As the Lone Star State's economy and population have exploded in recent years, so too have the demands on its transportation infrastructure.

Despite California's ongoing drought, Folsom Dam requires $900 million in upgrades to protect nearby communities from catastrophic floods.

The first massive gate for the Folsom Dam Auxiliary Spillway project arrived last month at Folsom, Calif.—about 20 miles east of Sacramento—after a four day, 600-mile journey. Carrying a bulkhead gate so large it took up two lanes of traffic to allow its passage, a 100-ft-long flatbed rolled onto the jobsite in the middle of the night on March 14 with a California Highway Patrol escort. Photos courtesy of Folsom Joint Federal Project Despite California's ongoing drought, Folsom Dam requires $900 million in upgrades to protect nearby communities from catastrophic floods. The six flat, panel-shaped bulkhead gates (below) are being

The $2.5 billion North Tarrant Express (NTE) that will overhaul I-820 and SH Texas 121/183 in Tarrant County will be completed six months ahead of schedule. Project developer, NTE Mobility Partners (NTEMP), says construction is expected wrap up by the end of 2014, rather than June 2015. Photo courtesy of NTE Mobility Partners North Tarrant Express developer NTE Mobility Partners says construction on the project is expected wrap up by the end of 2014, rather than June 2015. Related Links: North Tarrant Express Project Texas Dept. of Transportation The 13-mile NTE project is an overhaul of Loop 820 and Texas

Panama Canal Authority As work resumes on Panama Canal, contractor and owner officials have agreed on a funding pact to be signed on March 7. Related Links: Exclusive Interview With Owner: Panama Canal Project Won't Be Held Hostage By Contractor Shutdown ENR Editorial: High Stakes Brinkmanship at the Panama Canal Panama Canal Teams Negotiate Cost Overrun Dispute The two-month standoff over costs that threatened to derail an ambitious $5.2-billion expansion to the Panama Canal ended Feb. 27, when the owner and contractor building the locks portion of the project agreed to a financing plan to complete work on schedule.The specific

Photo courtesy Deere & Co. With two new Brazil factories online, Deere still plans to import crawler tractors and motor graders. Related Links: For Brazil Equipment Buyers, Support Is King Brazil Launches Massive Subway Construction Deere & Co. has this month opened a pair of manufacturing plants in Brazil to produce loaders and excavators for the regional market.The $180-million facilities, located in Indaiatuba outside of São Paulo, were completed in just more than two years and are needed to support a dealer network that covers 90% of the country's market.One of the plants was built in a partnership with Hitachi

Courtesy of Panama Canal Authority Work has stopped on giant canal project, but it was not clear on Feb. 20 how many workers are returning to work under pact reached Feb. 19. Related Links: Panama Canal Work Halts As Cost Dispute Talks Break Down Exclusive Interview With Owner: Canal Project Won't Be Held Hostage By Contractor Shutdown Spanish Contractors Expand Worldwide Work Search A work stoppage that paralyzed the $5.2-billion Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion for more than two weeks has ended, with a tentative agreement reached Feb. 19 between the contractor and owner battling over alleged cost overruns."This preliminary

Photos Courtesy Panama Canal Authority Work on the new Atlantic locks for the Panama Canal expansion comes to a complete standstill on Feb. 5 after the contractor orders all workers and subcontractors to go home. In an interview with ENR, Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano says: "We are not closing the door but [contractors] are leaving us with very little room to maneuver." Related Links: ENR Editorial: High Stakes Brinkmanship at the Panama Canal Panama Canal Work Halts As Cost Dispute Talks Break Down Archive of Statements Issued by Two Sides in Panama Canal Dispute For the past six weeks the

Courtesy Dragados USA The Portugues Dam is the first roller compacted concrete, thick-arch dam attempted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Related Links: The 10 Largest-Capacity Hydropower Plants When the heavy rains come as they do every year, the steep mountain slopes on the southern side of Puerto Rico can become deadly. The Portugués and Bucana rivers often overflow with a rapidity that threatens the municipality of Ponce downstream.The formal completion ceremony for the $386-million Portugués Dam on Feb. 5 marks the end of a long odyssey to solve the flood-control issues that imperil the Caribbean island's second-largest urban