Funded by Harris County and the cities of Seabrook and El Lago, the $16-million Repsdorph Road extension and widening project should start this summer. In League City, the interchange at IH-45 and League City Parkway was scheduled for completion by press time. A contract for widening FM 646 to five lanes, between IH-45 and SH 3, is scheduled to let in August. As well, TxDOT announced plans to widen a 5-mi stretch on the Gulf Freeway to 10 mainlanes as part of a $100.5-million project. Related Links: SH 161 Project Will Expand Artery on Major Interstates in DFW Region Williamson
DFW International Airport awarded a $900-million contract to a joint venture team known as BARC for its seven-year Terminal Development Program, which includes Terminals A, B, C and E. The 36-year-old terminals primarily consist of original structures and building systems. Related Links: Texas Stadium Implosion Site Will Serve as TxDOT Staging Area Energy Issues Likely Part of 82nd Legislature Discussions HKS Architects Offset Electricity with Wind Power KBR Acquires Energo Engineering BARC is a joint venture formed to provide construction management services and includes Dallas-based Balfour Beatty Construction, Dallas-based Azteca Enterprises, Atlanta-based H.J. Russell & Co. and Dallas-based CARCON Industries.
THOMAS The American Institute of Architects granted honorary membership to Dr. Gail Thomas, president and CEO of The Trinity Trust Foundation in Dallas. It is one of the highest honors the AIA bestows on a person outside the profession of architecture. Thomas’ efforts to improve cities and her support of the arts and architecture were keys to her election. LEO A DALY in Dallas named John Kraskiewicz its new COO. He is also a vice president of the firm. Kraskiewicz holds a bachelor’s of architecture, a master’s of architecture and a master’s of business administration with a specialization in real
Yates Construction – with offices in Fort Worth and San Antonio – was awarded a contract by the Corps of Engineers to build an Army Reserve Center in Sinton. The new $8.5-million, ARC consists of a 31,600-sq-ft training center with a combined 4,700-sq-ft organizational maintenance shop with an attached 1,300-sq-ft storage building. The scheduled completion date is May. This is one of three ARC contracts awarded to the company in the past six months including two in Arkansas. All are designed to achieve LEED-silver certification. Related Links: McCarthy Building Completes $240M Houston Hospital Expansion Armed Forces Reserve Center Under Construction
Vast amounts of low-level radioactive waste could be transported to a West Texas site if a commission made up mostly of Gov. Rick Perry appointees decides that Texas can accept such waste from 36 or more states. The Texas Low-Level Waste Disposal Compact Commission, established by a federal statute encouraging states to make deals for disposing of LLRW, is run jointly by six Texans and two Vermont members. It could decide as early as June if Texas can import the waste from outside the compact. The commission postponed a May 11 meeting that could have led to a vote on
New designs were unveiled April 27 for three bridges that will become an integral part of Fort Worth’s Trinity River Vision project, an urban waterfront plan to connect 88 mi of the Trinity River and its surrounding communities. The project planners hope to save some $45 million through the redesign. The new scaled-back design featuring V-shaped piers was presented by TRV officials. The city of Fort Worth worked with the design team to present a citizen advisory group with design options that were within budget. The lead designer for the new bridges, Miguel Rosales, president of Rosales + Partners, Boston,
The Texas Dept. of Transportation, the North Texas Tollway Authority and the North Central Texas Council of Governments broke ground on $144-million in mobility improvements to bring the region closer to linking to the west on SH 121 Southwest Parkway/Chisholm Trail. Related Links: Summit Leader: Texas Faces Transportation Funding Crisis One of State’s Largest Highway Projects - DFW Connector - Starts Texas Completes Obligation of ARRA Transportation Funds Two projects at U.S. 67 and the future SH 121/Chisholm Trail will move forward using $31 million of ARRA funds. The projects will begin just east of SH 174 and end at
Dallas-based TDIndustries was selected as the only authorized service provider and distributor in Texas and Arizona for the complete Sentry One line of active chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear detection and identification systems from Building Protection Systems Inc.. Related Links: Economic Woes Trickling Down to Texas, But Recovery Will Come Rees Associates Opens New Houston Office UT Professor Earns ARTBA’s Research & Education Award Studio RED Wins AIA Diversity Recognition Program Award Closner Equipment Named to GOMACO’s Top 10 Distributors’ List Texas Firms Win Skid Steer Loader as Part of Anniversary Celebration TDIndustries will represent and install the Sentry One line
North Central Texas Council of Governments Assistant Director of Transportation Dan Kessler delivered some grave news to leaders at the Northeast Tarrant County Transportation Summit: “Mobility for the 21st Century,” telling attendees that Texas is in a funding crisis. Related Links: One of State’s Largest Highway Projects - DFW Connector - Starts Texas Completes Obligation of ARRA Transportation Funds SH 121 Breaks Ground, Moves Closer to Linking Western Region KESSLER He says construction costs rose 50% from 2002 to 2007, and Texas is annually diverting $1 billion of state transportation revenue to non-transportation purposes. To prevent more congestion, costs are
The city of Austin selected Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. and AECOM for a joint venture to provide preliminary engineering services for its proposed urban-rail project. Related Links: Alliance Global Logistics Hub FTZ Finishes No. 1 FTA Approves University Corridor Light Rail Transit Project Stimulus Funds Four U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Projects First Segments of DART Rail Orange Line Likely Delayed KBR Joint Venture, KBR Subsidiary Each Awarded Contracts Fluor Awarded Multiple Contracts Across the Globe Norse Energy Signs LOI, Exclusivity Agreement for Barnett Acreage Austin Capitalizes on $31.8 Million in Recovery Act Funds BNSF Announces $2.4-Billion Capital Commitment