Favorable economics for natural gas-fired energy production is putting pressure on builders of Georgia's $14-billion Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project, with Southern Co. and contractor CB&I facing heightened scrutiny as they deal with continuing cost and schedule overruns. Photo by Georgia Power In June, Vogtle construction crews placed this 900-ton containment vessel bottom head into the Unit 3 nuclear island. Related Links: Vogtle Nuclear Plant Owners Seek Budget Hike, Extend Schedule Duke Energy Cancels $24.7B Florida Nuke Plant Project Philip Hayet, a Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) analyst, summed up the changed fiscal environment when he testified in early August
The oil and gas boom coupled with an improved economy and a better financing environment boosted contractor bookings last year in Texas and Louisiana, and could serve as a launching pad for revenue spikes in 2014. Combined revenue of the Top 10 firms in the ENR Texas & Louisiana annual Top Contractors survey reached $9.84 billion in 2012—the highest since the recession took hold. The results reverse a downward trend among the top firms in which revenue fell from $9.4 billion in 2009 to $8.3 billion in 2011. Related Links: Top Contractors Ranking Top Contractors Market Sector Contractor of the
Five years after work began, the Interstate-49 North Project has nearly completed a 36-mile four-lane link between Shreveport and the Arkansas state line. Cut through farmland and the rolling hills of North Caddo and Desoto parishes, the challenging $670-million project, divided into 11 segments, has prompted the Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development and contractors to use some unique solutions to keep it on pace. Related Links: Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development Massive UndertakingFour of the project's segments have been completed, six are under construction and one is set to go to bid in December, leaving five miles to
A lingering drought and population boom in North Texas have prompted the Wylie-based North Texas Municipal Water District to undertake water-use restrictions while embarking on a $300-million project to build a 48-mile pipeline from Lake Texoma to the 300-million-gallon-per-day Wylie raw water treatment plant, bypassing Sister Grove Creek, a natural tributary of Lavon Lake. The closed pipeline also will prevent any invasive species, including freshwater zebra mussels, from being released into the environment while restoring a major portion of the region's lost water supply. Related Links: North Texas Municipal Water District McCarthy Building Cos President Barack Obama signed House Resolution
With $2 billion in revenue last year, Turner Industries Group LLC skyrocketed to the top on this year's ENR Texas & Louisiana regional contractor rankings. While the Baton Rouge industrial contractor reaps the benefits of rising oil-and-gas sector prospects, relationships forged over decades are the foundation of its success. Turner's long-term contracts with petrochemical clients illustrate its performance consistency, earning it accolades from owner groups such as the Construction Users Roundtable. Based on recent results and its history of success, Turner Industries has been named Contractor of the Year by ENR Texas & Louisiana. Related Links: Ample Bookings Prepare Contractors
Duke Energy reached a settlement with the state of Florida that allows the Charlotte, N.C.-based utility to keep $1 billion in advance fees collected from ratepayers that would have financed a cancelled $24.7-billion nuclear plant project, while clearing the way for additional funding of a planned 1800-megawatt natural gas plant. Image courtesy Duke Energy Duke Energy announced Aug. 1 that it is ending plans to build a $24.7-million nuclear powerplant project in Levy County, Fla., that was first proposed in 2008. Related Links: Nuclear Resurgence Dims Due to Rising Costs, Low Demand Newspaper Takes Aim at 'Myth' of $20B Florida
International Speedway Corp., owner of the Daytona International Speedway, kicked off construction in early July of its $400-million renovation of the NASCAR racetrack in Daytona Beach, Fla. The project—dubbed "Daytona Rising: Reimagining an American Icon"—is the single largest investment in the company's history. Image courtesy Rossetti The $400-million makeover of Daytona International Speedway will transform the nearly 1-mile-long grandstands section of the famous NASCAR track. Image courtesy Rossetti Design of the design-build project was nearly 100 percent complete at the start of construction in July. Related Links: As $400M Daytona Speedway Redo Revs Up, Other Southeast Sports Projects Get Ready
The Georgia Dept. of Transportation on July 23 named a team of Archer Western Contractors, Hubbard Construction and Parsons Transportation Group as the builders of its $840-million Northwest Corridor project. The public-private partnership project—which GDOT calls "long-anticipated and much-needed"—is being procured via a design-build-finance contract. Map courtesy Georgia Dept. of Transportation The Northwest Corridor project will add two managed lanes to Interstate 75 between I-285N and the I-575 Interchange. North of that interchange, it will add one managed lane to both I-75 and I-575. Related Links: FDOT Officially Names Shortlisted Firms for I-4 Ultimate Project Pending finalization of a P3
Miami Beach commissioners on July 17 settled a high-profile battle of starchitects when it chose Rem Koolhaas and his Netherlands-based firm, OMA, to redesign and revamp the city's convention center and surrounding 52-acre site, estimated as a $1-billion project. Tishman of New York leads the development team, which also included Atlanta-based tvsdesign, which specializes in convention centers. Related Links: Architectural Record: Rem Koolhaas Wins Competition to Redesign Miami Beach Convention Center Is Miami's Condo Boom Already Heading for Overdrive? "We are thrilled to be chosen to develop one of the most significant urban districts in the U.S.," Shohei Shigematsu, director
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