportation Group advances project design. If negotiations are successful after design reaches approximately 85% completion, SSH could receive the construction contract in 2027.
The Historic Columbia River Highway has reopened east of Multnomah Falls in Oregon following completion of restoration work on the East Multnomah Falls Viaduct, a key milestone in a $23.7-million rehabilitation project funded through the Federal Lands Access Program. The two-year effort restored the century-old structure by repairing decorative concrete railings, columns and support beams, addressing cracks and exposed rebar, reinforcing structural stability, installing a new roadway surface and replacing signage to meet current standards. The project preserved the viaduct’s original 1914 design, color and texture while extending its service life and improving safety.
Brown and Caldwell has been selected by San Jose, Calif., to provide owner’s adviser services for the Aeration Basin Modifications Phase 1 project at the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. The estimated $240-million design-build project will rehabilitate aging infrastructure and upgrade treatment processes to meet new nitrogen-removal regulations. Brown and Caldwell will support procurement, risk management, contract compliance and project delivery for the facility, which serves 1.5 million residents and 17,000 businesses. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with completion targeted for 2034.
Granite Construction has been awarded two Alaska Dept. of Transportation and Public Facilities contracts worth a combined $47 million. The projects include a $15-million pavement preservation effort on the Glenn Highway between mileposts 83 and 92, featuring resurfacing, culvert replacements, guardrail upgrades and new striping and signage as well as a $32-million reconstruction project on the Parks Highway near Nenana. The Parks Highway work includes 1.2 million cu yd of excavation and embankment and 22,000 tons of asphalt. Granite said collaborative CM/GC planning reduced imported material needs and minimized traffic disruptions. Construction on the Glenn Highway project is expected to begin this year and conclude in 2027.
The demolition of Aloha Stadium in Honolulu is on track for completion this summer.
Photo courtesy Aloha Stadium
Demolition of Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium continues to advance as crews completed another major dismantling milestone June 2, bringing down a section of the upper bowl in a controlled collapse. The work is part of the ongoing removal of the 47-year-old stadium to make way for the planned New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District, which will include a new multiuse venue and surrounding mixed-use development. Officials said most of the stadium structure should be dismantled by the end of summer, with demolition expected to conclude by November. Materials from the stadium are being reused, recycled, sold or disposed of. Groundbreaking for the replacement stadium is expected to begin next year.
Construction is underway on a $30-million renovation of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Stewart Building in Arcata, Calif., that will create a new health care education hub. The 41,781-sq-ft project will include simulation labs, classrooms and student support spaces to expand nursing and allied health training for students at Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods. Contractor Sundt Construction said the facility will help strengthen the health care workforce across California’s North Coast.
