Trump open to 'next steps' on $13B Gateway Program

Until recently the administration hesitated to agree to finance reconstruction of the New Jersey to New York tunnel despite claims that a deal was finalized with former President Obama.

By Kim Slowey • Dec. 3, 2018

Brightline wins key approval for Tampa-Orlando high-speed rail service

The Florida DOT cleared the rail company to negotiate land leases for the project, which is expected to create 16,500 construction jobs from 2021 to 2024 for an estimated economic impact of $2.4 billion on the region.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 30, 2018

Federal judge allows preconstruction on stalled XL Pipeline

Lawyers for TransCanada Corp. said that certain planning activities for the pipeline would not violate the essence of the current injunction, which they say threatens 700 jobs and almost $950 million of earnings.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 29, 2018

Catch-all: The ongoing saga of the most famous US bridge's suicide barrier

Nearly 100 years after engineers built a net under the Golden Gate Bridge to catch workers that fell, officials are supporting the installation of a permanent steel net to help deter what would be fatal leaps.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 28, 2018

Politicians support up to $21B Boston North-South Rail, while critics recall Big Dig program failures

The North-South Link could ease rail congestion in the region and provide new economic opportunities, according to former Massachusetts governors William Weld and Michael Dukakis, but critics say the project will cost too much.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 28, 2018

FDOT, P3 nix deadline for I-4 $100M overrun, delay claims

Skanska, John Laing and SGL Constructors now have an indefinite amount of time to address costs and delays stemming from two drilled shaft failures during construction of a bridge foundation.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 27, 2018

Federal government agrees to $1.2B Seattle light-rail grant

Although the Federal Transit Administration will fund a significant portion of the $3.2 billion Lynnwood Link Extension light-rail project, the deal must still receive congressional approval. 

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 26, 2018

Orange County, California, officials approve $43B transportation plan

Planned construction includes high-occupancy vehicle lanes, regular lanes, express lanes, interchanges and toll roads, the exploration of highways for autonomous vehicles and more.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 26, 2018

Maryland could split $7.6B toll lane initiative into several P3s

The MDOT says it is looking for "shockingly innovative approaches" to carrying out public-private partnerships for the expansions of Interstates 495 and 270.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 21, 2018

Two years of Trump: Where are we and what's next for construction?

Nearing the halfway point of President Donald Trump's term, we take a look at policies that impact construction, weighing economic health against risks that could inflame industry challenges.

By Kathleen Brown • Nov. 20, 2018

Audit: California high-speed rail's $600M in cost overruns caused by poor planning, contract mismanagement

The California High-Speed Rail Authority says its decision to begin construction in 2013 stemmed from a 2017 federal deadline, but a state report also points to other issues that could push the total cost even higher.

By Laurie Cowin • Nov. 20, 2018

Design errors factor in deadly FIU bridge collapse

Despite identifying design flaws where two truss members were connected to the bridge deck, the NTSB has not determined the incident's definitive cause.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 19, 2018

Feds announce $491M of new border wall contracts

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers announced $636 million of wall construction programs so far this month.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 19, 2018

5 architect teams on short list for $8.7B Chicago O'Hare airport expansion

The teams now move to a request for proposals stage from which a committee will select the winning design, taking into account feedback from the public and technical advisories.

By Laurie Cowin • Nov. 15, 2018

Los Angeles-area light-rail extension reshuffles resources due to higher costs

Higher-than-expected bids forced the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority to fast-track one phase by two years, delay another and propose an increase in the budget from $570 million to a total of $2.1 billion.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 14, 2018

Midterm wins tally at least $24B in construction bonds

More than $76 billion of bond referendums were put to voters last week, and, as results continue to come in, the number of funded construction initiatives nationwide could rise.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 12, 2018

Montreal P3 falls behind schedule on CA$3B bridge

Faced with $52 million or more in potential penalties, New Champlain Bridge builders maintain that project delays were caused by a week-long crane operator strike and government-imposed bridge load limits.​

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 8, 2018

Midterms 2018: Which voters said yes — or no — to funding infrastructure?

While voters in some states pledged to pay more for new projects and maintenance through increased taxes, others rejected initiatives that could have generated billions for transportation projects.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 7, 2018

Atlantic Coast Pipeline costs reach $7B

Duke Energy says permitting delays and a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission stop-work order drove estimated project costs $500 million higher.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 7, 2018

Honolulu votes to help fund beleaguered $8B rail project

The Honolulu City Council last week approved a measure that would fund up to $214 million of the troubled 20-mile Honolulu Rail Transit Project.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 6, 2018

SLSCO wins $145M border wall contract

The government contract, to build a 6-mile piece of a border-levee wall system along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, is the Texas contractor's second border wall award this year.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 6, 2018

Skanska bowed out from certain types of P3s. How will that affect the market?

Avoidance of certain high-risk-high-reward projects is understandable for Skanska, legal experts said, and while the move may slightly reduce competition, it could also serve as a "wake-up call" for other contractors.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 5, 2018

Calm before the storm? What the construction industry can expect in 2019

Recession may hold off another year, economists say, but contractors should still keep an eye on risks and strategize around labor to prepare for the worst.

By Kathleen Brown • Nov. 2, 2018

Texas' chosen Army Corps coastal barrier plan could cost up to $32B

The most expensive element of the 70-mile coastal spine project is the construction of a 1,200-foot gate and floodwall extending around Galveston.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 1, 2018

New Jersey responds to Superstorm Sandy with $230M flood control project

The federally funded Hudson River project will see the construction of bulkheads, seawalls, berms that can do double duty as parks, improvements to existing stormwater management systems and more.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 31, 2018