Related Links: TxDOT Awards $1-Billion Houston Loop Contract Alternate Project Delivery on the Rise Snaking 38 miles through both forests and developed land, the F-1, F-2 and G segments of state Highway 99's Grand Parkway feature straightforward construction—just lots of it in a short period of time. Advancing the rapid growth of the Houston metropolis—thanks largely to key investments by ExxonMobil and Southwest Energy to the north and east of the city—the design-build team, led by a joint venture of Zachry and Odebrecht, must build the three segments in just over two years for a 2015 completion."Technically, the project's design
Buoyed by court rulings and a dedicated funding source from the state's cap-and-trade program, administrators of California's ambitious high-speed-rail program are moving forward with initial construction and renewed optimism.
Image Courtesy of Louis Berger Concrete cable-stayed bridge across the canal's access channels will boast the world's longest span of 530 m when it opens in 2016. Related Links: $5.25-Billion Panama Canal Expansion Program Moves Into the Final Leg While post-Panamax ships boost the global economy by moving goods through the Panama Canal's third set of locks, a striking new cable-stayed bridge will support local business by transporting materials overland. The 1,050-meter-long third crossing over the canal has a 530-m-long main span that, when completed in 2016, will be the longest in the world for a four-lane concrete cable-stayed structure.
Related Links: State DOTs Taking Controversial Guardrail Model Off Approved List FHWA Releases Trinity ET-Plus Guardrail End Terminal Re-testing Plan Vowing that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will “leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this issue,” agency acting administrator Gregory Nadeau told reporters Nov. 12 that re-testing of the ET-Plus 4-in.-wide guardrail end device manufactured by Trinity Products will commence the week of Nov. 17 at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.The FHWA will determine by early 2015 whether the 4-in. version will “pass” or “fail.” If the latter, it will no longer be
Related Links: Gridlock Sam Calls for a New Transportation Formula Sam Schwartz Engineering Acquires Metro Transportation Group Move NY With midterm elections out of the way, a former New York City traffic commissioner is ramping up his call for a revamp of the New York City area's tolling system in order to increase infrastructure investment.SCHWARTZSam Schwartz, also known as "Gridlock Sam," says he and Move NY, a grass-roots advocacy group, are progressing to "launch season" and trying to garner political support for his congestion pricing plan. It would impose $5 driver tolls and 50¢ bike tolls on the free East
Related Links: Commercial Opportunities in Brazil for U.S. Firms Top Chinese Design Firms Eyeing a plethora of construction opportunities in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, a Chinese construction giant and an Australian investment veteran have officially teamed up with a Brazilian bank. Macquarie Capital, the corporate advisory, principal investing and capital markets arm of Macquarie Group, announced on Nov. 4 an agreement to form Macquarie Development Corp. with China Communication Construction Co. (CCCC) and Banco Modal.The new corporation will make equity investments in preconstruction infrastructure development projects in Latin America. In a press release, Mark Ramsey, head of Latin America
Tricky geology and a dense urban environment marked the journey of Harriet, a lone tunnel boring machine that excavated dual 1.26-kilometer-long, two-lane highway tunnels under the Government Cut shipping channel in Biscayne Bay, to connect Dodge and Watson islands.
The city of Anaheim is home to big-ticket draws such as Angel Stadium, the Grove arena, the Honda Center sports venue and, of course, Disneyland. Now, it is home to an iconic structure that heralds the arrival of a new age of transit in traditionally auto-centric
Related Links: Transit Builders Buoyed By Ridership Figures Fear Of Bankruptcy Looms Over Bridge, Rail Conferences Buoyed by record-breaking public-transit ridership figures, American Public Transportation Association members are warning of the increasingly dire consequences ahead for U.S. infrastructure without action on long-term federal reauthorization funding.APTA hopes Congress will take note of the 10.7 billion transit trips taken in 2013—the highest ridership in 57 years, the group says—and of the insatiable demand for federal programs that provide funding for mass-transit projects. The Federal Transit Administration awarded a record $15.7 billion for over 2,000 grants in FY 2014, acting administrator Therese W.
Related Links: For Panamax Port Expansions, The Freight Wait is Almost Over Ports Seek Rising Tide of Public, Private Funds After nearly two decades of planning, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) this month has begun a $706- million deepening of the Port of Savannah harbor by 5 ft. It formally signed a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) Oct. 8 with the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps expects bids on Oct. 29 for a dredging contract for 19 of 40 miles of entrance channel, estimated at $100 million. Another estimated $75-million contract to build dissolved oxygen injection systems should receive bids
