Using innovative project delivery methods, the Missouri Dept. of Transportation may complete upgrades of 800 bridges in four years—a year ahead of the planned five. But as Congress dithers on enabling long-term federal transportation funding this year, MoDOT may not be able to embark upon another major program any time soon.
Related Links: Michigan Courts Private Sector for Detroit-Windsor Crossing Michigan Measure Would Support Second Detroit Span Canadian and Michigan officials say new plans to construct a $2-billion bridge linking Windsor and Detroit won't rely on funding from Michigan taxpayers as would have a previous plan, rejected by state lawmakers.As a result, the project can proceed without approval by the Michigan Legislature, says Ken Silfven, deputy press secretary for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R).Under the plan, unveiled in June by Snyder and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada will pay up to $550 million to cover Michigan's costs on the project,
At Denver International Airport, building has begun on two temporary shoring towers that will support the airport's iconic fabric tent roof during construction at the south end of the terminal. The current roof anchors are obstructing excavation for the $500-million South Terminal Redevelopment Program (STRP), which includes a 500-room Westin hotel, a public plaza and a new transit station.
When McCarran International Airport's $2.4-billion third terminal complex opens on June 27, it will mark the beginning of long delays for new big projects in the region.
On June 15, the same day the California Dept. of Transportation used a live public webinar to defend its safety testing of a new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge tower foundation, the newspaper that started the safety controversy, The Sacramento Bee, refused to retract a story to which Caltrans objected.
A royal opening on June 8 marked the on-time completion of a $325-million (€260 million) tunnel project to improve links between Brussels airport with the rest of Belgium and neighboring France and Germany. As rail services start through the new Diabolo project, the same construction team is on course to completing the larger Liefkenshoek rail tunnel in the port of Antwerp, 45 kilometers to the north.
Having secured an extra $1.1 billion (HK$8.8b) to cover a 54% hike in the project budget, the Hong Kong government on June 12 announced two design-build contract awards together worth nearly $3 billion for the territory's share of the 30-km-long fixed link to Macao.
In late May, the Brazilian Sports Ministry released a report detailing delays in infrastructure work intended for completion before the 2014 World Cup soccer championship. Fans may have to budget extra time to get to matches; 41 of 101 projects, including airport, transit and port improvements, are behind schedule or not yet under way, according to the report.
Officially ending months of inter-agency negotiations over funding for the $1.7-billion Wekiva Parkway toll-road project near Orlando, Florida Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad in late May signed a memorandum of agreement with the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, or OOCEA, that pushes the project one step closer to construction.
After months of silence while it negotiated project issues with airlines and residents, the city of Philadelphia announced on June 4 that a team led by CH2M Hill Cos. will be program manager for a major expansion of Philadelphia International Airport.