Midwest Construction News - Articles - Page 5

Legal

High Court Rules War Zones Do Not Shield Contractors from Liability for Employee Misconduct

April 24, 2026

Fluor is "disappointed" by high court decision on workforce practices for former federal contract in Afghanistan, with several justices also supporting the firm's position,

Energy

Enbridge Subsidiary Wins Presidential Permits for Cross-Border Pipelines

Construction of cross-border pipelines in North Dakota and Michigan could total $620 million

Annemarie Mannion

April 21, 2026

No Comments

Presidential permits allow Enbridge Energy and subsidiary Bakken Pipeline Co. to maintain, operate and potentially build new U.S.-Canada cross-border pipelines.

Sustainability

Walbridge Uses Woodchuck.Ai Materials Platform To Divert 8K Tons of Wood on $3B Michigan BlueOval Project

AI-enabled waste reduction platform also achieved around 40% of projected material savings ahead of project schedule

Jeff Yoders

April 21, 2026

No Comments

Walbridge achieved 40% projected materials savings using materials management platform to rethink everything from recycling to truck trips on Ford BlueOval project.

Safety

Illinois Woman Paralyzed in Roadwork-related Crash Receives $60M Settlement

Plaintiff's attorney asserts contractors milled too deeply into roadway creating unsafe conditions; contractor claims venue shopping led to 'nuclear' settlement

Annemarie Mannion

April 17, 2026

No Comments

Paving contractor elected to settle case but disputes the plaintiff's version of events, calling the award a 'nuclear' settlement.

Water

Flooding Threatens Dams and Locks in Michigan

State officials are monitoring the condition of numerous dams that are threatened by rising water.

Annemarie Mannion

April 15, 2026

No Comments

Trying to protect the Cheboygan Dam and Locks, workers have placed large sandbags and 11 pumps, including two 24-in pumps to maneuver water around the structure.

Aerial view of freight train crossing a bridge over a busy Chicago highway corridor

Transportation

Jacobs Wins I-290 Bridge, Tunnel Work in Chicago to Remove Key Capacity Constraints

Illinois DOT targets freight bottlenecks and flooding with staged rail bridge rebuild and deep-bore sewer, as freeway expansion remains on hold

Bryan Gottlieb

April 15, 2026

One Comment

Jacobs is stepping into two critical I-290 projects—can targeted bridge and tunnel work relieve freight bottlenecks and chronic flooding while a $3.2B rebuild stalls?

Aerial view of Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, with barge traffic in the channel.

Federal Contracts

J.F. Brennan Gains $114M Corps Award for Invasive Carp Deterrent System in Joliet, Ill.

Project, part of $1.15B effort to protect Lake Michigan, is among new US Army Corps of Engineers and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command contracts in California, Ohio and Europe.

Bryan Gottlieb

April 15, 2026

No Comments

Illinois project, part of $1.15B effort to protect Lake Michigan, is among Corps and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command contracts, also awarded in California, Ohio and Europe.

Image shows map of planned Meta and Eli Lilly projects in an Indianapolis suburb

Water

Indiana Advances $560M Water Supply Plan for Mega Projects Despite Objections

Planned effort would supply water to Lebanon, an Indianapolis suburb set to host Meta’s $10-billion data campus and Eli Lilly’s $9-billion manufacturing site

Annemarie Mannion

April 13, 2026

No Comments

Critics cite concerns about wastewater treatment and adequate availability of water for residents in response to planned industrial district where Meta and Eli Lilly are advancing multibillion-dollar projects.