Competition for projects in the four-state Southeast Construction region has been at an intense level throughout 2009, as an increasing number of building contractors find themselves chasing a declining number of new contracts, hoping to build a backlog during this historic downturn. Photo: Sam Barnes State transportation agencies across the four-state region report receiving bids that are often well below the initial engineering estimates, giving them more bang for their stimulus bucks. Related Links: 2009 Midyear Outlook: Worse Than Expected As the residential and commercial markets continue their declines, contractors operating in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have
The board of Tampa Bay Water has approved an estimated $125-million repair program for the agency’s four-year-old, 15.5-billion-gallon C.W. “Bill” Young Regional Reservoir. The facility, which cost roughly $140 million to construct originally, has been experiencing significant cracking since late 2006. The authority is also moving ahead with a lawsuit against the three lead members of the original project team: HDR of Omaha, Neb., the designer; Barnard Construction of Bozeman, Mont., the contractor; and construction manager Construction Dynamics Group of Columbia, Md. Related Links: Tampa Report: No Recovery in the Private Market, but Public Sector Offers Hope Tampa Bay Water
Two of three firms cited by the U.S. Dept. of Labor for a fatal bridge collapse in Atlanta last December plan to contest the sanctions, issued June 17. Hardin Construction Co. of Atlanta, Williams Erection Co. of Smyrna, Ga., and Southeast Access of Kennesaw, Ga., were fined a total of $26,250 for the Dec. 19, 2008, collapse of a pedestrian bridge that was under construction at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Crews were placing concrete on a new 600-ft-long, 40-ft-tall pedestrian bridge when portions of the structure collapsed, killing one and injuring 17. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s
Competition for projects in the four-state Southeast Construction region has been at an intense level throughout 2009, as an increasing number of building contractors find themselves chasing a declining number of new contracts, hoping to build a backlog during this historic downturn. Photo: Sam Barnes. State transportation departments throughout the Southeast are reporting that early bids for stimulus-funded projects are coming in lower than expected. As the residential and commercial markets continue their declines, contractors operating in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have been witnessing unprecedented bidding activity on some contracts. At the same time, as the billions
The board of Tampa Bay Water has approved staff recommendations for an estimated $125-million repair program for the agency’s four-year-old, 15.5-billion-gallon C.W. “Bill” Young Regional Reservoir. The facility, which cost roughly $140 million to construct originally, has been experiencing significant cracking since late 2006. At the same time, the authority is moving ahead with a lawsuit against the three lead members of the project’s design and construction team: HDR of Omaha, Neb., the designer; Barnard Construction Co. of Bozeman, Mont., the contractor; and construction manager Construction Dynamics Group of Columbia, Md. In late 2006, the agency discovered significant cracking along
The board of Tampa Bay Water has approved staff recommendations for an estimated $125-million repair program for the agency’s four-year-old, 15.5-billion-gallon C.W. “Bill” Young Regional Reservoir. The earthen structure, which cost roughly $140 million to build, has been experiencing significant cracking since late 2006. Image + Source: Tampa Bay Water Cracking problem seems to be centered in erosion-control system, officials say. The authority also is moving ahead with a lawsuit against the three lead members of the project’s design and construction team: designer HDR, Omaha; contractor Barnard Construction Co., Bozeman, Mont.; and construction manager Construction Dynamics Group, Columbia, Md. The
The often-turbulent journey of Miami International Airport’s $6.2-billion capital improvement program is currently flying smoothly, yet officials also are braced for what they say is the most challenging construction period of all. “This is the decisive year,” says Jim Eldridge, construction manager for the joint venture of Odebrecht Construction, Inc., Coral Gables, Fla., and Parsons Transportation Group, Pasadena, Calif. “It’s like playing the Super Bowl every day for six months.” Photo: Andres Romero/ Parsons Odebrecht J.V. More than 800 construction workers a day are currently working on Miami’s expanding north terminal. Photo: Andres Romero/ Parsons Odebrecht J.V. The joint venture
The $49.3 billion in federal stimulus funding set aside for transportation work generated none of the rancorous clamor raised by the banking and financial-sector bailout. Instead, politicians and officials in cash-strapped state highway departments are joining nervous contractors and engineers in nearly universal praise for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Slide Show Photo: Arizona DOT Emphasis on speed and jobs moves repaving work to the top of the list. Any criticism has been muted. The public perceived the American International Group executive bonuses as tax dollars profiting those who were culpable for financial excesses and bad
An estimated $12.2 billion in federal stimulus funding should help Florida shore up some of the holes in the state budget and put thousands of Floridians to work. That was the message from Gov. Charlie Crist when he hailed the passage of the federal stimulus bill in mid-February and just days later when he announced his $66.5 billion 2009-2010 budget on Feb. 20. Photo: PB Americas The Florida Department of Transportation plans to make full use of the roughly $1.4 billion in stimulus funding it will receive. According to a Feb. 20 statement accompanying the release of Gov. Crist’s budget,
An estimated $12.2 billion in federal stimulus funding will help Florida patch up some of the holes in its state budget and put thousands of Floridians to work. That was the message from Gov. Charlie Crist (R) when he hailed the passage of the federal stimulus bill in mid-February. He announced his $66.5-billion 2009-10 budget on Feb. 20. Photo: PB Americas Stimulus will fund design-build jobs like Jewfish Creek bridge in Key Largo. Related Links: View all economic stimulus headlines The stimulus will add some $4.7 billion in revenue for 2009-10, effectively reducing the budget cuts that had been widely