Massachusetts joins the growing ranks of states that are using self-propelled modular transporters to rapidly replace bridges. Photo By Stephen Setteducati The first phase of the project includes three bridge replacements. Related Links: Utah Moves On Down the Road Did Someone Order an Instant Bridge? Massachusetts is following the lead of other states and embracing accelerated bridge construction, or ABC, using the method not only for highway spans but also for rail structures in Boston's Fairmont Corridor project.
As deficit worries press the U.S. federal government to cut its infrastructure funding, states and localities are filling some of the gap by getting more active in advancing public-works projects, says a new report on infrastructure trends.The study, released on May 9 by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and consulting firm Ernst & Young LLP, points to a variety of U.S. state and local infrastructure initiatives, such as a Los Angeles ballot measure that voters approved in 2008 that aims to provide $40 billion for transportation projects.
A rare 'turbine' configuration features sweeping ramps that should be easier to build and maintain than those in standard stacked interchanges. Related Links: More ENR Transportation News The upgrade of the existing Interstate 85/485 interchange near Charlotte, N.C., is proof that a bigger design can actually mean bigger savings.Part of the North Carolina Dept. of Transportation's (NCDOT) program to fill the last six-mile gap in the 65-mile I-485 outer loop around Charlotte, the interchange uses a two-level "turbine" configuration rarely found in the U.S.
With thousands of acres of land to spare, Denver International Airport is setting its sights on becoming what officials dub an "airport city"—an aerotropolis featuring logistics and trade facilities, hotels, retail, museums, schools and intermodal connections. The concept of an airport-oriented "city" is not new, but recently it has become a hot topic.
The successful completion this spring of twin 2.1-mile-long bored tunnels in Seattle marks a literal breakthrough in that city's troubled history of light-rail construction. It also represents the halfway mark in the 3.15-mile, $1.9-billion project to connect downtown with the University of Washington.The 21-ft-dia tunnels run between Capitol Hill and the university. A Traylor Bros. Inc. and Kemper-Frontier Constructors Inc. joint venture worked under a $309-million contract.
States and localities are getting more active in advancing more infrastructure projects as deficit pressure prompts the federal government to pull back on its public works spending, says a new report on infrastructure trends.The study, “Infrastructure 2012: Spotlight on Leadership,” released on May 9 by the Urban Land Institute and consulting firm Ernst & Young LLP, also says financial stresses and economic slowdowns have caused some other countries, such as India, Brazil and even China, to scale down their infrastructure funding.Looking at the U.S., the report’s authors cite several examples of
Just as ships from all over the world converge on the Panama Canal, so are construction groups clustering in and around the canal's $5-billion expansion project. The centerpiece of the project—the $3.25-billion third set of locks—is 22% complete, while the Pacific- and Atlantic-side programs are nearing the finish line.
When the Expo line opens this month, trains will bypass the Farmdale Station, which is still under construction. Courtesy ECA Still unfinished, Culver City Station is the last station included in phase-one work. Related Links: Rail Ramps Up as Global Development Tool Expo Line Official Website After years of fits and starts, Los Angeles' Exposition Light Rail Line is set to open on April 28.
Fourteen months after a 110-lb light fixture fell from the ceiling of Boston's O'Brien tunnel, Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation highway officials have announced a $54-million plan to replace all of the tunnel's 25,000 lighting units with new light-emitting diode fixtures to assure long-term safety in the Central Artery system.The fixture recommended by the Boston-based office of engineering consultant HNTB is an 8-ft-long sealed unit that has a fiberglass housing, an acrylic lens cover and a three-row LED array board.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is once again defending his October 2010 decision to kill the nearly $9-billion Trans-Hudson Express passenger-rail tunnel project that was, at the time, the country's largest public-works project.The federal Government Accountability Office released on April 10 a report claiming that Christie—a vocal anti-debt Republican—had exaggerated New Jersey's share of the tunnel's cost.The tunnel, nicknamed the Access the Region's Core (ARC) project, was expected to double commuter-train capacity between New Jersey and Manhattan. In September 2010, Christie shut down construction, which had started a year before, to conduct a 30-day review of the project. Less