New York State has entered the next stage to secure a $1.5-billion federal loan for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced March 8. The state, which is seeking a low-interest loan to help finance and lower bridge tolls for the $3.9-billion project, had applied for a $2-billion loan under the U.S. Dept. of Transportation's (DOT) Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program. The NYS Thruway Authority awarded the design-build contract last December to Fluor-led consortium Tappan Zee Constructors, which bid $3.142 billion for the project. In his March 8 announcement, Cuomo said the
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) East Side Access (ESA) project, the largest public transportation project nationwide, fell under heavy criticism yesterday for missing its budget by $4.4 billion and its completion date by 10 years. The result is that taxpayers must bear the brunt of the unanticipated costs of the project that is only half finished, according to a New York State Comptroller report released yesterday, March 6. The MTA had no comment on the report. ESA's current cost estimate is $8.76 billion, including additional railcar costs, when completed in August 2019; it was initially expected to cost $4.3 billion
The New York State Assembly adopted a resolution yesterday, March 6, to suspend state permits for natural gas hydraulic fracturing for two years to give lawmakers time to review health and safety data. The bill, Assembly 5424-A, would suspend such permits until May 15, 2015 and does not apply to drilling of conventional vertical natural gas wells outside the Marcellus and Utica formations. The state Senate is considering a similar measure. Under the Assembly bill, a State University of New York public health school is required to conduct a health impact assessment to identify risks associated with the process, also
From Hudson Yards' long-awaited $843-million first building to several $150-million-plus towers, the tristate region's ranking of the top 25 projects to break ground last year show that building tall and building big is back. The residential sector, in particular, dominates tower construction on the list, with most buildings advertised as luxury apartments and condos in prime New York City locations. Related Links: This Year's Top Starts Rankings Top Starts of 2011 Top Starts of 2010 Despite such gains, the aggregated total contract value of the largest 25 starts is about $7.9 billion, even with the prior year's level, which was
A college campus is supposed to be a place where students can lose themselves in thought, ensconced in an academic bubble as they stroll to and from class. But at New Jersey's Montclair State University, those reveries were threatened with disruption starting last summer by a $92-million project to upgrade an aging power and thermal plant that involved digging a large and deep trench through the heart of the campus. Related Links: Engineering News Record More ENR New York Projects The trench, which will carry steam and water pipes, measures 15 ft across and up to 20 ft deep in
The American Society of Civil Engineers' Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) program is honoring Charles H. Thornton, Thornton Tomasetti; Jeff Milton, Lane Corp.; Charles Ladd, MIT; Bo Temple, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Mike Loose, Parsons Corp., with its Lifetime Achievement Award.Thornton Related Links: ENR New York ENR New York Featured People MaxLite, West Caldwell, N.J., has appointed Jeffrey Hirsch to customer support group manager. He will report directly to Zenny Haczyk, global operations director. LeonardVIP Structures, Syracuse, N.Y., has presented several employees with awards. The craftsmanship award was given to Chad Leonard for engineering; Jeff Milton for carpentry; Eric
Health care activity in the tristate region is expected to rise as the market comes to grips with some of the uncertainties that slowed it down last year, including health care and insurance reforms, executives say. But hospitals, contractors and other stakeholders are now grappling with a new problem in the wake of Superstorm Sandy"s devastating blow to many of their facilities—how to prevent that from happening again. While 2011's Hurricane Irene made these stakeholders rethink safety, security and emergency preparedness, Sandy has brought them back to the table to come up with something much more robust, speakers told attendees
New York Photo by Kevin Daley/National Park Service Monumental Work: The National Park Service says work is ongoing to repair damaged infrastructure at Liberty and Ellis islands. Related Links: ENR New York ENR New York's Featured News Liberty and Ellis Islands May Reopen in Summer It may be a few more months before visitors can walk around the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island again. The National Park Service (NPS) says it hopes to partially open the Liberty and Ellis island parks this summer, a few months shy of a year after the Oct. 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy
Opinions may differ on where the heart of New York is, but two developers have set out to make a 26-acre site on Manhattan's West Side a serious contender for the title.
The National Park Service (NPS) says it hopes to partially open both Liberty and Ellis islands this summer, which would be nearly a year after the Oct. 29, 2012 Superstorm Sandy caused massive damage and forced their closures. Docks, the promenade and structures surrounding the statue were among the most severely damaged, as well as the electrical systems, wastewater treatment and security screening equipment. Photo by Kevin Daley/National Park Service Liberty Island's severely damaged docks, walkways and other park infrastructure are "key" to a reopening and welcoming visitors back [to that island], says David Luchsinger, superintendent at NPS, which manages
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