West Construction News

Ongoing Effort to Rehabilitate Portland's Aging Sewer System

blairs@enr.com (Scott Blair) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

California High-Speed Rail Authority Eyes Next $2.4B Phase

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:06:42 -0400

A collaborative project delivery method is expected, along with a P3 for a planned parallel clean energy utility.

Skanska Balfour Beatty JV Sues Surety Over Microsoft Campus Cladding Claim

kormanr@enr.com (Richard Korman) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:04:25 -0400

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

FHWA Sends $908M to North Carolina for Helene Repairs in $1.9B USDOT Disaster Package

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 13:34:03 -0400

Why is North Carolina receiving more than half of federal agency's latest $1.9B disaster funding package? The answer lies in Hurricane Helene's continuing recovery.

Navy Maps Out Four Packages for Planned $10B Bremerton Dry Dock Rebuild

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:11:28 -0400

As the U.S. Navy advances a planned $10-billion dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, new documents reveal four major construction packages and phasing.

West Coast Design Firms Regain Their Momentum

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:50:00 -0400

Backlogged work is lifting revenue across the West, while water infrastructure, PFAS rules and drought resilience shape local demand.

PAE’s Mission Drives Growth

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:00 -0400

With its Pacific Northwest identity intact, the engineering firm expands by tying technical excellence to mission-driven work and employee ownership.

BKF Aims Big While Retaining its Roots

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:00 -0400

After a century in the California market, ENR West’s California Design Firm of the Year is focused on growing with purpose.

Tapping Into Torrance’s Brackish Water Plume

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Unlocking a long inaccessible source of groundwater through a combination of progressive design-build delivery and pilot-driven decision-making.

Mass Timber Breaks New Ground at Oregon Lab

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Oregon State’s Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex is designed to prove wood can support demanding research environments.

California High-Speed Rail Awards Track Contract and Other News

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

The California High-Speed Rail Authority board has approved the launch of track and systems installation for the nation’s first high-speed rail network, awarding a major contract to a consortium of Kiewit, Stacey Witbeck and Herzog.

Infrastructure Work on the Rise as People Head Inland

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Steady population growth is generating plenty of work across the Riverside area, while external factors and labor woes continue to weigh.

ENR West June 2026 Snapshot: I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

When completed, the I-405/Brickyard to SR 527 Improvement Project will upgrade four and a half miles of the corridor, primarily in Bothell, Wash., north of Bellevue.

ENR West People: June 2026

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Updates about construction professionals in the ENR's West region.

Early-Season Heat Puts Focus on Worker Acclimatization Across Construction Sites

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:36:22 -0400

As a heat wave pushes heat index values toward 100°F, contractors say the biggest risk may not be the temperature itself.

Seattle-Tacoma Airport Expands C Concourse by Going Vertical

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:03:28 -0400

The nearly $400-million project adds four floors and doubles the existing space with distinctive regional flair.

Colorado River Agencies Test Framework for Interstate Water Exchanges

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:39:00 -0400

Can Southwest water agencies create a new market for desalinated and recycled water without building pipelines or altering Colorado River water rights?

Coal Energy Projects Get New Trump Boost With $850M Federal Funding Injection

rubind@enr.com (Debra K. Rubin) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:25:43 -0400

But will added taxpayer funds for new, reopened and upgraded coal power plants be enough to meet growing energy demand, attract private investors and users and reinvigorate a long ailing segment?

Squeezing New Light Rail Into a Busy Corridor: A Talk With Foothill Gold Line's Christopher Burner

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 21:44:57 -0400

A nearly $800M project to extend a rail line from downtown LA to Claremont will be built in a tight alignment.

US Commission Asks Mexico to Prioritize Pipes Leaking Raw Sewage in Tijuana River Valley

yodersj@enr.com (Jeff Yoders) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:54:41 -0400

The parallel gravity line pipe system in the Tijuna River Valley ruptured twice in a period of less than two weeks.

Port of Long Beach Continues $2.4B Buildout as Bigger Ships Come In

choa@enr.com (Aileen Cho) — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:41:50 -0400

Joint venture team is coping with tides, port traffic and unexploded ordnances on Port of Long Beach's $400-million pier infill project.

OC Streetcar Project Mediation Sets $50M Payment to Walsh

kormanr@enr.com (Richard Korman) — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:51:17 -0400

Partial settlement reached as attorneys say work nears finish on Orange County, Calif., light-rail line.

ENR West 2026 California Design Firm of the Year: BKF

Fri, 08 May 2026 12:50:51 -0400

BKF is ENR West's 2026 California Design Firm of the Year.

ENR West 2026 Northwest Design Firm of the Year: PAE Consulting Engineers

Fri, 08 May 2026 12:50:38 -0400

PAE Consulting Engineers is ENR West's 2026 Northwest Design Firm of the Year.

Research Illuminates Pollution Problem in Tijuana River Valley

yodersj@enr.com (Jeff Yoders) — Thu, 07 May 2026 12:10:00 -0400

Trans-border sewage crisis brings new research on how pollution becomes airborne, while Stantec/PCL team delivers rapid expansion of wastewater treatment plant.

Flatiron Said Disputed Concrete Mix Cost Millions on Large Caltrans Project

kormanr@enr.com (Richard Korman) — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:38:00 -0400

Settlement reached last year with ready-mix supplier on Fix 50 project in Sacramento on which less portland cement was specified.

DOT's Record $774M Port Funding Round Could Mark Peak Before IIJA Expires

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:15:36 -0400

Grants will fund work from Alaska to Guam.

ENR West People: April 2026

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:30:00 -0400

Updates about construction professionals in California, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and Washington.

ENR West Industry News: April 2026

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:59:00 -0400

Howard A. Hanson Dam Upgrade Award; AGC Calif. Optimism Survey; Seattle's Crosslake Connection Debuts; Cormorant Energy Storage Project Starts; Highway 101 Carpinteria-to-Santa Barbara Final Segment Awarded

Race Toward Olympic Readiness Fuels ENR West 2025 Top Starts

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:30:00 -0400

Energy, health care and transportation construction dominates across the West Coast, while mixed-use projects appear to wane.