July 6, 2026

Check out the July 6, 2026 edition of ENR, featuring a look at the challenges faced by the Carolina Trunk Rehabilitation project team, Top 500 Review +, news and more!

The ENR Top 500 Review +: AI Wave Raises Design Revenue

Resource-intense data projects are shifting market ebbs and flows

Emell D. Adolphus

Jonathan Keller

July 2, 2026

No Comments

Domestic design revenue for ENR's Top 500 Design Firms increased 8.1% last year to $136.3 billion, while international revenue rose 3.2% to $22.4 billion.

Sewer in Portland, Oregon built with egg-shaped brick pipe

Ongoing Effort to Rehabilitate Portland's Aging Sewer System

Scott Blair

July 2, 2026

No Comments

To repair and replace its aging sewer system, the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services has several programs running concurrently, including a small-diameter program, a bespoke Downtown–Old Town program and the large-diameter program.

Transportation

New Panama Canal Chief Takes on Next Wave of Megaprojects

C.J. Schexnayder

June 24, 2026

No Comments

The Panama Canal is about to undertake an $8.5-billion-plus capital improvement plan aimed at creating a Trans-Isthmus Logistics Corridor.

Microsoft project Skanska Balfour Beatty

Lawsuits

Skanska Balfour Beatty JV Sues Surety Over Microsoft Campus Cladding Claim

Why was there a year-long wait for a claim decision?

Richard Korman

June 25, 2026

No Comments

A subcontractor terminated from the project cites Ukraine war supply chain and labor woes.

Nuclear Power

US Energy Dept. Offers $17.5B Carrot to Fast-track New Nuclear Plants

Debra K. Rubin

June 25, 2026

No Comments

Loan guarantees for long lead components come as administration aims to fast-track nation's AI dominance and more states eye nuclear to meet growing power needs.

Project Delivery

British Columbia Terminates $3B Fraser River Tunnel Contract, Will Re-bid Project

Fresh RFQs already being issued under new procurement model

James Leggate

June 18, 2026

No Comments

Project officials cited price dispute as the main reason to end the progressive design-build contract, and have begun the process of re-bidding work under a different delivery model.

Highways

New Park Over I-35E in Dallas Exemplifies a Transportation Trend

Aileen Cho

June 17, 2026

No Comments

$300-million Halperin Park project enters second phase, with industry anticipating more projects aimed at reconnecting divided communities.

Mid-Currituck Bridge, North Carolina DOT

State Audit Clouds Future of Proposed NC Outer Banks Bridge

Jim Parsons

June 24, 2026

No Comments

Increases in construction costs have more than doubled the project’s original estimate, with the current cost now estimated at approximately $1.2 billion.

Industrial

Oklahoma AG Files Suit to Stop $4B Smelter Amid GOP Primary Tensions

Filing targets Century Aluminum–EGA venture planned for Tulsa Port of Inola

Vince Kong

June 15, 2026

No Comments

Giant aluminum project becomes a political football in the state governor’s race as litigation ensues.

Bridges

Contractor Chosen for $1.4B Blatnik Bridge Replacement in Minnesota

Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II, a partnership between Kraemer North America and Ames construction, has been named contractor for the project

Annemarie Mannion

June 23, 2026

No Comments

What contractor team won the job to replace this vital freight and commuter link connecting Wisconsin and Minnesota?

Holtec's Indian Point Nuclear Plant Cleanup Awaits Crucial Water Release Verdict

A $2.4-billion plant decommissioning near New York City is clouded by controversy

Richard Korman

June 23, 2026

One Comment

A planned low-level radioactive water release into the Hudson River tests state versus federal authority over nuclear safety.

Energy Development

Technip-led Team Wins Bid for $7.2B Mozambique Floating LNG Facility

Effort to further develop nation's offshore gas fields passes major milestone

Shem Oirere

June 25, 2026

No Comments

Project award is a major milestone for a facility that would help secure Mozambique's status as one of the largest producers of liquified natural gas in Africa.

Wind energy site lease buyouts include deep-water areas in California.

Clean Energy

UPDATED Trump Offshore Wind Energy Buyout Deals Grow to Nearly $2.6B, With More Tumult

California said June 23 it intends to sue US Interior Dept. and developer Golden State Wind LLC for an "unlawful agreement" to cancel $120M Morro Bay lease for 2-GW floating wind project.

Debra K. Rubin

June 21, 2026

No Comments

Invenergy is the latest to accept $765M buyout of wind lease areas in exchange for new gas projects, but developer still is set to build the 800-mile Grain Belt transmission line for land-based wind and solar energy.

World's Longest Immersed Tunnel Passes Milestone, But Faces Delays

German-Denmark link progresses below the Baltic Sea

James Leggate

June 15, 2026

One Comment

The $8-billion Fehmarnbelt Tunnel connecting Germany and Denmark below the Baltic Sea has placed its first precast concrete elements—two years behind schedule.

Leadership

Fix Industry Challenges by Beating Your Own Workplace Fears, CEO Tells GWIC Audience

June 29, 2026

ENR Groundbreaking Women in Construction event in San Diego marks 23 years of career and leadership advocacy for women with new scholarship program and more than 660 rising professionals attending.

Natural Disasters

Hundreds Dead as Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Collapses Buildings in Venezuela

Jeff Rubenstone

June 25, 2026

No Comments

The full scale of damage from the massive earthquake is still being assessed as Venezuela deploys search and rescue teams to fallen buildings and international aid is mobilized.

Aerial view of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Fla., with rescue crews and heavy equipment working amid the rubble.

Investigations

NIST Report Details How Design, Construction Flaws Led to Surfside Condo Collapse

Champlain Towers South lacked adequate structural safety margins from the start, investigators say

Bryan Gottlieb

June 23, 2026

No Comments

NIST's long-awaited findings conclude design flaws, construction deviations and corrosion left Champlain Towers South vulnerable before its deadly 2021 collapse.

Government

EPA Proposes Revamp of NEPA Reviews

What changes is the process, not protections, agency says

Esther D'Amico

June 26, 2026

No Comments

EPA has proposed revisions to its National Environmental Policy Act process that officials say will speed up reviews and make them clearer and more predictable.

Construction crews work on the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing project in Manhattan, part of the Gateway Hudson Tunnel connection to Penn Station.

News Analysis

Grant Certainty Emerges as New Fault Line in Transportation Bill Talks

Senate Democrats seek stronger protections after funding freezes hit major projects

Bryan Gottlieb

June 24, 2026

No Comments

Can project sponsors still trust awarded federal grants as Congress writes the next transportation bill?

Workers position a tunnel boring machine gantry for assembly on the Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project in June.

Litigation

Judge Permanently Bars USDOT From Withholding Gateway Grants

Opinion says the agency violated federal grant rules, ending months of litigation over the Hudson Tunnel Project

Bryan Gottlieb

June 30, 2026

No Comments

The opinion reaches well beyond one tunnel project, offering a closely watched test of federal grant oversight and administrative authority.

ADOT simulation showing a planned wildlife crossing bridge over the widened SR 260 Lion Springs highway corridor in Arizona.

Transportation Funding

Arizona Adopts $11.3B Transportation Program as States Await Next Federal Highway Bill

The five-year construction plan provides an early snapshot of how state transportation agencies are planning for post-IIJA funding

Bryan Gottlieb

June 25, 2026

No Comments

Arizona's new $11.3-billion transportation program does more than map future projects—it offers an early glimpse of how states are planning beyond IIJA.

Construction manager reviewing project data on a tablet at an active jobsite.

Insurance

Insurers Offer Discounts for Using Site Monitoring Tech to Reduce Risk

Direct attempt to tie project economics to proven risk control methods

Bryan Gottlieb

June 25, 2026

No Comments

Insurers have tried discounts to encourage adoption of risk-management technologies before, but have they found the sweet spot to win over contractors and project owners?

Transportation

Saudi Arabia Moves Forward on $7B Rail Landbridge Project

1,500-km freight and passenger rail link will tie Persian Gulf cities to the Red Sea

Gary Lakes

June 18, 2026

No Comments

Long-planned rail link between Persian Gulf industrial areas and the Red Sea now spurred by regional conflict, targets 2034 completion.

Wirtgen W 220 XF cold milling machine displayed during a John Deere roadbuilding technology demonstration near Nashville, Tennessee.

Equipment

John Deere Bets Connected Roadbuilding Is Its Next Competitive Advantage

Digitally linked milling, paving and compaction systems aim to help contractors improve quality, address labor shortages

Bryan Gottlieb

June 26, 2026

No Comments

John Deere says connected machine data—not just bigger equipment—could reshape roadbuilding. ENR visited Wirtgen's proving grounds to see how.

Companies

Octave Unveils Its Connected AEC, Operations Strategy

Jeff Yoders

July 6, 2026

No Comments

After splitting off from Swedish positioning and hardware giant Hexagon AB last June, Octave Inc., was listed on the NASDAQ exchange in May and has rebranded many of its software products.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, pictured under construction, has been delayed in opening for nearly two weeks without explanation.

Editorial

Why Can't the Gordie Howe Bridge Open?

The delay raises questions about transparency and infrastructure certainty

ENR Editorial Board

June 22, 2026

7 Comments

What ENR has to say about a $4.7-billion piece of critical infrastructure sitting idle as federal officials refuse to explain the delay.

Construction Economics for July 6, 2026

June 18, 2026

No Comments

ENR’s 20-city average cost indexes, wages and materials prices. Historical data and details for ENR’s 20 cities can be found at ENR.com/economics

Live: July 16, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT We'll address the current state of the construction market as we reach the halfway point of 2026. ENR invites three top forecasters asking them to share their views on the market prospects for the industry at midyear, both nationally & regionally, in the midst of these unique challenges.

Our Publications

ENR

Cover Story

The ENR Top 500 Review +: AI Wave Raises Design Revenue

Ongoing Effort to Rehabilitate Portland's Aging Sewer System

News

New Panama Canal Chief Takes on Next Wave of Megaprojects

Skanska Balfour Beatty JV Sues Surety Over Microsoft Campus Cladding Claim

US Energy Dept. Offers $17.5B Carrot to Fast-track New Nuclear Plants

British Columbia Terminates $3B Fraser River Tunnel Contract, Will Re-bid Project

New Park Over I-35E in Dallas Exemplifies a Transportation Trend

State Audit Clouds Future of Proposed NC Outer Banks Bridge

Oklahoma AG Files Suit to Stop $4B Smelter Amid GOP Primary Tensions

Contractor Chosen for $1.4B Blatnik Bridge Replacement in Minnesota

Holtec's Indian Point Nuclear Plant Cleanup Awaits Crucial Water Release Verdict

Technip-led Team Wins Bid for $7.2B Mozambique Floating LNG Facility

UPDATED Trump Offshore Wind Energy Buyout Deals Grow to Nearly $2.6B, With More Tumult

World's Longest Immersed Tunnel Passes Milestone, But Faces Delays

Fix Industry Challenges by Beating Your Own Workplace Fears, CEO Tells GWIC Audience

Hundreds Dead as Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Collapses Buildings in Venezuela

NIST Report Details How Design, Construction Flaws Led to Surfside Condo Collapse

EPA Proposes Revamp of NEPA Reviews

Grant Certainty Emerges as New Fault Line in Transportation Bill Talks

Judge Permanently Bars USDOT From Withholding Gateway Grants

Arizona Adopts $11.3B Transportation Program as States Await Next Federal Highway Bill

Insurers Offer Discounts for Using Site Monitoring Tech to Reduce Risk

Saudi Arabia Moves Forward on $7B Rail Landbridge Project

Departments

John Deere Bets Connected Roadbuilding Is Its Next Competitive Advantage

Octave Unveils Its Connected AEC, Operations Strategy

Why Can't the Gordie Howe Bridge Open?

Construction Economics

Construction Economics for July 6, 2026

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