West Construction News - Articles | Engineering News-Record

Aerial view of PG&E's Tiger Creek Regulator Dam in Northern California, where a replacement spillway will be constructed.

Dam Safety

Granite to Replace Spillway at PG&E Dam After Post-Oroville Safety Review

Hydraulic analyses found Tiger Creek's existing spillway could safely pass less than half the site's probable maximum flood

Bryan Gottlieb

July 23, 2026

No Comments

Crews have begun building a replacement spillway at PG&E's Tiger Creek dam after statewide reviews reshaped flood risk assumptions, selecting an entirely new outlet system.

125-MW/500-MWh Tumbleweed energy storage facility

Battery Storage Charges Ahead as Ultimate U.S. Renewable Energy Growth Enabler

July 23, 2026

AI-driven power demands and a push to bring solar energy and other renewables online faster are driving the storage construction surge, with a record 24.3 GW starting up in 2026.

LAX People Mover Builders Claim Airport Seeks to Shift Delay and Cost Blame

New lawsuit allegations erupt as system failed to open in time for World Cup matches

Richard Korman

July 15, 2026

No Comments

The Fluor-led construction consortium claims airport and city officials caused critical delays.

World Cup Spotlights LA Airport People Mover's Costly Delay

Fluor-led consortium has butted heads with Los Angeles International Airport for years, county grand jury said

Richard Korman

July 9, 2026

One Comment

The cost overrun is $880 million for the yet to be completed project.

Sewer in Portland, Oregon built with egg-shaped brick pipe

Ongoing Effort to Rehabilitate Portland's Aging Sewer System

Scott Blair

July 2, 2026

No Comments

To repair and replace its aging sewer system, the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services has several programs running concurrently, including a small-diameter program, a bespoke Downtown–Old Town program and the large-diameter program.

Rail

California High-Speed Rail Authority Eyes Next $2.4B Phase

RFQ process begins for 30-mile Merced-to-Madera alignment

Greg Aragon

July 1, 2026

No Comments

A collaborative project delivery method is expected, along with a P3 for a planned parallel clean energy utility.

Microsoft project Skanska Balfour Beatty

Lawsuits

Skanska Balfour Beatty JV Sues Surety Over Microsoft Campus Cladding Claim

Why was there a year-long wait for a claim decision?

Richard Korman

June 25, 2026

No Comments

A subcontractor terminated from the project cites Ukraine war supply chain and labor woes.

Aerial view of flood damage in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, showing debris-lined waterways, damaged buildings and washed-out infrastructure.

Federal Funding

FHWA Sends $908M to North Carolina for Helene Repairs in $1.9B USDOT Disaster Package

Latest emergency relief allocation also includes major funding for Key Bridge collapse work, California storms and Puerto Rico recovery

Bryan Gottlieb

June 19, 2026

No Comments

Why is North Carolina receiving more than half of federal agency's latest $1.9B disaster funding package? The answer lies in Hurricane Helene's continuing recovery.

Aerial view of Dry Dock 4 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., with waterfront facilities, construction equipment and support buildings visible.

Military Projects

Navy Maps Out Four Packages for Planned $10B Bremerton Dry Dock Rebuild

Project documents detail construction phasing at the Dry Dock 3 waterfront at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and outline marine, dry dock, infrastructure and caisson contracts

Bryan Gottlieb

June 16, 2026

No Comments

As the U.S. Navy advances a planned $10-billion dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, new documents reveal four major construction packages and phasing.