In a special session on July 2, the Texas Legislature refused to extend the authority of the Texas Dept. of Transportation to build privatized toll roads in agreements with private developers. The refusal comes at the end of a two-year moratorium on private toll-road construction passed in 2007. It is a setback for Gov. Rick Perry (R), who had appointed a Legislative Study Committee on Private Participation in Toll Projects. One member, Bob Poole, director of transportation policy for Los-Angeles-based Reason Foundation, says the committee’s 2008 report concluded the state needs tolling and private capital, although rules should be modified

If a hurricane hits southern Louisiana this year, a critical portion of the roadway that carries almost 20% of the nation’s total oil supply from the Gulf of Mexico should remain high and dry. The Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development on July 7 plans to open the first 4.4 miles of the new Louisiana Highway 1. The eventual 18-mile, 26-ft-high, four-lane elevated route between Golden Meadow and Port Fourchon will replace the existing, flood-prone La. 1 that is slowly sinking. Photo: James Construction Group Temporary piles support a trestle that serves as a work platform over marshes. Related Links:

A turnkey contractor for Scotland’s estimated $2-billion Forth Road cable-stayed bridge is being sought. Transport Scotland plans to invite bids from selected teams this year, aiming to award the contract in spring 2011. For additional stiffening, the bridge will have unusually overlapping cable fans reaching down from two, centrally placed pylons 145 m above deck level. Its two 650-m main spans will be the longest for a multispan cable-stayed crossing, says TS. The bridge is the centerpiece of a 2.7-km-long motorway, of which the onshore sections are included in the contract. Design work was done by Arup Group, London, with

After a 12-month experience rivaling the most hairraising theme-park thrill ride, transportation design firms are finally enjoying a sense of stability, coupled with some optimism about the future. The industry’s biggest influence in recent months has been $40 billion in transportation infrastructure funding from President Obama’s economic stimulus program. Though directed primarily to shovel-ready projects, the stimulus funding is also finding its way to design firms, according to Jim Lyman, chief operating officer for David Evans & Associates, Portland, Ore. Photo: Vince Streano Photography Bridge programs remain strong as a direct result of the I-35 collapse. Related Links: The Top

State departments of transportation have met their first "use it or lose it" deadline under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, obligating half of their stimulus funds for highway projects. The number of ARRA highway and transit project starts has risen sharply in recent weeks, but actual outlays remain small, according to reports from a key House committee. Emphasizing the ARRA progress, the White House and U.S. DOT said on June 25 that $19 billion has been obligated for more than 5,300 highway and other transportation projects. ARRA requires states to obligate--commit to specifid projects--at least 50% of their highway

Of the $1.3 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds scheduled for delivery to Amtrak projects, almost $50 million will go to California projects – half for a new LA Maintenance Facility and most of the balance to meet accessibility requirements. The maintenance facility is planned as a pre-engineered metal building 820 ft long by 70 ft wide, semi-enclosed with a pit running the length of the building. It will include equipment to remove, clean and service train cars. The project will go to bid in October with construction starting in January, 2010. It could take 12 to 16

Airports across the nation are cutting back on their capital programs, and the industry is anxious for a full reauthorization of a Federal Aviation Administration funding bill rather than settling for topgap extensions. Perhaps the most pressing issues of all are implementing a modern air-traffic control system (NextGen) and finding alternatives to crude-oil-based jet fuels. Catherine Lang, FAA’s acting associate administrator, told attendees of the American Association of Airport Executives that the Senate is the “wild card” in reauthorizing a four-year bill. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on March 5 approved a bill that would authorize $70 billion for

The eastern half of the Hood Canal Bridge opened on June 3, eight days ahead of a schedule that was revised after a 15-month delay in 2005. Crews finished installing 17 pontoons for the 1.5-mile state Route 104 crossing. The world’s longest floating bridge over salt water links Washington state’s Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas about 60 miles north of Seattle. Photo: Kiewit-General Trusses are designed to withstand rough winds. Kiewit-General Construction Co., Poulsbo, Wash., earned a $600,000 bonus for the early opening. The $490-million project took six years, due in part to a 15-month delay after an ancient Native American

Federal investigators are examing the performance of signals and automatic operations equipment as well as railcar age and maintenance in the fatal June 22 crash of two Washington, D.C., Metrorail trains in Maryland. The accident killed one operator and eight passengers and injured 76. Photo: AP/Wideworld

With the current highway and transit authorization law set to expire on Sept. 30 and the Highway Trust Fund in deep, immediate trouble, a two-way tussle has arisen over what Congress should do next. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the White House want an 18-month highway and transit extension with a trust-fund fix. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and other leaders on the panel reject an extension and have proposed a $500-billion, six-year reauthorization. They want to see the trust fund repaired, but their bill is silent on that point. Missing so far from both LaHood’s