HS2 HS2 Chairman Higgins is calling for an acceleration of phase two of the high-speed rail program from London to the north of England. HS2 Proposed route would open development in England's north, backers say. Related Links: Legislation for UK's $80-Billion HS2 Rail Program Will Move, Government Official Tells Engineers U.K. Launches $52-Billion Rail Plan The U.K. Transportation Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has accepted new recommendations to accelerate construction of the country’s second high speed railroad. Among other changes to the estimated $83-billion, two-phase HS2 project to win government support is an entirely new grand terminus at Euston, in London.McLoughlin’s decision
Photo courtesy Vinci Group Stalled highway projects were a visible sign of the economic crisis in Greece. Related Links: Research Automates Tunnel Inspection Robot Eurozone Debt Crisis Takes Its Toll on Construction Despite its huge debts, Greece is in recovery mode. Forecasters expect the stricken European state to start climbing out of its deep recession, and renewed construction of four large, internationally backed highway projects is seen as a sign of new life.The four stalled projects, which have a combined value exceeding $10 billion, were "visible casualties of the crisis in Greece," according to Johannes Hahn, the European Union's commissioner
Related Links: Airports Emphasize Flexibility In New Designs DOTs Are Gaining "Complete Streets" Smarts P3 Experts Point to the Canadian Experience Infrastructure Investors Are Willing To Pound The Pavement Viewpoint by John D. Porcari: Project Environmental Reviews, Undo the Do-Over Loop Harvey Hammond, chairman of HNTB Corp., was talking about the firm's future as it marks its 100th anniversary this year—as well as the future of funding improvements to the nation's bridges, railways, ports, tunnels and major highways. "The infrastructure needs and demands will always be there," he says. "The question is: How do we respond to [them]?"For U.S. states
Image Courtesy of SFO SFO's planned airport improvements will be informed by a recently revised set of life-cycle recommendations. Image Courtesy of SFO Related Links: Transportation's Next Chapter: Maintenance, Mobility, Money DOTs Are Gaining "Complete Streets" Smarts Dont Leave It at LEED, Say Aviation Project Leaders Airports Push The Green Envelope Airport Improvements Squeeze Into San Diego Surface transportation designers and builders are adopting a more system-based, holistic approach to infrastructure that emphasizes sustainability and place-making, not merely mobility. And so are airports.For years now, airport leaders have agreed that meeting LEED standards is a start but not enough for
Image Courtesy GDOT Related Links: Transportation's Next Chapter: Maintenance, Mobility, Money Airports Emphasize Flexibility In New Designs GDOT's Complete Streets Manual The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) would like to see transportation-design policy start at the city and state levels, not the federal level. With that in mind, the Washington State Dept. of Transportation is adopting the group's new "Urban Street Design Guide."The guide includes a chapter on interim design strategies before a major buildup; a discussion of design controls; showing the street as a physical place; and real-life examples of the impacts of design decisions on that
Photo Courtesy of Greenbrier Rail Most North American tank cars are DOT-111 models that are no longer deemed safe. As carriers and regulators push for newer, more robust design, the tanker business is booming. Related Links: Pipeline Advocates Question Crude-By-Rail Safety Q & A With Federal Railroad Administration Deputy Administrator Karen Rae While the U.S. waits to see whether President Obama will approve the Keystone XL pipeline, more and more crude oil is moving by rail. After several fiery accidents in the past year, carriers are taking safety measures, hoping to garner public support for increased rail traffic from North
Photo Courtesy of CDOT U.S. 36 corridor upgrades will include new lanes, bridges and a commuter bike lane. Related Links: First Phase of U.S. 36 Expansion Hits Its Peak CDOT Selects Design-Build Team for Phase 2 of U.S. 36 The Colorado Dept. of Transportation last week finalized a controversial contract with private consortium Plenary Roads Denver to build the second phase of the U.S. 36 Managed Lanes project. The two-phase project expands and improves the main freeway between Denver and Boulder.It adds a "managed lane" in each direction for bus rapid transit, high-occupancy vehicles and drivers willing to pay a
Related Links: Repairs Begin On Kentucky Bridge Struck By Cargo Ship Kentucky Bridge Collapse Will Speed Up Construction Work Construction is scheduled to start in March on a $131.5-million bridge over the Tennessee River in western Kentucky that will replace the aging Eggners Ferry Bridge.The old bridge was shut down after a cargo ship struck it, taking out a 322-ft span in 2012.Fort Worth, Texas-based Johnson Brothers Corp. won the bid for the new four-lane bridge that will carry U.S. 68/Ky. 80 traffic over Kentucky Lake at the Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area.Gov. Steve Beshear (D) in a Feb.
Photo Courtesy of WSDOT Seals surrounding a tunnel-boring machine's main bearing were manufactured in Japan and are now damaged, but the project contractor believes the actual bearing is still sound. Related Links: Divers Searching for Way To Get TBM 'Bertha' Moving Again http://enr.construction.com/infrastructure/transportation/2013/1213-divers-searching-for-way-to-get-tbm-bertha-moving-again.asp Bertha, the 57.5-ft-dia tunnel-boring machine attempting to dig a 1.7-mile state Route 99 tunnel underneath Seattle, is stuck again, having progressed 4 ft after a delay in December. Now, Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP), a joint venture of Dragados USA and Tutor Perini Corp., have decided to build a shaft in order to reach the TBM after discovering
Israel Ports Development Co. New private megaport in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, valued at $1 billion, would compete with a government-owned facility. Related Links: Israel Moves Forward on Port Expansion and Bridgebuilding Israel Weighs $3-Billion Remake of Port of Eilat Israel Boycott Fears Prompt Foreign Bidders to Abandon Ports Tender European bidders for two new privately-owned megaports in Israel have dropped out of the competition—two at the last minute—amid growing concerns about pressure on companies to boycott business activity there.The pro-Palestinian Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement has been stepping up efforts in recent months to keep firms from
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