Construction Dive’s Friday Punch List is a series dedicated to sharing major building headlines that contractors may have missed from the week.
This week in construction news, a joint venture of JE Dunn and Alberici broke ground on a $3.2 billion Texas shipyard, and Northrop Grumman and the Air Force started construction on a $4.5 billion expansion to a California manufacturing plant.
But the news of the week wasn’t solely about megaprojects turning dirt. Read on for other news construction execs should know about.
HNTB selected for 2 Maryland Amtrak bridges
Amtrak has enlisted civil engineering firm HNTB to provide architectural and engineering services for the replacement of two bridges in Maryland along a 20-mile segment of the Northeast Corridor, the contractor announced Oct. 9.
The replacements of the Bush River and the Gunpowder River Bridges will support efforts to improve one of the nation's busiest passenger rail corridors. The spans carry over 100 passenger and freight trains daily, per Amtrak.
Upgrades will target track alignment, signal systems and electric traction while increasing the speeds that the 113-year-old bridges can sustain. A 2022-2023 grant program sheet from Amtrak placed the total project costs of the Gunpowder River and Bush River Bridges at $1.3 billion and $743.5 million, respectively.
Preliminary engineering is scheduled to conclude in 2029, according to Amtrak.
—Zachary Phillips
Turner saw costs increase 5.5% YOY in third quarter
Turner Construction said data centers, mission-critical facilities, semiconductors and major public projects continued to drive demand in the third quarter, according to its Building Cost Index released Tuesday.
The index, which New York City-based Turner has published for over 80 years, showed an increase in costs of 1.5% from the second quarter and 5.5% year over year.
Campus and industrial builds also boosted momentum. However, labor challenges and material costs continued to put pressure on projects.
“The U.S. construction market continues to show resilience, with significant opportunities across key sectors and regions,” said Attilio Rivetti, the vice president responsible for compiling Turner’s Building Cost Index. “At the same time, skilled labor, particularly Mechanical and Electrical, remains a persistent constraint, and we are seeing renewed pressure on material costs and lead times.”
—Joe Bousquin
CMAA picks new board of directors chair
The Construction Management Association of America has picked Michael Mendick to be the new chair of its board of directors, according to a Monday announcement. The move comes just weeks after the association selected Kevin Watkins as its next CEO.
Mendick served on the CMAA board of directors for five years and previously served as vice president and president of the CMAA Connecticut Chapter.
Currently, Mendick works as a district engineer with the Connecticut DOT, where he leads the department's construction project management efforts, per the announcement. Notable projects include the $700 million CTfastrak Bus Rapid Transit system and the WALK bridge program, a $2 billion program replacing the oldest movable span on the northeast corridor.
—Matthew Thibault
AECOM appoints new global transportation chief
AECOM has tapped Dwight Pullen as chief executive of its global transportation business, according to a Monday news release.
Pullen brings more than 30 years of transportation industry experience, including major infrastructure program delivery and global business leadership, according to the company. He joined the firm in 2022 to lead its aviation business and later expanded into surface transportation as well.
Pullen succeeds Russell Jackson, who served as interim chief executive of the global transportation business line. Jackson will continue as AECOM’s global rail and transit director, according to the news release.
—Sebastian Obando
Manhattan Construction executive retires after 43 years
Brian Killion, vice president and regional manager at Manhattan Construction, has retired after 43 years, according to a Thursday announcement shared with Construction Dive.
Killion joined Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Manhattan in 1983 following his graduation from Oklahoma State University, according to the announcement. In 1984, he accepted what was initially a short-term transfer to Northern Virginia, which began his foray into growing the company’s presence in the mid-Atlantic, where he helped lead more than $4.1 billion in construction projects.
—Matthew Thibault
