The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has said that it is allocating $742.5 million in economic-stimulus funds to speed construction of 11 transit projects in nine states. The DOT plan, announced on May 7, distributes funds to projects for which the Federal Transit Administration has multi-year, full-funding grant agreements. The aid, contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, doesn't represent an increase in DOT's total funds for the projects, but gets anticipated federal money to the transit agencies sooner than expected and allows work to proceed more rapidly. The ARRA measure provides a total of $8.4 billion for FTA capital

Foundation work for a signature bridge is under way as part of a $2.2-billion Interstate corridor project in Connecticut. Critical elements include constructing the nation’s first extradosed bridge and beefing up commuter rail service in what Connecticut Dept. of Transportation officials say is the largest single construction effort ever undertaken by the agency. Photo: URS New Q-bridge (above) section foundation is located between existing I-95 and vertical-lift Tomlinson Bridge. Photo: Aeropix Photo: Raito Inc. Supertop rig drills 200-ft-long steel casings into rock. The 7.5-mile-long I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program, extending from the Long Wharf area in New

Two years ago, only cows occupied the hilly 922-acre expanse just outside Branson, Mo. But aggressive construction, including moving nearly 12 million cu yd of earth has transformed it into the nation’s first privately financed and operated commercial airport.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority can proceed at full speed with its $7-billion capital program, thanks to being the nation’s first transportation agency to sell more than $1 billion in taxable bonds that come with a 35% reimbursement from the federal government under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Build America bonds (BABs) will contribute $1.375 billion to the authority’s 10-year capital program, along with $375 million sold in traditional tax-exempt bonds. Photo: Aileen Cho / ENR Gutierrez-Scaccetti (right) and Raczynski lead $7 billion in planned capital projects. Photo: New Jersey Turnpike Authority A broadened investor base means the

California’s first American Recovery and Reinvestment Act infrastructure project broke ground last week while the state confirms that $1 billion of act funding has been obligated to 80 total projects. Slide Show Photo: Sherman Chu, Courtesy of Caltrans Brian Gates, Top Grade’s COO, addresses the audience at the Fairfield I-80 project groundbreaking. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and representatives from Caltrans and Top Grade Construction of Livermore, the general contractor, were on hand April 30 to break ground on the $13.5-million pavement improvement project on a 50-year-old section of Interstate 80 in Fairfield between State Route 12 and Air Base Parkway,

An early congressional review of economic-stimulus activity in core infrastructure sectors gives generally good marks for federal and state agencies' progress so far. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on April 29 held the first of a planned series of hearings on the stimulus, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It focused only on programs under the panel's jurisdiction, but they include such key sectors as highways, rail and Environmental Protection Agency water programs. Office of Rep. James Oberstar Rep. James Oberstar Related Links: State-by-State Stimulus Breakdown By Category and Status Prepared Statements by Witnesses As of March 31, the

Aided partly by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), New York City-area transportation agencies are speeding work on multibilliondollar capital plans. The marquee project is the $9-billion rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River, dubbed Access to the Region�s Core (ARC). ARRA provided a $130-million “down payment” for the tunnel, said Susan Bass Levin, deputy executive director for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in addressing the Professional Women in Construction’s New York chapter at an April 23 forum. “Now we can break ground in the coming months.” The agency has committed $340 million to the tunnel

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on April 23 voted to fund the first phase of the $1.03-billion Interstate 405 Sepulveda Pass Widening Project, adding a northbound 10-mile-long carpool lane, between I-10 and U.S. 101, to one of the region’s most congested freeways. The freeway connects the San Fernando Valley with the greater Los Angeles area. The project is a joint venture between Metro and Caltrans. Kiewet Pacific Co., Santa Fe Springs, Calif., was awarded a $712-million design-build contract. The project will be built in phases based upon funding availability. About $372 million already has been secured, including

A consortium led by Parsons Transportation Group Inc., Washington, D.C., has won a $1.46-billion, design-build-operate-maintain contract for 20 miles of light-rail lines in downtown Houston. It is the Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) of Harris County’s largest contract. The Houston Rapid Transit JV also includes Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, Calif.; Kiewit Texas Construction, Fort Worth; and Stacy and Witbeck Inc., Alameda, Calif. The team will extend the north, east-end, southeast and uptown lines; build storage and inspection facilities; construct 32 stations; and renovate an existing operations center. METRO selected the runner-up Parsons team after breaking off talks with Boise-based Washington Group

Light-rail owners, planners and builders are enjoying unprecedented public support—and facing unprecedented challenges as a result. With more than 30 cities building light-rail systems, the need for workforce talent and funding is greater than ever. “There is no better time ever to be in transit,” said Leslie Rogers, a San Francisco-based regional administrator for the Federal Transit Administration, speaking to attendees of the Transportation Research Board/American Public Transportation Association Joint Light Rail Conference held April 19-21 in Los Angeles. “We have a great friend and partner in Washington. In thirty years we’ve never been as excited and re-energized.” But Rogers