June 23, 2025

“You need to finish.” That was Michael Williams’ parting message to his friends and to the team building the new Salt Lake City International Airport. Even from the hospital, where its former program director died in May, he focused on the job to complete the construction effort.

Military Projects

US Navy Picks Seven Firms for $2B Southeast IDIQ Construction Contract

June 9, 2025

The firms are pre-qualified to compete for work under the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity multiple award construction contract.

Despite Funding Pause, NCDOT Remains Committed to High-Speed Passenger Rail Plan

Jim Parsons

June 5, 2025

NCDOT and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority aim to upgrade an existing 162-mile CSX-owned freight line to support passenger rail service between the two state capitals.

A photo of Killington Mountain resort shows a mountain with snowy trails running down and a parking lot and building in the foreground

Sports/Entertainment

Infrastructure Work Kicks Off $5B Vermont All-Season Resort Expansion

An 85,000-sq-ft lodge designed by Safdie Architects will replace two existing ski lodges

Johanna Knapschaefer

June 11, 2025

The master-planned residential community at Killington Ski Resort in Killington, Vt., is called LiveKillington.

The site of a proposed Amazon date center next to a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.

Technology

Amazon Plans $20B Pennsylvania Data Centers Investment

Salem Township and Falls Township have been identified as possible data center sites

Justin Rice

June 10, 2025

Amazon plans to build two data centers in Pennsylvania, part of a planned $20-billion investment in the commonwealth.

A rendering shows the planned Sizewell C nuclear station from above

Energy

Britain Agrees to Spend $19B to Launch Sizewell C Nuclear Megaplant

June 13, 2025

UK, which will be plant's majority owner, also selected Rolls-Royce SMR as preferred bidder to build small modular reactors at major nuclear power sites and elsewhere.

The under-construction Gross Dam is seen with cranes and other equipment

Drinking Water

Denver Water's $531M Gross Dam Raise Can Continue, Judge Rules

June 3, 2025

The order keeps in place an earlier ruling blocking Denver Water from increasing the size of the reservoir impounded by the dam.

$1B Airport Expansion Centerpiece of Maldives Infrastructure Buildout

Neelam Mathews

June 9, 2025

Some $2 billion in work is ongoing, and China has pledged another $11 billion toward infrastructure investments.

Graph showing path of pipeline from Chicago to various communities

Water

$1.45B Pipeline Project Will Deliver Chicago Water to Suburban Communities

Joliet and other communities rely on well water that is expected to run dry by 2030

Annemarie Mannion

June 6, 2025

Construction has kicked off on a $1.45-billion, 60-mile pipeline that will enable Chicago to provide water to 250,000 people currently relying on a dwindling supply of well water.

Energy

Texas Legislature Fails to Pass Bills to Curb State Clean Energy Growth

Jim Parsons

June 6, 2025

One Comment

Legislation approved by the state Senate that then stalled in the House was backed by oil and gas interests.

A red crane lies on top of a crushed vehicle with yellow police tape running across the crane

Safety & Health

Possible Causes Eyed in Crane Collapse That Killed Two on Florida Jobsite

Jeff Rubenstone

June 5, 2025

OSHA investigators were on the scene June 4 at the site of a fatal crane collapse in Merritt Island, Fla.

Portion of border wall being built in hilly area, with portions of wall on either side of a slope

Security

Noem Waives Environmental Rules for 36 Miles of Border Wall in Arizona, New Mexico

Work will be paid for by 2020 and 2021 border wall appropriations

June 9, 2025

The Homeland Security Secretary's waiver of environmental rules will expedite 36 miles of border wall projects previously awarded to SLSCO Ltd. and Fisher Sand & Gravel.

Groundbreaking Women in Construction conference

Women Take Their Place to Meet New Construction Challenges

June 19, 2025

AEC leaders at the ENR Groundbreaking Women in Construction conference in San Diego vowed that diverse teams would deliver complex projects and bottom-line returns with determined effort—despite rising anti-DEI rhetoric and enforcement threats from the Trump administration.

Tutor Perini returns to profit in Q1 2025

After Three Years of Losses, Tutor Perini's 2025 Is Looking Up

Richard Korman

June 10, 2025

What's in store for the big contractor during the in rest of the year?

Mergers & Acquisitions

With Fentress Buy, Populous Sees a Broader Horizon in Aviation

Jeff Rubenstone

June 10, 2025

Both design firms see tremendous growth in U.S. and global aviation markets, with more work available than either firm could tackle alone.

Water & Dams

Jacobs Tapped for Grand Coulee Dam Modernization Program

Tim Newcomb

June 10, 2025

The $1 billion modernization project will upgrade the transmission facilities for the 7GW capacity Washington state dam and is slated for completion in 2040.

A rendering of the Washington Bridge in Providence, R.I.

Transportation

Walsh/WSP Win $339M Rhode Island Bridge Job

Work on the Washington Bridge in Providence, R.I. is scheduled to be completed in November 2028

Jim Parsons

June 6, 2025

Walsh and WSP were tapped to rebuilt the Washington Bridge in Providence, R.I.

Russel Vought speaks at the podium in the White House briefing room in 2019

Government

Trump Administration Directs Agencies to Use PLAs for Large Projects, With Exceptions

June 13, 2025

White House Office of Management and Budget directs federal agencies to continue using project labor agreements on construction projects but broadens allowable exceptions.

Government

Senate Committee Advances Budget With Fast-Tracked NEPA Option

June 6, 2025

Bill allows project sponsors to pay "opt-in fee" for expedited environmental reviews, and calls for repeal of sections of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Materials

Ozinga Breaks Ground on Low-Carbon Cement Plant in East Chicago

Indiana plant will have access to rail and waterway transport

June 11, 2025

Equipped with what's planned to be North America’s largest vertical roller mills, the plant is designed to produce one million tons of low-carbon cementitious materials annually.

Acquisitions

Wood Group Extends Deadline for Sidara's Latest Purchase Bid to June 30

Debra K. Rubin

June 19, 2025

U.K.-based energy and industrial services firm extends deadline for a firm offer from UAE-based Sidara or an end to discussions, as an audit of its accounting and corporate governance moves toward completion.

Gensler to Design $650M Soccer Stadium in Chicago's Near South Side

Annemarie Mannion

June 4, 2025

The Chicago Fire and owner Joseph Mansueto plan to build a $650-million, privately financed stadium for the team in Related Midwest's 62-acre 78 development.

Bechtel, Worley Gain Big Awards on Texas, Alaska LNG Projects

Debra K. Rubin

June 19, 2025

NextDecade announced $9B in contracts with Bechtel Energy for work at Rio Grande LNG export site and Glenfarne taps Worley for engineering on $10.8-billion Alaskan North Slope gas pipeline.

Workforce

Residential Firms Shed 7,500 Positions in May, Limiting Overall Jobs Gain

ABC economist notes this “marks the slowest five-month employment growth since 2020”

Scott Judy

June 6, 2025

While non-residential contractors added an estimated 11,300 jobs in May, firms working in the residential sector shed an estimated 7,500 positions, according to the BLS.

Charlotte Amalie High School in the Virgin Islands

ENR's Top Professional Services Firm Leaders Face a Shifting Market

Emell D. Adolphus

Jonathan Keller

June 18, 2025

Revenue for this year’s Top 100 Professional Services Firms reveals nuanced shifts in an increasingly complex market roiled by uncertainty and rising risks.

Labor

2Q 2025 Cost Report: Compensation Hikes Slow After Consecutive Spikes in Recent Years

Superintendent, estimator rates remain high

Bruce Buckley

June 18, 2025

The hot pace of construction staff compensation is cooling. Following years of historically high salary increases, employers are reigning in pay for construction staff.

Equipment

2Q 2025 Cost Report: With Tariffs Still Uncertain, Used Equipment Prices Show Signs Of Leveling Off, For Now

Volatility seen in prices earlier this year stabilizes, but new shocks are possible

Jeff Rubenstone

June 18, 2025

The first few months of this year saw some uncertainty in equipment pricing, but even with the unclear tariff situation the used equipment market has seen prices stabilizing, according to the latest data from industry analyst firm EquipmentWatch.

Materials

2Q 2025 Cost Report: As Steel, Aluminum Tariffs Rise to 50%, Feds OK US Steel Sale to Nippon Steel

Japan-based buyer’s nearly $15-billion investment could be felt most in electrical steel

June 18, 2025

President Donald Trump's June 13 executive order cleared the $14.9B acquisition of U.S. Steel Corp. by Tokyo-based Nippon Steel.

Confidence Index

2Q 2025 Cost Report: Executive Confidence Falls as Uncertainty Rules

Tariffs dominate construction executive comments

Jonathan Keller

June 18, 2025

ENR’s Construction Industry Confidence Index fell 14 points between Q1 and Q2, to a rating of 47. That marks the third largest drop in the history of the index.

Economics

2Q 2025 Cost Report: Tariff Impacts Drive Slowdown in Construction Activity

Higher prices put some projects on hold

Alisa Zevin

June 18, 2025

Uncertainty has plagued the overall economy in the first half of 2025, with U.S. construction industry activity slowing considerably, according to data from Dodge Construction Network.

Editorials

Soccer Surveillance Limited Injury Payout: Holding Down NY Insurance Costs

ENR Editorial Board

June 19, 2025

A commentary about a recent case that says much about New York State's high liability insurance costs.

Industrial Leads for the Week of June 23, 2025

June 19, 2025

Information derived from Industrial Reports, a market intelligence firm specializing in industrial construction and equipment leads.

Interiors Industry Confronts Changing Workplace at NeoCon

June 19, 2025

Why do people remain reluctant to return to the office? According to Gensler’s 2025 Workplace Survey, traditional offices no longer fit the way creative people work.

Survey Finds Most AEC Firms Aren't Quite Prepared for AI Revolution

Survey results show 75% expect AI to boost firms' profitability, but only 20% feel "highly prepared"

Scott Judy

June 11, 2025

Survey found that 82% of respondents expect an AI-driven transformation, but just 20% claimed their firm's readiness was at a mature or advanced level.

Construction Economics for June 23, 2025

June 19, 2025