Related Links: Virginia Takes Steps To Propel Two Transportation Projects Proposed Tolls On Existing Road Ignite Lawsuit Public-private partnerships in U.S. transportation got a big legal "treat" on Oct. 31, when the Virginia Supreme Court overruled a lower court's decision against the state's P3 legislation.In May, the Portsmouth circuit court ruled in favor of Danny Meeks, et al, which challenged the Virginia Dept. of Transportation's (VDOT) right to use tolls to fund a $2.1-billion project that would build a new tube parallel to the 50-year-old, 4,300-ft-long Midtown Tunnel. The court ruled that allowing VDOT to set toll rates on the
Related Links: N.Y. Governor's Office Press Release on TIFIA Loan Approval New Tappan Zee Bridge Work Begins DOT Moves To Streamline TIFIA Loan Decisions The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has approved a $1.6-billion loan for the replacement of New York's Tappan Zee Bridge. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) made the announcement Oct. 31, calling it "the largest loan the U.S. Dept. of Transportation has ever made for any project like this."The loan was made through the DOT's Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program. Established in 1998, TIFIA has ramped up its lending recently, spurred by last year's
Malaysia plans to spend $50 billion over the next seven years on the development of a network to include both urban rapid transit and high-speed rail, and global construction firms are ready to help. A 150-kilometer urban mass rapid-transit system is already under construction, with a slated 2017 opening. A high-speed-rail system linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, planned for a 2020 launch, will go out to bid in late 2014. “We expect this to be a very transparent, open bidding system in which companies from all over the world are free to participate,” stated Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in
Related Links: Busan-Geoje Link Longest Immersed Tube Tunnel Planned Immersed-tube tunnels are rare birds. Only a handful are under construction in the world each year. They consist of large tubes, constructed in sections often more than 100 meters in length, which are floated into position in a waterway, sunk into position, and joined with watertight seals. They are always placed in a trench on the bottom of the river or bay. They are constructed of steel or reinforced concrete. [Slideshow: The 10 Longest Immersed-Tube Tunnels] “While bridges are generally cheaper to build, immersed-tube tunnels are usually located at sites where
Related Links: Growth in India's Infrastructure Markets Projected With the U.S. recently lodging a formal complaint with the World Trade Council against India on entry barriers to companies, an India-U.S. Infrastructure Fund that was set up in 2010 is still in a wait-and-see mode.Meanwhile, in India's reformed business environment, the Chinese, South Koreans and Malaysians are investing. Recent reports indicate overseas investors have shelled out close to $2 billion in the past year, despite hard economic conditions. However, many U.S. firms are shying away from investing in India's infrastructure sector.Past problems have created a poor perception of work in India.
Related Links: Israel Seeks More Global Skill in New Rail Line Expansions Jerusalems Signature Span Is New Landmark in Old City Tel Aviv's Long-Delayed Rail Megaproject Is Finally Under Way With ridership on Jerusalem's first light-rail line more than double initial projections, officials in the city and the country's Transportation Ministry are moving ahead with plans for five new lines.Officials report that 140,000 riders now use the train on a regular day. The expansions could bring that number to 250,000, they say.The existing red line is to be expanded to 36.2 kilometers from 13.9 km to two new neighborhoods, Neve
Related Links: Bids Solicited for Tunneling in India's Treacherous Himalayas The Indian government is late in approving a proposed $1.6-billion, 14-kilometer-long twin-tunnel project in Kashmir. The project was originally due for a decision on Oct. 17, though expectations at the time were that the Union Government would clear the project.The tunnels, when completed, will become the highest mountain passes in India. It is a vital road-link project that will connect the strategically important region of Kargil and Leh to the rest of India through the proposed all-weather tunnel in Kashmir.Currently, for about six months during the winter season, these two
Image Courtesy WisDOT Lunda Construction crews are placing steel-truss support towers fore and aft of Pier 22, which sank 2.5 ft. WisDOT has yet to schedule reopening the bridge to traffic, pending permanent repairs. Related Links: Piling Corrosion Blamed For Sagging Wisconsin Bridge Engineers Puzzle Over Cause, Fixes for Sagging Wisconsin Bridge As a temporary fix, workers are erecting steel-truss support towers under the sagging Leo Frigo Bridge on Interstate 43 in Green Bay, Wis., and lateral supports at the top of the damaged pier as investigators continue their examination of the 8,000-ft structure.Lunda Construction Co. of Black River Falls,
Photo Courtesy of NCRMA Many rail capacity upgrade projects require crews to add extra lines of track while trains continue to operate on existing lines. Related Links: Oil Boomlet Fuels North Dakota Roadwork and Puts Pressure on Aggregate Costs For Panamax Port Expansions, The Freight Wait is Almost Over L.A. Commuter Rail Line to Roll Out First Positive Train Control System in U.S. Construction firms working in the freight rail sector are benefitting from increased investment by U.S. railroad companies over the past decade. But freight infrastructure work is barreling ahead, thanks to a huge influx of capacity upgrade projects
Photo Courtesy NDDOT North Dakota's largely rural and low-volume roads need reinforcing to handle the heavy volume of trucks. Related Links: Oil Boom Fuels Freight Rail Renaissance Bakken Shale Field Pushing East Coast Rail Projects Bakken Shale Extraction Sparks A Construction Booom Labor, materials and weather are challenging contractors in North Dakota during a highway construction season that is unprecedented thanks to the oilfields boom. There are 600 projects ongoing this year, worth some $630 million, compared to some 300 projects totaling $311 million last year.More work is coming. The North Dakota legislature recently appropriated $1.64 billion for highway improvement