The Washington State Dept. of Transportation escaped one last schedule hurdle in its planned opening of the new, $519.8-million state Route 120 Hood Canal Bridge, thanks in part to the ample time allotted for functional testing of the new west-half lift span.
Construction of a $1.4-billion, 11-kilometer light-rail line connecting Vancouver, B.C., to other provincial cities is set to start in early 2011, even though Translink, the municipal transportation authority, cannot yet fund its share of the project. British Columbia Prime Minister Gordon Campbell says the line, which has portions at grade, elevated and below ground, will move forward despite uncertainties on funding its final $400 million. The project also is sponsored by provincial and federal governments.
Plans for $45 billion investment in a 540 km core network of high-speed railroads were launched by the U.K. government on March 11. Work on an initial 206 km line between London and the Birmingham area, estimated to cost up $26 billion, could start around 2017, forecasts the Department for Transport. “Building this network would not only revolutionize Britain’s transport, but would also present significant new opportunities for the U.K.’s design, engineering, construction and manufacturing sectors,” says transportation secretary Andrew Adonis. At this stage, the government expects the project to be publicly funded. The core Y-shaped network, for 400 km
A rock slide on Interstate 70 near Glenwood Springs, Colo., punched holes in a bridge and dumped boulders the size of semitrucks on the highway, closing a 17-mile stretch of the road on the morning of March 8. There were no injuries. The slide occurred at midnight, just west of the Hanging Lake Tunnel in Glenwood Canyon, scattering approximately 20 boulders ranging in size from 3 ft to 10 ft in diameter. The largest is estimated to weigh about 66 tons. Colorado Dept. of Transportation geologists attributed the slide to a freeze-thaw effect caused by warm spring weather. CDOT implemented
Private investors will be interested in high-speed-rail projects—if the federal funding stream remains consistent, experts say. In particular, advocates are hoping the $2.5-billion Tampa-Orlando line will prove the mode’s viability. However, it still needs about $1.2 billion more to be completed. Photo: Scott Judy / ENR High-speed-rail line in Florida could be potential national showcase. The assurance of future federal funding is a key first step in attracting necessary private-sector investment, said Michael Cant, vice president of financial advisory services, SMI International Financial Advisory Group, Montreal. He led a session on private-sector financing this month at a conference in Orlando
An Indiana bill that paves the way for a public-private partnership to design, build and operate the $1.1-billion Illiana Expressway through Indiana and Illinois unanimously passed the Indiana Senate on March 2. The 25-mile expressway would provide an east-west bypass for truck traffic and commuters south of Chicago by linking I-65 in Indiana with either I-57 or I-55 in Illinois. The bill authorizes the Indiana Finance Authority to search for a private investor to finance the design and construction of the roadway, as well as operate the road as a tollway. Construction is expected to begin in 2017.
After weathering a two-day funding cutoff, federal highway and transit programs are back in operation, thanks to a stopgap bill signed on March 2. But the extension only runs until March 28 and funds the programs at a rate much lower than last year’s. Transportation officials are hoping for quick Senate approval of a further extension through December that also will bolster the shaky Highway Trust Fund and restore road funding to 2009’s level. Further, the Senate is working on a tax bill that includes provisions to benefit construction. The immediate focus for construction at ENR press time was an
The House has approved a $15-billion jobs package that includes an extension for highway and transit programs through December and a financial infusion to strengthen the Highway Trust Fund. The measure, which the House passed on March 4 by a 217-201 vote, next goes back to the Senate because it differs from the version that the Senate approved on Feb. 24. Besides extending surface-transportation programs through Dec. 31, the House-passed bill bolsters the Highway Trust Fund through an approximately $20-billion transfer from the general fund. It also would restore $8.7 billion in highway obligation authority that was rescinded on Sept.
Rio de Janeiro is pushing for high-speed-rail service in time for the 2014 Olympic Games. The Brazilian government plans to issue a concessionaire contract in May for a 510.7-kilometer-long high-speed-rail system to link the cities of Campinas, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Construction costs are estimated at $19.3 billion, and the term of the concession is 40 years. + Image Image: Brazilian Government Related Links: China-Hong Kong Rail Line Costs Deepen London�s Massive Rail Project Gains Favor The Trem de Alta Velocidade (TAV) line will include nine stations, 90.9 km of tunnels and 107.8 km of bridges. Public consultations
Work on the 26-km-long Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) is well under way, with the last contract to be awarded in 2011. The Legislative Council recently approved $8.6 billion in funds for construction—a controversial increase from the original $5.1 billion. Related Links: Brazil Plans High-Speed Rail for Olympics London’s Massive Rail Project Gains Favor Already $486 million worth of civil-works contracts have been awarded, with the largest being a $216-million contract to Japanese firm Penta-Ocean Construction Co., Ltd. for construction of the Mai Po to Ngau Tam Mei tunnels at the north end of the line. The other contracts
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