Few of the 135,000 motorists crossing the Moses Wheeler bridge over Connecticut's Housatonic River in 2014 are expected to notice that the bridge is brand new. Few will likely realize that the Connecticut Dept. of Transportation (ConnDOT) and its project team on the 3,000-ft-long span between Stratford and Milford are on track to finish the bridge three years ahead of the 2017 target. But even though drivers may not focus on those details, they will benefit from the $350-million project that replaces the existing 54-year-old span that has reached the end of its useful life. Related Links: ENR New York
Many contractors in the tristate region say that two factors will largely determine the industry's robustness in the year to come—the economy and the upcoming general election. They reason that until the economy gains momentum, owners and developers will not shake their wait-and-see attitudes; and, until the next Congress is elected, federal funding levels for agencies and programs will remain a mystery with many projects left in limbo. Even so, contractors in the tristate region say they expect next year to be similar to 2011 and 2012 in that work will be available, but the volume of projects will not
Parsons Brinckerhoff has named Greg Kelly to the newly created position of global chief operating officer. Clifford Eby succeeds Kelly as president of the firm's Americas transportation operating company. Related Links: ENR New York ENR New York's Featured People Charles H. Thornton and Richard L. Tomasetti, founding principals of Thornton Tomasetti, New York, have received the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's 2012 Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achievement Award for their collective contribution to the advancement of buildings. GranWarren W. Gran, partner at GranKriegel Associates, New York, has announced that he will be launching a new firm by the
Yew York Photo by Mary Servatius Cheap Ride: Under the plan, tolls on the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge in the Rockaways would be cut by $2. Related Links: ENR New York ENR New York Featured News If New York City's East River bridges were on a Monopoly board, the Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges would be akin to landing on "Free Parking," because they are not tolled crossings.That is "just insane," says Samuel Schwartz, a former NYC deputy transportation commissioner also known as "Gridlock Sam." Since major highways lead to the East River's toll crossings, scores of drivers—including
Starting up an energy-focused contracting firm in the early days of energy-sector deregulation in New Jersey seemed like a good idea at the time to Frank DiCola, Michael Jingoli and Joseph R. Jingoli Jr.
The New York State Thruway Authority and 14 labor groups have given the nod to a project labor agreement (PLA) for the Tappan Zee bridge replacement project, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office announced on June 18. The PLA, which is expected to save taxpayers about $452 million and provide thousands of construction jobs, will be a required provision of the RFP for the new bridge project. The agreement is subject to final approval from the Federal Highway Administration and the Thruway Authority board of directors. Photo Courtesy of New York State Thruway Authority The plan includes employment opportunities for union members
The city of Perth Amboy, N.J., has agreed to spend $5.4 million to repair, upgrade and expand its combined sewer system and pay a $17,000 penalty as part of an EPA settlement for Clean Water Act violations. Under the agreement signed June 6 in federal court, the city must reduce the amount of sewage and other pollutants that flow out of 16 combined sewer points into the Raritan and Arthur Kill rivers. The consent decree is pending a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. Photo by Dr. Wansoo Im for IMRivers.org The city aims to reduce sewage and
The New York City Planning Commission has approved a modified version of New York University’s Washington Square expansion plan. The university’s 2031 Core Campus plan, which was approved on June 6, calls for four new buildings and about 4 acres of public parks and publicly accessible open spaces. Public hearings and a city council vote on the plan are expected this summer. The modified plan includes reductions in the heights of the Mercer and Bleecker buildings; requires setbacks for the bulkheads on the Mercer and LaGuardia buildings; and denies the university’s request to use a proposed 26-story "zipper" building as
If New York City’s East River bridges were on a Monopoly board, the Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges would be akin to landing on "Free Parking" because they are not tolled crossings. Photo Courtesy of Mary Servatius Tall Order? If the plan were approved, the hefty tolls over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge would be cut by $5 each way. That is "just insane," says Samuel Schwartz, a former NYC deputy transportation commissioner also known as "Gridlock Sam." Since major highways lead to the East River’s toll crossings, scores of drivers—including truckers—transition to city streets to get to the free bridges.
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