Lori Tobias
Advanced Excavation Makes Repairs After Oregon Collapse
Four months after heavy Oregon rains washed out a coastal road, Sandlake Road is open to one lane and engineers are considering the best of two permanent repairs. A 175-ft. section of road connecting the destination town of Pacific City and residential village north of Tierra Del Mar slipped from the headlands the first week of December....
Trinity Health Builds $238M Hospital in Michigan
Less than a decade ago, the Trinity Health Livingston hospital in Howell, Mich., had about six inpatients on any given day. Today, that number is closer to 40. That's why, when Trinity Health Michigan embarked on building a new $238 million Trinity Health Livingston hospital, it left flex space for growth....
ODOT Comes to Aid After Storms Paralyze Oregon
On a Saturday afternoon in the middle of January, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Transportation Maintenance Coordinator Jake Jensen was on his way back to the Veneta maintenance station after assisting co-workers with downed trees on a nearby rural highway....
$300M Chicago Project to Untangle Rail Infrastructure
A multi-faceted $300 million project aimed at untangling southside Chicago's vast railroad and roadway infrastructure is well under construction with Stage 1, a critical step in moving forward, completed, and Stage 2 of Phase 3 well under way....
JV Cuts Timeline On $160M Michigan Bridge
Construction on a $160 million bridge and road improvement project in Calhoun County, Mich., will pick back up in spring with work scheduled for four bridges, as well as repaving work. The I-94 project began in October 2022 and includes rebuilding nine bridges and replacing eight....
Ohio's SR 8 Bridge Replacement Under Way After Three-Year Delay
After a three-year delay, construction crews have begun clearing land and moving dirt on the $158 million Akron, Ohio, SR 8 bridge replacement project. "Project design was essentially complete when statewide funding priorities changed due to the pandemic-related economic shortfalls," said Ramon Marsch, spokesman of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)....
HP Civil Crews Answer Emergency Call in Oregon
Construction crews in Tillamook, Ore., raced against the winter weather to build a new bridge in less than two weeks after torrential downpours washed out a critical traffic corridor linking northern coast communities....
Failing Components Force Lane Closure On Busy Bridge
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) recently closed the westbound lanes of the Washington Bridge, one of the busiest sections of highway in the state, after a consultant inspecting work on the bridge discovered bridge components that were in critical danger of failing....
Build Westville JV Builds $1.2B Indiana Correctional Facility
Construction crews with the Indiana-based joint venture, Build Westville, broke ground in October on a $1.2 billion correctional facility in Westville, Ind., touted not only as the largest, but the best....
Jacobsen Construction Celebrates Topping Out in Utah
Utah's busy construction industry was on full display in October as an audience of approximately 600 people, most of them construction workers, turned out to celebrate the placement of the final beam on Salt Lake City's tallest building, the new 41-floor Astra Tower....
Integrity Grading & Excavating Ends Season With Wisconsin Project
Construction crews of Integrity Grading & Excavating Inc. are finishing work on the last of four ramps on a $22 million project to replace two bridges on I-39/94/90 at WIS 60. But the big job — replacing one more bridge — is still ahead....
Chicago's Kennedy Expressway Undergoing $150M Bridge Rehabilitation
Construction crews at work on an ambitious $150 million rehabilitation of the Kennedy Expressway are on track to complete Stage One this fall. The Illinois Department of Transportation's Kennedy Expressway Bridge Rehabilitation Project from Edens Expressway (I-94) junction to Ohio Street is scheduled to span three construction seasons....
Newport's 'Road to Nowhere' Begins Going Somewhere
A Newport, R.I., highway dubbed by locals as "the road to nowhere," is finally going somewhere due to the $85.5 million Pell Bridge Ramps Project. "Back in the 1960s when the Newport bridge was put in, there was a road system planned but never built," said Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) spokesman Charles St....
Sherwin-Williams Celebrates Topping Out of R&D Center
The Sherwin-Williams Company celebrated the placement of the final steel beam for the company's new Global Research and Development Center in Brecksville, Ohio, with a "topping off" ceremony in July....
Rhode Island Receives RAISE Grant Toward Route 37 Project
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) recently announced the award of a federal RAISE grant that will provide $25 million toward a $100 million project, the third of three highway projects designed to overhaul Route 37....
FDOT Replaces 65-Year-Old Bascule Bridge in Jupiter
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is managing traffic for a $122 million bridge replacement project in Jupiter using a Smart Work Zone, part of an Intelligent Transportation System that will be permanently installed....
Contractors On Track to Meet First of Two Tight Vermont Project Deadlines
Contractors on a Vermont bridge project are on track to meet the first deadline of a tightly scheduled two-phase job. The North Hero BF 028‐1(30) Bridge 5 project involves replacing the existing bridge concrete deck, which is structurally deficient, with a new bridge deck that meets current design standards....
Jacobsen Names Its First Ever VP of Construction Innovation
Heather Soderquist was recently named Jacobsen Construction's first ever vice-president of construction innovation, so it must follow that she's pretty sharp about all the new technology transforming the industry....
Carter and Company Rebuilding Salt Creek Span
Contractors in Yamhill County, Ore., are preparing to pour the deck on a new bridge in the rural town of Amity with an eye toward completing it in approximately six months. The opening can't come a day too soon....
Mississippi's I-59 Receives $67M Makeover
A $66.75 million project to improve one of the worst concrete roadways in Mississippi is almost 50 percent complete and on schedule, said Scott White, district construction engineer with Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT)....
Wildish Nearing Completion of Yamhill River Bridge
Two years into a $30 million project to replace a bridge over Oregon's Yamhill River, work is more than halfway complete and on time, but the final cost is expected to increase by $1 million to $2 million more than budgeted due to rising costs and an unexpected utility glitch....
Twin Bridges Will Ease Congestion, Confusion in Florida
Drivers traveling the I-75 interchange at U.S. 301 can soon look forward to a vastly improved traveling experience. A $145 million project is slated for completion in early 2025 and is expected to make the drive on the interchange safer, quicker and overall, easier....
VIDEO: KYTC Challenge: Cumberland River Bridge Replacement
The Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland provides a vital link between north and south Livingston County, Ky. Without it, the drive from one end to the other is a good 1.5 hours. But at 93 years of age, the bridge, which is used by about 5,100 vehicles daily, was woefully in need of a replacement....
NCDOT Works to Widen, Improve 55 Miles of I-95 to Meet Future Demands
Interstate 95 stretches 182 mi. across North Carolina, some of it built nearly 70-odd years ago and as can be expected, now significantly outdated. But not for long. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has awarded six contracts for 55 mi....
SCDOT Performs Extensive Earth Work On U.S. 17 Project
U.S. 17 in South Carolina sees traffic from commuters, tourists, commerce, industry and bicycles, too. "There's a lot of cross-traffic, a lot of different airports you can fly into," said Greg Moore, South Carolina Department of Transportation resident construction engineer....
Sherwin Williams' $300M HQ Under Way in Cleveland
A new $300 million Sherwin Williams headquarters construction project in Cleveland, Ohio, is on track for completion in late 2024. "Concrete and underground utility work continues," the company reported in its September newsletter....
$250M USACE Project Deepens Mississippi from Baton Rouge to Gulf of Mexico
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed the first part of a project to deepen the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico, opening the way for larger vessels from the widened Panama Canal to travel as far north as Baton Rouge....
Sherman Minton Bridge Undergoing $137M Makeover
Fifty-nine years after opening, the iconic Sherman Minton Bridge carrying I-64 and U.S. 150 traffic over the Ohio River between Louisville, Ky., and New Albany, Ind., is in need of structural repairs. But the challenges of rehabbing a double decked bridge over a major body of water are many, not the least of which are traffic and space....
MTSU Celebrates Concrete Industry Management Program
With a 25-year-anniversary and a new 54,000-sq.-ft. learning facility, the Concrete Industry Management program at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) had much to celebrate, and in late October, they did, complete with a homecoming parade, where heavy equipment was on showcase to the university community....
Rhode Island Expects Its Pell Bridge Project to 'Connect Folks' of Newport
They called it the bridge to nowhere. But now an $85 million project to reconfigure and consolidate Rhode Island's Pell Bridge will end that unfortunate moniker while enhancing safety and traffic flow, and creating new economic opportunities....
USACE Expands Chickamauga Lock in $757M Project to Solve Structural Issues
Construction crews work to complete final foundation preparations while concrete placement activities are on-going on the $757 million Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project that will have capacity for nine jumbo barges — nine times the capacity of the existing Chickamauga Navigation Lock....
Gilbane Crews Work to Expand Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood
Nine months into the $236 million project to expand University Hospitals (UH) Ahuja Medical Center, crews reached a milestone in pouring the first elevated concrete slab. The phase two expansion will add about 300,000 sq....
Wildish Construction Replacing 70-Year-Old Bridge in McMinnville
A $38 million project in Oregon's Yamhill County will replace a 70-year-old bridge with a new, wider bridge designed to accommodate the growing vehicle and pedestrian traffic on the main access into the city of McMinnville....
Maine-Based AIT Bridges Discusses Infrastructure Bill
Hailed as the largest long-term investment in the nation's infrastructure in nearly a century, the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework covers funding for a broad range of future projects, none the least of which is the $109 billion for the nation's surface transportation system....
MTSU's New Building Gives Students Hands-On Experience
Students starting classes in the fall of 2022 at the Middle Tennessee State University's (MTSU) School of Concrete and Construction Management (SCCM) won't be just studying in a new $40 million building — they'll be learning the business in a showcase....
MDOT I-75/M-46 Rebuild Includes Removing Dangerous Dip
As road construction goes, the I-75/M-46 rebuild project in Saginaw County, Michigan, is fairly standard — with one exception. The $61.5 million job that includes a new interchange and bridge also calls for filling in 22 ft....
VIDEO: Three Years In, North Hero-Grand Isle Bridge Remains On Track
Three years into a $60 million project to replace the North Hero-Grand Isle bridge in Vermont, crews are pouring concrete with an eye toward building the new replacement drawbridge in the 2022. The bridge links two islands on Lake Champlain....
Johnson Brothers Crew Widens Louisiana's I-10 Freight Corridor
About one year into a $152 million Louisiana I-10 widening project, contractors are preparing the site for the replacement of the longest bridge on the project. The major I-10 project runs from the Texas state line to east of Vinton, La., and will widen 10.5 mi....
OSU Taps Walsh/Turner JV for New $1.79B Medical Center
As work continues on Ohio State University's new Wexner Medical Center Inpatient Hospital, construction crews are ready for some challenges. The new $1.79 billion center, the largest single facilities project ever undertaken by the university, will connect to the James Cancer Hospital, and do so while the James center remains open....
Advanced Infrastructure Technologies Celebrates Bridge Milestone
The city of Hampden, Maine DOT and Advanced Infrastructure Technologies (AIT) recently celebrated the installation of an innovative bridge and are awaiting the completion of the second bridge of its kind in the coming months....
Scarsella Brothers Fix 'Astronomical' Flood Issue on SR 112
After more than five months, a state highway in rural western Washington has reopened to traffic, but it is anyone's guess how long the route will remain passable. State Route 112 has a long history of landslides, but a series of slides last December dropped the road in six different locations....
MDOT Rebuilds Section of I-75 Following Tanker Fire
Only days after a tanker truck crashed on Michigan's northbound I-75 destroying hundreds of feet of newer pavement and barrier wall, crews were on the job ready to rebuild. It's the bright note in a frightening accident that closed the north and south bound lanes at Big Beaver Road in Troy for days....
Crews Begin Important Dredging Project at Charleston Harbor
One hundred and fifty years is worthy of a celebration, and the Charleston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) probably couldn't have planned a more fitting tribute than the display put on for the Charleston Harbor Post 45 project....
Kraemer North America Sets Final Spans On $56M Seattle Project
Crews with Kraemer North America general contractor recently set the final two of 16 steel spans on a $56 million project to create a pedestrian-bicycle bridge over I-5 in the north Seattle neighborhood of Northgate....
Farmington Bay Constructors Begin 750M Project
With a population growth of nearly 20 percent since 2010, Utah is busy attempting to meet the transportation demands that come with that growth. The latest highway construction project is the West Davis Corridor, a 16-mi., $750-million project that will see the construction of a four-lane divided highway in western Davis County stretching between I-15 and Legacy Parkway junction in Farmington and S.R....
Connecting Washington — KLB Construction, WSDOT Enter Third Phase of Project
A nearly $1 billion job to make a major artery connecting population centers from eastern to western Washington is about to enter the third of four phases, but early on the planned project encountered a glitch that could have brought it to a halt....
Facebook Decides Color of New Spottsville Bridge
University of Kentucky sports fans will soon have colorful evidence of their team loyalty when a new bridge sprouts on the landscape sporting the team colors of blue and white. Work began on the $32 million Spottsville Bridge, known officially as the Richard W....
WBEs Leave Mark On Kansas City Airport
At 1 million sq. ft. and with a budget of $1.5 billion, the new Kansas City Airport is impressive enough, but add in a female construction workforce larger than most any in the United States and you've got a project in a league of its own....
New England's $950M Clean Energy Project
Work on a $950 million project to bring clean energy to New England began three months ago and crews have already set a handful of the nearly 1,000 structures involved. The New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project runs 145 mi....
VIDEO: SR 167 Completion Project Gaining Momentum
A new bridge over Washington's I-5 is slated to open to traffic early this summer — the first construction milestone and major component of a new expressway project in the Seattle/Tacoma area....
Gulf Restoration Project Due to Begin in Barataria Bay
Nearly 11 years after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is preparing to bid out the marsh restoration project on Barataria Bay, La....
JE Dunn Resumes Work On K-State's $52M Shamrock Zone
Kansas State University athletics noted a new milestone in its $52 million south end zone football stadium project (SEZ). Located in the Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the SEZ is officially dubbed the Shamrock Zone....
Crews Work to Stabilize U.S. 101 After Dangerous Collapse
A much traveled piece of the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway is open to travel again after a potentially tragic accident closed it in February. Repairs are expected to continue through spring. Oregon's historic oceanfront highway is a much-loved travel route along the state's coast, but it's also vulnerable to numerous instabilities, such as the collapse at a wayside known as Bray's Point....
North Hero-Grand Isle Bridge Work Proceeds After Setback
A $60 million Vermont bridge project is back on track after unexpected hazardous material held up work for months. Construction crews are currently excavating the cofferdam with a crane and clam bucket on the east side of the existing North Hero-Grand Isle bridge....
Rescue Mission — Crews Come to Aid of Construction Worker, Drill Rig
Angela Beers-Seydel was enjoying some well-deserved downtime on Feb. 5 when she learned of the collapsed U.S. 101 Oregon coast highway that sent a drill rig and its operator plummeting from the 150-ft....
Industry Pioneer Earns 'Outstanding Service' Honor
Ralph L. Wadsworth grew up on a farm in Idaho where he was taught to work hard and not expect anything to be given to him. A gifted boxer, Wadsworth earned a scholarship to the University of Idaho, where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering....
ODOT Builds 'Superstreets' in Greene County
A project by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to build two innovative intersections called Superstreets comes with its fair share of challenges — the usual and the not so usual. "A Superstreet is a non-traditional, signalized intersection that can provide more capacity than a traditional intersection," according to an ODOT fact sheet....
Officials Unveil Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge
Vehicles have been traversing the bridge over the San Juan River on the edge of the tiny desert town of Mexican Hat, Utah, since 1953. Six years ago, the metal arch bridge was renamed the Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge, honoring Utah native and fallen local war hero Special Ops Jason Workman....
Eliza Digs Along Michigan's $162M I-75 Modernization Project
An innovative $162 million tunnel boring project is well under way with construction crews mining the tunnel as others work to attach the remainder of a 400-ft. long train. The tunnel is part of the I-75 Modernization plan, the largest project in size and scope the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has tackled, which includes the replacement of 47 bridges, including 41 vehicular and six pedestrian bridges, as well as the replacement of two cloverleaf interchanges with diverging diamond interchanges....
Kentucky Blasts Into 2021 With $180M Project
A $180 million, multi-component Kentucky interstate project is expected to improve safety, relieve congestion in three heavily traveled freight corridors and address several of the state's most significant transportation needs when it is completed in 2023....
R&L Excavating Assists in Wildfire Recovery
Robert Leininger, president of R&L Excavating Inc. of Sweet Home, Ore., bought his first piece of equipment — a front end loader — from Feenaughty Machinery Co. in Eugene about two years ago....
Tolls Optional Once Blythe Construction Wraps Up $346M Project
Crews on a $346 million North Carolina express lane project are on the cusp of a milestone. They're about to shift traffic to the former median, which will allow them to begin work on new outside lanes in each direction....
Crews Race to Repair Edenville Dam Before Thaw
Emergency work on a failed dam in Midland County, Mich., has Fisher Contracting Co. crews working six days a week on a tight timeline under risky conditions. The Edenville Dam failed last spring after heavy rains led to a large May flood event....
Site Prep for Nebraska Hospital Unearths Interesting Find
As crews worked to compact soil while completing site preparation for the expansion of the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital's Lincoln, Neb., campus, they just couldn't achieve compaction. So, they began digging to find the unsuitable soil....
UDOT Completes More Than $1B in Projects
In a year that saw its share of troubles, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is closing out on a high note — the completion of 135 projects valued at $1.05 billion. "The fact that we were able to deliver all these projects on time and at budget is an accomplishment just because of all of the challenges we faced, here and around the world," said John Gleason, UDOT public information officer....
MoDOT's Blanchette Missouri River Bridge Undergoes $35M Rehabilitation
The Blanchette Missouri River Bridge is undergoing a major rehabilitation that has restricted the five-lane eastbound bridge to just two lanes. The $35 million project is necessary due to the age of the bridge, which opened in 1978....
Aggregate Industries-SWR Inc. Require 58 Blasting Events on Nevada's SR 160 Job
Construction crews from Aggregate Industries-SWR Inc. have just completed a $59 million highway widening project in Nevada that posed some tricky challenges, but is expected to make a critical rural stretch of State Route 160 significantly safer for the 8,600 vehicles that travel it daily....
Demolition of Old Salt Lake City Airport Underway
With the new Salt Lake City airport open now for more than two months, demolition on the old facilities is well underway. The demolition, expected to cost approximately $35 million, began with the former parking garage, which will see 100,000 tons of concrete removed....
Willard Airport Updates Entrance, Taxiway
Seventy-five years after its dedication, the University of Illinois — Willard Airport is undergoing several major updates adding up to just shy of $20 million. The airport is one of only two commercial airports in the country owned and operated by an educational institution....
Composite Bridge System Used for First Time on West Coast
The rural community of Duvall, Wash., has become the first town on the west coast to utilize an AIT Bridges composite bridge system. The bridge, made up of 12 fiberglass composite arches, was trucked from AIT's Brewer, Maine, facility to Duvall, about 50 minutes northeast of Seattle....
Omaha Invests $300M to Transform Riverfront
In downtown Omaha, construction crews are busy both tearing down and building up as they work on a three-phase park project certain to transform the riverfront city. The parks are existing, but separate....
Rhode Island's $77M Project Involves Preserving or Replacing 15 Bridges
Preparation work is under way on a $77 million project to replace, preserve or rehabilitate 15 bridges on Rhode Island's Route 37. "Route 37 is a critical east-west highway that serves 42,000 vehicles per day, connecting Rhode Island's second and third largest cities, as well as I-95, I-295 and U.S....
Heavy Equipment Operators: First Responders
As firefighters worked nearly 20 major wildfires across the west coast, including California and Oregon, crews counted on the help of heavy equipment operators to get the infernos under control. Some of the wildfires had already been burning as the Labor Day weekend drew to a close, but when a historic windstorm blew across the already bone dry Pacific Northwest that evening, fires ignited across the state of Oregon....
Crews Turn to Geofoam on Railroad Bridge Project
A railroad bridge that is being constructed by Wadsworth Brothers Construction, part of the Utah Department of Transportation's (UDOT) $82 million 5600 W. project, is likely the largest installation of Geofoam ever used in the state, and may be among the largest in the United States....
Crews Reach Milestone on Transform 285/400 Project
Three and a half years after construction began on Georgia's Transform 285/400 project, construction crews are nearing a major milestone on the job to improve traffic congestion and enhance safety in the area through the I-285/SR 400 interchange in metro Atlanta....
'Bumblebee' Knocks Out Tunnel for $200M Louisville Project
As work on a unique $25 million pump station wraps up, a boring machine dubbed "Bumblebee" continues carving out a 4-mi., 18-story deep tunnel in Louisville, Ky. It's all part of the Louisville/Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District's (MSD) $200 million project to help prevent wastewater and stormwater from overflowing into the Ohio River during periods of heavy rain....
The Final Stretch of U.S. 191 Project
Work on a Moab, Utah, project that's been on the table in some form or another since 1993 is in the final stretch, with completion set for next year. The $31 million phase three will widen U.S. 191 in north Moab, adding new travel lanes in both directions along with a center turning lane, new sidewalk, a new storm water collection system and an extended multi-use pathway from the Colorado River to the south end of town....
Nebraska DOT Improves U.S.-136 in Webster County
Work is under way on an $11 million project in Webster County, Neb., to resurface 11 mi. of U.S.-136. The contract was awarded to Werner Construction Inc. of Hastings, Neb. "The road is in terrible shape....
Crews Confront 'Very Challenging Job' on $500M Project
A little more than three years into a projected eight-year interchange project in Macon, the contractor can't seem to buy a break. Environmental issues, flooding and unmarked utilities have added at least a year and a half to the project to improve the I-16/I-75 interchange....
Wisconsin's $1.2B I-39/90 Entering Home Stretch
A $1.2 billion Wisconsin interstate project under construction since 2015 is now two-thirds completed. The WisDOT Interstate 39/90 project stretches 45 mi. from the Illinois border to the U.S. 12/18 interchange in Madison....
'Tip of the Iceberg' Project Includes $10M Terminal Integration Upgrade
These are busy days at the Burlington International Airport (BTV) in Vermont with numerous projects under way — finishing up or about to begin. The latter includes a $10 million Terminal Integration Project, known by its acronym TIP....
Newer Technology Helps Build Highway in Hurricane
The final segment of a new highway in southern Utah is on track for completion early next year — despite a number of environmental challenges. The $75 million segment five of the Southern Parkway is an 8-mi....
'Crossroads of the Country' Undergoing $23M Update
There's been talk around Kansas City of the need to modernize the outdated Turner Diagonal on I-70 for at least eight years. Then, about three years ago, stakeholders learned of the availability of a federal grant, applied and were awarded it....
'Rest of the West' $455M Project Starts to Take Shape
With two new gantry cranes towering against the sky, there's no doubt a $455 million project outside of Seattle is well underway. It's part of a program the Washington DOT (WSDOT) calls the "Rest of the West," a series of projects for the remaining $1.6 billion in improvements to SR 520....
Midwest's '500-Year-Flood' Causes Damage
Only hours after parts of Michigan experienced what is described as a 500-year flood, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) engineers were preparing emergency inspection and repair contracts. The floods damaged dozens of bridges, caused the failure of two privately owned dams and closed roads, as well as impacting infrastructure throughout Midland County....
$1.6B Guernsey Power Plant Will Have Strong Foundation
Work is under way on the foundation for a $1.6 billion, 1,850-megawatt, natural gas-fired energy generation facility in southern Guernsey County, Ohio, the heart of the state's Utica and Marcellus Shale gas development area....
Maine Uses Design-Build Approach for Nine Spans Over Four-Mi. Stretch
Dump truck drivers will be busy in the coming months on a bridge project in Hampden, Maine. Their task: hauling 160,000 cu. yds. of fill material for the replacement of eight bridges and repair of one on I-95 just south of Bangor....
Ames Moves 1.5 Million Tons of Fill in Tooele County
A project under discussion for 60-odd years will give Tooele County residents three miles of new highway and a much needed connection to I-80. Phase one of the $74.4 million Midvalley Highway (S.R. 179) began last fall, but the project has been on the table since the 1960s....
New System-to-System Interchange in Vegas Takes Shape
Workers on the $99 million I-15/215 Interchange project in north Las Vegas are seeing something of a silver lining in the pandemic that has shut down the city. "Traffic mitigation is an issue," said Nevada DOT spokesman Tony Illia....
Foundation Work Complete on $136.6M Iowa Courthouse
Foundation work on a new $136.6 million federal courthouse in Des Moines is under way with augered pier work complete and pile cap installations and early work packages for the deep footings and site utilities started in March....
End Finally Comes in View for $100M Portsmouth Project
Thirty-eight months into a nearly $100 million Portsmouth, N.H., wastewater project and the end is finally in sight. Construction on the Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF), the largest public works project in the city's history, got under way in 2016 after the city was ordered to upgrade the existing wastewater facility due to inadequate treatment....
Decades in the Making: Vital $410M 6/10 Reconstruction Finally Begins
It took a while, but the project on the books for at least three decades is finally under way and moving smoothly. The $410 million 6/10 reconstruction is the largest construction contract put out in the history of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT)....
How UDOT Takes From One Project, Gives to Another
The Utah Department of Transportation has come up with a unique way of saving money and helping out contractors by taking from one project and giving to another. It all started as engineers planned a project to widen U.S....
Kilgore Companies Earns Top Contractor of Year Award
Honesty, teamwork and customer service paid off nicely for one Utah County contractor, earning the company the 2019 Utah Department of Transportation Contractor of the Year award. The award was presented last month to Kilgore Companies Southern Utah Construction Group at the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah's annual banquet....
Phase 2 of $238.7M JAXPORT Terminal Expansion Under Way
Leadership from the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) and private partner SSA Marine were joined by U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administrator Rear Adm. Mark Buzby this past November for a groundbreaking ceremony heralding a $238.7 million international container terminal at JAXPORT's Blount Island Marine Terminal....
Chicago's $2.1B Chicago Transit Authority Modernization Well Under Way
Construction crews drilled the first shafts last fall for the $1.2 billion phase one of the Chicago Transit Authority's $2.1 billion Red-Purple Modernization Program, the largest capital improvement project in the agency's history....
Rebuilding Oregon's Pacific Crest Trail on Tough Terrain
It's no easy task rebuilding nearly 23 mi. of transmission line in the challenging terrain of Oregon's Pacific Crest Trail. Just to access the $45.7 million project, linemen must endure an hour-long hike or be flown in by helicopter....
Bridging Kentucky Program Reaches Milestone
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) recently reached two milestones, completing work on the 100th bridge in a program aimed at repairing 1,000 bridges in the state, and awarding a $93.3 million contract to Central Bridge Company/Bizzack Construction joint venture and HDR to restore 106 more....
Crews Upgrade Link in One of Fastest-Growing Areas in U.S.
A $22 million highway project will upgrade one of Provo, Utah's oldest highways, tearing out failing asphalt, the original concrete still beneath it and excavating more than a dozen feet to replace utilities....
Bang for the Buck: Bangerter Highway's $180M Facelift
Work is set to begin on a $180 million project to change three intersections on Utah's Bangerter Highway from signalized traffic controls to interchanges. Six projects on the highway have already been completed, including four last summer, at a cost of $222 million....
Phase 3 of Interstate 10 Widening Project Under Way in Louisiana
The third phase of a much-needed, long overdue project to widen Louisiana's Interstate 10 in Lafayette and St. Martin's parishes got under way in November. It's part of a $300 million project ongoing since 2017....
Missouri Valley Line Constructors Build New Training Facility in Iowa
Linemen have one of the most dangerous jobs out there, and now apprentices from the Missouri Valley region will have one of the best places in the country to learn their trade. The Missouri Valley Line Constructors and Apprenticeship and Training Program is building a $13.5 million facility to train apprentice linemen, traffic signal technicians and substation technicians from seven states — Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin — in Indianola, Iowa....
Raising a Bridge That's Set Too Low for Traffic
Its proper name is the North Carolina Railroad Overpass (NCRR) or the Gregson Street Bridge, but locals in Durham just called it the "can opener," a moniker that grew from its impact on trucks and RVs too tall to fit beneath the 11-ft., 8-inch structure....
Crews Working to Build a Safer A Street in Rainier, Oregon
Street improvement projects often make travel safer, and that's certainly the number one factor driving work on Rainier, Ore.'s main street. But the $12.2 million project also comes with the added bonus of the total transformation of the city's downtown from two lanes of cracked asphalt bisected by railroad tracks to a new streetscape with ADA compliant sidewalks, new crosswalks, updated railroad gates and signage, and most importantly, the "daylighting" of the existing railroad tracks....
After $370M Investment, Expect Smoother Drive on I-5
A $370 million project to improve and expand 67 mi. of I-5 through Sacramento will lead to smoother roadways, added capacity and an overall improved drive, but it's going to get worse before it gets better....
Seattle Boasts More Cranes on Job Sites Than Any City in World
One only need to look to the sky to confirm that construction in the Pacific Northwest is booming. A recent report by Rider, Levett, Bucknall, a global company specializing in project management, cost estimating and legal advisory, shows 58 cranes dotting the Seattle skyline....
Roberts Mountain Climbing Lanes Will Ease Truck Traffic
A $25.98 million project near Roseburg, Ore., should get traffic flowing more smoothly over a mountain pass in the Umpqua River Valley. Contractors for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) are building climbing lanes in both directions over Roberts Mountain to move tractor trailers struggling to make the grade out of the flow of traffic....
High Projected Rail, Vehicle Traffic Spurs Corridor Project
Construction crews are at work on a southeastern Los Angeles County project that, when completed, is expected to save 15.3 vehicle delay hours daily. The $105.5 million Alameda East-Corridor (ACE) Durfee Avenue Grade Separation Project will separate the roadway and the railroad tracks on Durfee Avenue in the City of Pico Rivera....
Nearly 15 Years After Katrina, an Aqarium Rises on the Gulf Coast
People in Gulfport, Miss., don't like to talk much about Hurricane Katrina, and understandably so, but they do like to talk about what you might call the silver lining of that dark cloud — the $93 million Mississippi Aquarium....
Restoring an American Landmark
The New York City Department of Transportation has given contractors the nod to begin work on a project to restore the Brooklyn Bridge. Navillus Contracting and the MLJ Contracting Corp. are partnering on the $238 million restoration work....
Port of Seattle's $500M Terminal 5 Project Under Way
After several years of planning and community outreach, a nearly $500 million project to modernize the existing Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle is underway. Terminal 5, made up of 185 acres, has not been in use since 2014....
Building A New 'Field of Dreams'
With less than a year to go 'til game day, event planners are hard at work getting the "Field of Dreams" ballpark ready for the Aug. 13, 2020 Major League Baseball game between the White Sox and Yankees....
Working Together: DOTs Collaborate on Piscataqua River Bridge Project
Crews working on a $53 million bridge repair over a New England river are getting a big assist from a piece of equipment never before used in Maine. Working in collaboration with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT), the Maine DOT (MDOT) is repairing the I-95 bridge over the Piscataqua River....
Retrofitting Evolves as Understanding of Seismic Activity Changes, Increases
Talk of retrofitting structures for earthquake safety is common in western states. In California, where earthquake drills in schools are mandatory and earthquakes fairly common, it's been a key point of survival for many decades....
Chimney Hollow Dam Awaits Approval
After 15 years in the planning stages, a new dam project in Colorado may be underway by the end of the year. Designs created by Stantec for the 360-ft. tall, 3,500-ft. long dam at the 90,000-acre Chimney Hollow Reservoir in northern Colorado were finished in early June and will next be sent to the state engineer for approval....
Improvements to I-15 in Riverside Reach Halfway Mark
A $471 million project to widen I-15 in Riverside County, Calif., is about halfway complete. The design-build project will add two express lanes — toll roads — in both directions from Cajalco Road to SR 60, widen 11 bridges and add sound walls....
Insulated Concrete Forms Used for Building Utah School
When junior high students in Roy, Utah, start school next year, they won't only be attending a brand new school, they'll be attending the first school of its kind in the state. The school is being constructed of insulated concrete forms (ICF), a building block that comes with all sorts of advantages, said Mike Schwab, regional sales manager for Fox Blocks....
ODOT Bridge Project Spurred by Growth in Troutdale
Poor road surface combined with major new development in the area is triggering an $18.8 million project by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to replace two bridges over I-84 in Troutdale....
Practice Makes Perfect for $937M Texas Job
Construction on a $937 million power plant in Southeast Texas is progressing smoothly — due in part to lessons learned from the recent construction of two other Entergy gas turbine power plants. The Montgomery County Power Station (MCPS), under construction at the existing Lewis Creek Power Plant near Willis, Texas, is the first new Entergy power plant in Texas in 40 years....
Population Growth Sparks $340M Treasure Valley Project
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has kicked off a $340 million project on the largest highway in the state. The work is happening over 11 miles of I-84 in Ada and Canyon Counties, an area known as the Treasure Valley, the population hub of the state....
Ohio State Re-Routes Thoroughfare to Protect Campus
A road project currently underway to protect the Ohio State University from flooding will have come with an added bonus once completed — additional acreage on which plans for development are already in the works by school administrators....
$1.7B ACE Projects Will Improve Rail Traffic
A grade separation project north of Los Angeles is calling for a different approach than many of the other Alameda Corridor-East Projects (ACE). Crews working on the Fairway Drive grade separation project, one of 19 separation projects in the San Gabriel Valley, will not only depress the roadway, but raise the railroad tracks, as well....
Southern Nevada Water Authority's $650M Water Project Nears Completion
For nearly 20 years drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin have caused Lake Mead to drop nearly 130 ft. In Southern Nevada, conservation efforts have reduced per capita use by 36 percent even as the population increased by more than 650,000 during the same period....
Paving Crew Smooths Over Traffic Challenges Along Kentucky's I-275
Construction crews in Kentucky have something of a challenge on their hands, managing high volumes of traffic while rebuilding 3.5 miles of mainline Interstate 275 and a mile of two-lane ramps to Interstate 75....
U.S. 36 Sinkhole No Match for CDOT
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) wasted no time getting to work repairing a sinkhole on a heavily trafficked highway connecting Boulder to Denver, hiring a contractor only days after the damage was revealed....
ODOT Works to Improve I-84, Fish Passage in Ladd Canyon
Crews have begun work on a $29.3 million project in Eastern Oregon that is expected to improve safety on a highway on which 50 percent of the traffic is trucks and one that is notorious for perilous conditions....
$163M I-15 Layton to Riverdale Express Lane Project Begins
Work on the largest design-bid-build project ever let by the state of Utah has begun. When complete, the $163 million project will add 10 mi. of express lanes between the Layton Parkway interchange in Layton and the I-84 interchange in Riverdale, just outside of Ogden....
Caltrans Not Shaken By July 6 Earthquake Damage
Caltrans wasted no time getting to work on a state road extensively damaged in the July 6 evening earthquake. The 7.1 magnitude earthquake in eastern California left three sections of SR 178 buckled and cracked....
ExxonMobil Expands Beaumont Plant, Increases Capacity
ExxonMobil has begun construction on a new crude unit at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery that will increase capacity by more than 65 percent, or 250,000 barrels a day. "This project is part of ExxonMobil's larger ‘Growing the Gulf' initiative, a series of refining and chemical expansion projects across Texas and Louisiana," said Emily Russell, ExxonMobil public and government affairs advisor....
RIDOT Begins $715.6M in RhodeWorks Projects; Largest Season in Agency History
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) kicked off the largest transportation construction season in the history of the agency in April, touting 77 new and ongoing projects valued at $715.6 million....
Colorado DOT Works Around 'Memorial Rock'
Traffic on a southwest Colorado highway damaged by a massive rock fall over Memorial Day weekend should be back to normal this summer — with one key difference, the added sight of an 8.5 million-lb....
After 50 Years, Savannah Trail Nearly Finished
After nearly 50 years of talk and planning, crews have begun turning dirt on a project that will soon open miles of trail to cyclists and pedestrians around the city of Savannah, Ga. The Truman Linear Park Trail will link 827 acres of existing park land within the city from Daffin Park in the north to Lake Mayer Community Park in the south....
Idaho Transportation Department Oversees $17.5M St. Maries, St. Joe Bridge Replacements
Construction crews are finishing work on two bridges in a design-build project in Northern Idaho. The project aims to replace the original structures on Idaho Highway 3 (ID-3) over the St. Maries Railroad and the St....
UA's $57M 'Success District' Aims to Support Students
Future students at the University of Arizona will reap the benefits of an area designed purely to ensure their achievement. Work began earlier this year on the Tucson campus of the Student Success District, a project that entails connecting three existing buildings and constructing one new building....
Work Continues on Final Section of I-69 Project
Work on the last section of an Indiana interstate project is underway. With an estimated cost of $1.5 billion, the 27-mi. I-69 Interstate extension to connect Indianapolis to Evansville is the most expensive of all six sections, coming with a price tag more expensive than all the previous five sections combined....
Crews Fill Battery Street Tunnel With Viaduct Rubble
Yet another project in Seattle's $3.3 billion Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program is under way. Crews began filling in the Battery Street Tunnel in early May with rubble from the demolished Alaskan Way Viaduct....
Louisiana Comite River Diversion Aims at Reducing Flood Risk
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD) broke ground in April on the long-awaited Comite River Diversion Canal Project in East Baton Rouge. The $353 million project, a joint collaboration of the LaDOTD, the U.S....
Georgia Making Case to Become 'The Roundabout State'
With roundabouts numbering in the hundreds, Georgia is no stranger to the circular intersections billed as being the safer alternative due to their fewer points of conflict, slower speeds and assisted decision-making....
Construction Begins on $500M Lansing Hospital
Crews have begun pouring concrete for the foundation of the new Greater McLaren Hospital in South Lansing, Mich., marking the single largest investment ever of parent company McLaren Health Care. "When it is all said and done, we will invest more than $500 million on this site — for the replacement hospital, wonderful modern medical services building, cancer center, research programs and a number of other things that will be coming here," said Phil Incarnati, president and CEO of McLaren Health Care....
Crews, Equipment Scale Colorado's Pikes Peak
Crews began mobilizing in early May for the 2019 construction season on the new $60 million Pikes Peak Summit House, arguably the highest elevation project in the country. It's also likely one of the more daunting as work takes place at 14,000 ft....
Michigan Experiments With Paving Longevity
The Michigan Department of Transportation began work this spring on the fourth in a series of experimental pavement projects designed to determine if thicker pavement equals a longer lifespan. The experiments grew out of Public Act 175, which was passed by the state legislature in 2015 and established the Roads Innovation Task Force....
It's Smooth Sailing on $1B Ship Channel Bridge
One year after the March 2018 start date on Houston's new $1 billion Ship Channel Bridge, workers have finished the drill shaft foundation for the southern main pylon, and were just two weeks away from completing the main northern pylon....
Hill Air Force Base Begins $43.6M Runway Rehabilitation
A $43.6 million project to rehabilitate the runway at Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah will correct design issues, upgrade the electrical system, widen shoulders and add new signage. Some of the work is repair, while others are complete reconstruction, said Paul Waite, project officer of the 75th Civil Engineer Group....
ITD Finds Innovative New Method to Replace 17 Bridges
When the Idaho Transportation Department identified 17 bridges in Eastern Idaho that did not meet current safety and geometry standards, the agency decided to try a new construction approach that ultimately saved taxpayers millions of dollars and more than a decade in time....
California Cleans Up, Removes Debris After Wildfires
The devastating fires in northern California have long been doused, but clean-up efforts will likely be ongoing for another year. As many as 19,000 structures on 14,000 properties were destroyed. Of those property owners, 11,000 have signed up with the California Debris Removal Program, which charges no out of pocket costs....
Ahead of Construction, Temporary North Hero Grand-Isle Bridge Nearly Ready
After less than a year of work, construction crews with Cianbro Corporation are on track to open a temporary drawbridge connecting two islands on Lake Champlain in Vermont. Work on the $60 million project began in July 2018....
LAX Officials Break Ground on $1.95B 'People Mover'
Los Angeles city officials broke ground last month on a $1.95 billion Los Angeles Airport transportation project that is expected to dramatically improve the travel experience for the more than 87 million passengers who move through LAX annually....
Steinaker Dam Repairs Top $20M Following Landslide
Four years ago, a sharp-eyed fisherman first noticed something was wrong at Utah's Steinaker Dam and Reservoir in Northeastern Utah. Bureau of Reclamation managers wasted no time in checking it out....
New Tunnel Opens, Crews Demolish Alaskan Way Viaduct
Now that Seattle's long-awaited SR 99 tunnel has opened to traffic, demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct can begin, moving the $3.3 billion, 30-project endeavor one step closer to the projected 2021 completion....
Iowa Interchange Redesign Handles Freight
A multifaceted, $350 million highway project will give Iowa its first turbine interchange while, according to planners, improving capacity and safety and reducing congestion and delays on a major crossroads for both Iowa and the rest of the nation....
Can the Permian Basin Boom Be Even Bigger?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is predicting U.S. crude oil production will average 11.7 billion barrels per day in 2019, putting it on track to surpass the previous record of 9.6 million b/d in 1970....
Crews Bring Michigan's Old I-75 Into 21st Century
Work is set to begin in March on Segment 2 of the $1.6 billion I-75 modernization project in Oakland County, Mich., part of the Detroit metropolitan area. The roadway is the most heavily used commuter route in the county, with 174,000 vehicles traveling it daily....
PennDOT Brings Busy Route Into 21st Century
A long overdue project on a busy Delaware County highway may cause motorists a few headaches over the coming years, but will surely make traveling much easier when complete. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is widening nearly 7 mi....
Crews Protect Boise River Habitat With Winter Clean Up
A late start on flood management projects on the Boise River in Idaho had contractors hustling to make the most of their time before the short window of the construction season ends. Work usually begins in January but was held up until February this year due to heavy snowfall in the Boise River mountains and an extensive permitting process....
Landslide Pushes Oregon's Hwy. 101 More Than 200 Feet
More than a foot of rain in less than four days has wiped out a section of Highway 101 in Curry County, Ore., just north of the California border. The slide in the Hooskanaden Creek area has cut off the town of Brookings from large truck deliveries and has forced travelers to use a winding, narrow mountain road that is in places one lane and gravel....
State Route Bypass Construction Caps Decade of Planning
Work is under way to build a new 4-plus-mi. stretch of highway that will bypass the town of Winder, Ga., routing truck and other traffic around the community that is the seat of Barrow County. The project is divided into three phases....
Hammer Operator Makes Unusual Discovery at Massachusetts Quarry
Hammer operator Brandon Hersey likes to keep an eye out for the unexpected find in the Westford, Mass., quarry where he works. So far, in the two-and-a-half years he's been on the job at Graniteville Materials, all he's come up with is junk — empty soup cans and the like — but he's heard of other discoveries, like the smoky quartz gemstone a co-worker recently unearthed....
Vegas Convention Center's Nearly $1B Expansion
Work is progressing quickly on Phase Two of the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion project, a $935 million project designed to add 1.4 million sq. ft. to the current convention center facility, including at least 600,000 sq....
Alaska DOT Jumps Into Action Hours After Earthquake
The first sign of trouble was the sound. Very loud. Like a low flying 747, recalled Shannon McCarthy, administration operations manager of the Alaska Department of Transportation. Then came the jolt and McCarthy knew this was no low flying plane....
Port of Everett Celebrates 100th Year With $90M Makeover
The folks at the Port of Everett, Wash., like to say it's "small but mighty" and nowhere is the truth to that statement more obvious than in the recently unveiled $90 million Seaport Modernization plan....
Work Begins on $1.5B Shasta Dam Raising
Twenty million dollars of pre-construction work is under way at the Shasta Dam and reservoir in advance of a $1.5 billion project to raise the dam 18.5 ft. Shasta Dam is the largest reservoir in California and second largest in the United States after Grand Cooley....
Idaho Hospital Bids Farewell to 'Sheila,' Sets Skybridge
A towering feature on the Boise, Idaho, skyline is disappearing, its job done after more than a year on site. Dubbed "Sheila" by project manager Jamal Nelson, the 175-ft.-tall Linden Comansa 2100 tower crane played a critical role in the construction of the new Idaho Elk's Children's Pavilion since its erection in June 2017....
NDOT Ready to Wrap Up $1B 'Project Neon'
The third and final phase of the largest and most expensive public works project undertaken in Nevada's 152-year history is wrapping up. When finished, Project Neon will widen 3.7 mi. of Interstate 15 in downtown Las Vegas....
Celebrating 50 Years of Arizona's Water Conservation Project
Fifty years ago, the act authorizing the Central Arizona Water Conservation Project was signed, setting in motion a project that would take 20 years to complete and would dramatically improve life in the Arizona desert....
Unsung Heroes of California Wildfires
On the morning of Nov. 8, Nolan Merrifield, senior equipment operator of the Butte County, Calif., Public Works Department, headed up into the foothills above Paradise to do some roadwork. Midway there, Merrifield turned and saw a plume of smoke, then he got a call....
MDT Changes Course of $25M Road Project Due to Old Olive Branch Mine
When the Montana Department of Transportation set out to reroute some outdated stretches of Interstates 15-90, it encountered an unexpected landmark. Located between the westbound and eastbound bridges, both built in the 1960s and considered "functionally obsolete" was an old, abandoned mine, dubbed the Olive Branch mine....
USACE Plans Jetty Projects Along Oregon Coast
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently held an Oregon Coast Jetties Industry Day, gearing up for a series of jetty and breakwater projects expected to keep construction crews working through 2022. The projects include the complete rehabilitation of three jetties at the mouth of the Columbia River; repair of the Tillamook Jetties; the Coos Bay North Jetty; and the Port Orford breakwater....
Wood Makes Comeback as Mass Timber Projects Thrive
Despite a few setbacks, tall wood building construction is thriving in the United States and beyond. As of June 2018, more than 400 mass timber projects have been completed or are in the design stage, according to WoodWorks, which provides education and free project support for commercial and multi-family wood buildings....
IDT's $200M Plan Rehabilitates 193 Miles of Aging I-15
Work on one of the largest public-private partnerships in Idaho has moved another step forward with the Idaho Department of Transportation awarding the bid on the Northgate Interchange project to Cannon Builders of Blackfoot, Idaho....
SLC's $3.6B Airport Construction Due to Complete in 2025
With just two years to go before Salt Lake City unveils its new state-of-the-art airport, the project is on track, and bigger than ever. Literally. Since work began on the new terminal, the south concourse and other associated facilities, the city added a second, north, concourse....
$60M North Hero-Grand Isle Bridge Project Under Way
Contractors are working to finish a temporary drawbridge linking two islands on Lake Champlain with a race through the winter to have the new bridge fully functioning in time for the first seasonal opening of the bridge May 15....
Vermont's $60M North Hero-Grand Isle Bridge Project Under Way
Contractors are working to finish a temporary drawbridge linking two islands on Lake Champlain with a race through the winter to have the new bridge fully functioning in time for the first seasonal opening of the bridge May 15....
Geofoam Plays Prominent Role in $115.9M SR 167 Project
The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is saving time and money on a transportation safety project by using tons of Geofoam to build a ramp for direct connections from one freeway to another....
Wisconsin Drivers Pay for Deteriorated Road Conditions
Drivers in Wisconsin are paying $6.8 billion per year in extra vehicle-operating costs as a result poor highway conditions and the impact those conditions have on vehicles and traffic, according to a new report, “Wisconsin Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State's Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility,” released earlier by TRIP, a national transportation research group based in Washington, D.C....
Colorado Ballot: 'Fix Our Damn Roads'
Coloradans will vote on seven ballot measures in the upcoming November election, two of which are expected to significantly improve transportation around the state if passed. Proposition 110 (formerly Initiative 153 or “Let's Go Colorado”) would increase the state sales tax by .62 cents to increase transportation investment, sunsetting in 20 years....
Floating Crane Stars in Seattle's $350M Coleman Dock Project
The largest floating crane in western North America is now on site in Seattle, ready for its role in the rebuild of the Colman Dock facility, Washington State Ferries' largest ferry terminal. The Pacific Lifter is an American Hoist and Derrick 509 revolver....
Construction Set to Begin Next Year on Medical Campus
Work is set to begin in 2019 on a medical center founding institutions say will transform Houston into an international hub for biomedical research. Dubbed the TMC3 — the 3 represents the branding of Houston as the “third coast” for life sciences — the new research campus is a collaboration between Texas Medical Center (TMC), Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center....
TRIP Report: Condition of Calif. Roads Costs Drivers Billions
A recent report from Washington, D.C.-based national transportation research organization, TRIP, has found that deteriorated, congested, or unsafe roads and bridges in California cost state motorists $61 billion a year, nearly $3,000 per driver in some urban areas....
CDOT, AECOM, Virgin: Hyperloop Study Part 2
The state of Colorado has moved one step closer to seeing a new ultra-high-speed transportation system become reality. Virgin Hyperloop One, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and AECOM announced earlier this spring that they are advancing to the second half of the Rocky Mountain Hyperloop feasibility study, according to a Virgin Hyperloop press release....
Historic Columbia River Highway Needs Modern Updates
Efforts to complete a proposed 570-ft. tunnel and trail alternative as part of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail have some reflecting on the challenging task workers faced in completing Oregon's Historic Columbia River Highway 100 years ago....
UDOT Narrows Bridges Along Wasatch Front to Widen Road
A burgeoning population along Utah's Wasatch Front means traffic in the Salt Lake Valley on I-15 South can get pretty crowded, especially during rush hour. Engineers at the Utah Department of Transportation have been studying the issue for several years, aware that expansion of the Interstate was crucial....
$123M Boston Harbor Dredging Project Deepens Channel for Larger Ships
Work on a $123 million dredging project in New England's largest seaport is under way, with plans to continue for about three years to deepen the project to its newly authorized depths. The dredging project in the Boston Harbor is designed to accommodate large container ships that are calling on the United States' east coast now that the Panama Canal improvements are completed, according to the U.S....
Austin Hopes to Solve Traffic Woes
For some time, Austin, Texas, has been ranked as one of the more popular cities in the United States, consistently showing up on Top 10 lists of best places to live, play and work in. But if its current traffic problems aren't addressed, its success could be its downfall....
Work on World-Class HSEC Begins in Minnesota
The new Health Sciences Education Center (HSEC) under construction at the University of Minnesota will be the one of the most comprehensive interprofessional education facilities in the country when complete, according to a University press release....
PA Turnpike/I-95 'Missing Link' Nears Finish
After decades of talk, plans, studies, designs and all the other myriad issues that go with a major highway project, the $425 million Pennsylvania Turnpike/I-95 Interchange is on the cusp of completion....
Sargent Rebuilds Section of Route 12 in New Hampshire
For more than a decade, stakeholders in New Hampshire's western towns of Walpole and Charleston have been trying to come up with a fix for an old rural stretch of highway plagued by numerous problems....
UDOT's $430M I-15 Project Adds New Lanes in Tech Corridor
Work on $430 million project to widen I-15 in Utah County, Utah, began last April. The project is taking place in one of the fastest growing areas in Utah, known as Silicon Slopes for the high number of technology-based businesses there....
Chobani Expands Manufacturing Plant in Twin Falls, Idaho
When Chobani set out to expand its yogurt manufacturing plant in Twin Falls, Idaho, they did so with the plan of making it as sustainable as possible. Now, roughly midway through the construction project, they've found they've exceeded even their own expectations....
New Homes for Children, Adults With Disabilities
One hundred and twenty-six children and young adults with developmental disabilities will be getting homes of their own next year when 15 new group homes are completed in Boise, La. Crews broke ground on the project at the St....
Smart Mobility Corridor Enhances Communication
Thirty-five miles of highway in central Ohio are about to become a showcase for smart highway technology. Next year, contractors for the Ohio Department of Transportation are expected to complete the installation of the necessary technology, including Dedicated Short Range Communications Devices (DSRCs), along the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor, a 35-mi....
Delegation Introduces Legislation to Designate I-14 Corridor in Three States
A U.S. Congressional delegation from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi has introduced legislation that would expand the congressionally designated Interstate 14 corridor across the three states. U.S. Rep....
University of Oregon Demolishes Iconic Hayward Field
Crews are busy prepping the construction site of the University of Oregon track field that is already being billed as the “world's finest track and field facility.”Built in 1919 to be a football stadium, Hayward Field was named for coach Bill Hayward, known as the “grand old man,” and a coach at the University of Oregon for 44 years....
Large Projects Ready to Begin This Year Due to SB 1
Last year, the California Legislature approved the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 — AKA — SB 1, legislation that modifies how the state's transportation system is funded. The legislative package invests $54 billion over the next decade to fix roads, freeways and bridges in communities across California and puts more money toward transit and safety....
Bridge Repair in Texas After Harvey
Nearly nine months after Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the coast of Texas, prompting the largest disaster response ever recorded in Texas state history, work is at last under way to repair a bridge that suffered substantial damage in the storm....
Bill & Melinda Gates Center Under Way
Construction on the new Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington Seattle campus passed the halfway mark in March and is on target to be completed by the end of 2018....
Savannah Mason Mega Rail Terminal Work Proceeds
Work is well underway on a 20-month contract to build the infrastructure for a railroad project in Savannah that will make it the largest on-deck intermodal rail facility for a port authority in North America....
Crews Finish Boston's Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Ahead of Schedule
A bridge replacement project in downtown Boston that once would have taken several years to complete was traffic-ready after only days of closure. The bridge, owned by the city of Boston, carries 22,000 vehicles daily on Massachusetts Avenue, running over Commonwealth Avenue below, and is the most heavily used bus route in Boston....
Work Begins on $67.5M I-65 Project in Shelby County
Work has begun in Shelby County, Ala., to widen bridges and add lanes to a section of I-65 known for its severe traffic back up in both the morning and evening commutes. The $67.5 million project was awarded as a joint venture to Dunn Construction and Wiregrass Construction and will take place from State Route 3 Interchange (US 31 – Exit 238) in Alabaster to the County Road 52 Interchange (Exit 242) in Pelham....
Caltrans Lines Up Bridge, Highway Projects for 2018, Beyond
As temperatures warm and days grow drier, the California Department of Transportation — Caltrans — is gearing up for construction projects all over the most populous state in the United States....
Golden Spike Celebrates 149th Anniversary, Track Repair
Last summer, park rangers at the Golden Spike National Historic Site in northern Utah noticed that the replica steam locomotives used for demonstration runs were dipping at a certain point on the two miles of park railroad track....
Agencies Gear Up for Projects Across New England
As temperatures warm and days grow drier, state and local agencies are gearing up for construction projects all over New England — some still in the planning stages, others, phases in ongoing plans....
ADOT Rolls Out Road Projects for Spring, Summer 2018
Work is continuing on Arizona's largest ever single highway project, with controlled rock blasting scheduled to begin on two segments this spring. The $916 million Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway features 22 mi....
Phase Two of $700M 59/20 Bridges Project Nears Finish
Phase two of the $700 million project to clean up traffic problems in downtown Birmingham is nearing completion as work on phase three continues to progress. The project, known as the 59/20 Bridges, includes widening roads, elevating bridges, constructing new interchange ramps and replacing bridges over portions of I-59/20 and I-65....
Legislature Passes Bill, OKs Projects
A massive 222-page transportation bill passed by the Utah Legislature this spring will likely see future highway projects impacting both transit and infrastructure get the green light for funding more quickly than those projects not intermodal....
UDOT Reveals $1.46B in Projects for 2018
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) recently announced its list of Top 10 construction projects for 2018, which include 188 highway construction projects scheduled across the state with a combined value of $1.46 billion, said spokesman Zach Whitney....
STP Puts 'One Smart Tunnel' SR 99 Systems to the Test
The new roads inside Seattle's $1.4 billion double deck tunnel are now complete with Seattle Tunnel Partners installing the last of 1,152 road panels that make up the lower — northbound — roadway in early March....
Major Construction Projects on Horizon for Pacific Northwest
As temperatures warm and days grow drier, state and local agencies are gearing up for construction projects all over the Pacific Northwest — some still in the planning stages, others, phases in ongoing plans....
West Texas Equipment Dealers Could Benefit From Midland's $100M Upgrades
A pair of propositions approved by voters in Midland, Texas, last November will provide $100 million to upgrade the city's streets and infrastructure and may send new business to heavy equipment dealers in West Texas....
State to Decide Fate of $1.6B Project
Texas transportation officials are hoping to soon get the green light on a badly needed $1.6 billion interstate project. But politics have stalled the LBJ East widening plans and it's unclear when it might move forward....
I-35W in Downtown Minneapolis Under Way
After years of talk and wishful thinking, a project to improve I-35W in downtown Minneapolis is finally under way. With miles of roadway improvements calling for numerous lane, ramp and bridge closures, it promises to pose plenty of challenges for all involved, but future benefits should be well worth it, said Aaron Tag, project manager of the Minnesota Department of Transportation....
Crews Dig Deep to Save Energy on $300M Hospital Project
As changing weather patterns lead to an ever-warming earth, contractors on a $300 million hospital project in Alaska are taking a tip from the Alaska oil pipeline, installing 16-in. diameter steel pilings drilled 55-ft.-deep that essentially keep the earth cold....
ODOT Devises Plan to Keep Rock, Mud Slides at Bay
Engineers with Oregon's Department of Transportation have come up with a new fix for a pesky problem that has plagued a much-traveled highway since the 1950s. The recent problems on U.S. 20 — a highway 2.5 mi....
Canopy to Keep ATL Visitors Out of Elements
Work is under way on a $138 million canopy project at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a massive endeavor calling for the intricate juggling of traffic and construction and one guided by principles of safety, quality and production....
Former Interstate Ramp Makes Way for $158M 'Innovation Superhighway'
What was once a busy interstate highway ramp will soon be Rhode Island's newest technology-innovation complex with three major tenants, plus a hotel to come. “Wexford Science & Technology LLC are in Phase 1 of a $158 million commercial development project,” according to a press release from the Providence Innovation & Design District....
Children's of Alabama Campus to See Expansion in Birmingham
Construction is set to begin on a new office building and parking facility at the Children's of Alabama campus in Birmingham on Fourth Avenue South. The Children's Board of Trustees approved construction of the 12-story parking deck and 115,000-sq.-ft....
After Bertha: WSDOT Updates SR 99 Progress in Seattle
The precast concrete panels that will build the lower deck of Seattle's new SR 99 double deck tunnel began arriving in early November, marking the beginning of an important stage of the tunnel construction, said Laura Newborn, spokeswoman of the project....
$900M Direct Connection Begins 3rd Contract
Work on the third contract of the New Jersey Department of Transportation's Direct Connection project has begun, inching the massive job just a bit closer to its projected 2024 completion. The $900 million project is designed to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion at the intersection of I-295, I-76, and Route 42....
Crew Has Sense of Pride Building St. Luke's Pavilion in Idaho
The St. Luke's Children's Pavilion Project in Boise, Idaho, has been 10 long years in the making, just enough time for planning and designing a state-of-the-art medical facility with a very special clientele....
C.W. Matthews Tackles $500M I-16/I-75 Interchange
Phase one of the $500 million I-16/I-75 interchange improvement project in Macon, Ga., is well under way, but while the road to completion is a long one —approximately eight years —the completed project should dramatically improve what is currently a very busy and congested commute....
Puerto Rico Continues to Recover From Hurricane Maria
When Hurricane Maria, the devastating category 4 hurricane, made landfall on Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, it spawned what the island's Governor, Ricardo Rossello, deemed a “humanitarian disaster,” impacting the lives of 3.4 million U.S....
Denver Voters Agree to $937M Worth of Bond Measures
Denver voters handed the community something of an early Christmas present in the November election, approving seven different bond measures for 460 projects totaling $937 million. “The people of Denver have delivered an overwhelming vote of confidence in our city,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock....
Sea-Tac Undergoing $550M Modernization, Expansion
Travelers flying through the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport can expect to see major changes in the coming years as the airport expands and updates its facilities to accommodate the ever-increasing number of passengers arriving and departing the Pacific Northwest hub....
WestStar Bank Announces 14-Level Tower Will Transform El Paso Skyline
For the first time in nearly 40 years, a major commercial office building is on the drawing board for downtown El Paso. WestStar Bank announced this fall that it will build the 14-level WestStar Tower at 601 N....
Work Continues on Iconic Arizona Center's $25M Facelift in Phoenix
Contractors are at work on a $25 million project that will completely renovate the iconic Arizona Center and pave the way for additional future projects, including a boutique hotel and multi-family housing....
$400M Proposal Would Dramatically Change Downtown Denver Skyline
A New York City developer has plans on the drawing board that could dramatically alter the downtown Denver skyline and give the city an icon sure to stand out in this Rocky Mountain plains landscape. Dubbed for its physical address “650 17th Street: A Transformative Luxury Lifestyle Tower,” the $400 million skyscraper proposed by Greenwich Realty Capital will stand 75 stories tall — at 800-ft., the city's tallest — with more than 1,000,000 sq....
ODOT Spends $38.2M to Make Improvements in Tillamook
The city of Tillamook, Ore., has had traffic problems for years. The highway through downtown was much too tight to accommodate the semi-trucks and RVs that routinely rumble through, pedestrians felt unsafe crossing the streets and the intersection of Highway 101 and Oregon 6 was described as “one of the most convoluted in the region.”“I've had people describe it as white knuckles through there,” said Louis Torres, spokesman of the Oregon Department of Transportation....
Hospital Adds New $131.5M Ambulatory Care Center
As work began on the new Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) at the University of Utah Hospital, crews faced two big challenges. One, all the utilities had to be moved, and two, the new center is being built on a site with not an iota of extra space....
NY's Historic TWA Flight Center Adds $260M Hotel
Construction workers have the opportunity to take part in all kinds of different projects, many unique in their own right. But a $260 million project under way at the JFK Airport in New York is bound to top career memories for many workers on site....
Honolulu Airport Receives $2.7B Makeover, New Name
Hawaii's largest and most active airport was recently given a new name — an apt change, perhaps, to go along with the $2.7 billion modernization project that also will undoubtedly give it a new look....
Demolition Under Way on Iconic Phoenix Trotting Park
Demolition work on a stadium that has been part of the Phoenix, Ariz., landscape for more than 50 years is nearly complete. Major demolition of the concrete structure began on Sept. 27 and it will take a few months to remove the 20,000 tons of rubble....
Delaware's $50M 'Silver Square' Offers High-End Amenities
As the first wave of baby boomers approach their 80s, the construction industry is experiencing an increasing demand for assisted living facilities, a trend that is not expected to end any time soon. “I heard someone call it the silver tsunami,” said Ted Doyle, spokesman for LCB Senior Living, a New England-based firm specializing in developing and operating high-end assisted living facilities....
URI Overcomes Unique Challenges to Build New $125M Engineering Complex
When the University of Rhode Island committed to building a new engineering complex, two decisions were obvious. One, five historical buildings, all built in the late 1950s and early 1960s would have to go; and two, the new building needed to be a cutting-edge structure that spoke clearly of its purpose....
Iron Helps Quench Western Fires
As 51 wildland fires burn in the western United States, heavy equipment is playing a big role in helping fire fighters contain the flames. “The biggest fires are in Oregon, Washington and Montana,” said Jessica Gardetto, spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center, headquartered in Idaho and a former wildland firefighter....
PennDOT Makes Improvements Along Major State Highway
A series of projects on a major highway in southeastern Pennsylvania is expected to ultimately add up to a safer, smoother and faster commute for the 90,000 drivers who travel the route daily. The projects, known collectively as the 422 Improvements are under way, with some already completed, and others just beginning....
Repairs Under Way on Longest Suspension Bridge in New England
Work is well under way on a project to repair the deck of Rhode Island's Newport/Pell Bridge — at 11,247 ft. long, it is the longest suspension bridge in New England. “This is a major undertaking replacing the deck of this bridge,” said Jim Malachowski, spokesman of the RDW Group, the Providence-based public relations firm representing the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority....
WYDOT Redesigns Sheridan Interchange
Fifty odd years ago when the original Sheridan Interchange was built, it was a fine design for vehicles traveling 50 mph exiting and entering Sheridan, Wyo. Described as a “trumpet interchange,” it led vehicles traveling north in a complete circle when exiting into town....
Seattle's 'Small Bridge With Big Promise'
Work in Seattle is nearing completion on what will be the first bridge of its kind anywhere in the world. They call it “the small bridge with the big promise,” a span designed to return to its original shape after a major earthquake....
Idaho's Sequoia Tree Has Storied Past, Moves to New Home
Bystanders in Boise were recently treated to a sight they're not likely to witness soon, if ever again — the relocation of a 98-ft.-tall, 800,000-lb. sequoia tree planted in its original spot at St....
Tucson Airport Undergoing $28.3M Modernization Project
With technology constantly evolving, there's no doubt the world is a consistently changing place. And perhaps nowhere is that more obvious than at the airport. At the Tucson International Airport, those changes are fueling a $28.3 million project aimed at making the travel experience more efficient and more comfortable....
Efforts in Seattle to dismantle the custom-made tunneling machine fondly dubbed “Bertha” are proceeding as planned with completion on schedule for September. The tunneling machine was used to carve a 1.7-mi....
Vivint Smart Home Arena Undergoing $125M Makeover
In 1991, when the home court for the Utah Jazz basketball team was built, construction was completed in record time — 15 months and 24 days. “At the time, it was built faster than any other arena in the nation,” said Jazz spokesman Frank Zang....
Largest Water Supply Project in Georgia History Under Way
When finished, a water supply project under construction in Atlanta will not only be the largest ever undertaken in Georgia, but provide greater capacity than any other in the United States. It also is the site of a unique drilling technique never before utilized on the east coast....
Oldest Masonry Bridge in Rhode Island Gets a Makeover
Work is under way to rehabilitate the oldest masonry bridge in Rhode Island. The historic Slatersville Stone Arch Bridge was built in 1855, but has been deemed structurally deficient since 2007, and because of that, a 20-ton weight limit is in place....
Alaska Marks Anniversary of Major Feat
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Alaska Highway, an engineering marvel that some doubted could be done, and one military officer likened to the biggest and hardest construction job since the Panama Canal....
Tillamook Estuaries' $12M Project Restores Oregon Wetlands
For decades, folks in Tillamook, Ore., looked for ways to diminish the flooding that so frequently troubles this agricultural community, damaging property, threatening lives and generally shutting down town....
Nearly $1B Harbor Expansion Project Reaches Midpoint
Less than two years into the $973 million project to expand the Savannah Harbor, work is now 60 percent complete. The project, which got under way in September 2015, extends the harbor from 33 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean to just under 40, deepening it from minus 42 feet to minus 47....
Bertha Breaks Through: Iconic TBM Emerges Into Daylight in Seattle
Sixty-four years to the day the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle opened to traffic, the tunneling machine dubbed "Bertha" emerged into daylight from a 1.7 mi. (2.7 km) drive beneath the city. The crew broke into the 90-ft....
ODOT Responds to Rock Slide on Highway 101
When word of a slide came in the wee hours of Feb. 22 on one of the most scenic portions of Oregon's Highway 101, the Oregon Department of Transportation was quick to send out a crew, but work on the slide would have to wait....
Much-Needed Rain Arrives, But Wreaks Havoc on Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge
The rains so desperately longed for in California have arrived, finally bringing relief from years of drought, but also ushering a new set of problems. “Looking at the bright side, we're not in a drought, but it has a price, said Susana Cruz, spokeswoman of district five of the California Department of Transportation....
WSDOT Expects to Have Point Defiance Bypass Operational This Fall
When Friday rolls around, crews on the Point Defiance Bypass Project are ready to attack their job building new rail line, but when Monday arrives, it's back to business for the railroad. It's a tightly synchronized operation of a $150 million project that will make rail travel all that more efficient in the corridor stretching from Vancouver, B.C....
RhodeWorks Project Provides Smoother Surface to Kingstown Streets
Work is halted for the winter on a long overdue project to repair 1.3 mi. (2.01 km) of road and sidewalk between the Rhode Island villages of Wakefield and Peace Dale in South Kingstown. Workers will be back on the $6.5 million project in the spring and then move on to a $1 million storm drainage project in the fall....
Scrap Metal Prices Rise for First Time in Five Years
For the first time in roughly five years, scrap metal prices are on the rise, and it's a much welcome bit of good news after trend that saw some scrap metal companies shutter their businesses. “When facing continually downward trending prices, it makes it hard to do business,” said Joe Pickard, chief economist and director of commodities of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc....
Routine Bridge Maintenance Avoids Catastrophe
Motorists accustomed to making the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge a part of their regular drive will have to adapt to some new travel habits for at least the foreseeable future. That news came nearly two weeks after a fracture was discovered in a bridge beam Jan....
Crews Have a Blast Removing Rock on SR 77
A nighttime project to remove dangerous rocks and boulders from Arizona's State Route 77 became a daytime operation after an 18-ft. (5.5 m) boulder fell 150 ft. (46 m) during nighttime blasting and landed on the highway....
Restoration, Not Replacement Chosen for Maine's Historic Stackpole Bridge
Seven years ago, Inga Browne and several of her neighbors received notices from the city of Saco, Maine, that a unique historic bridge near their homes was to be replaced by a new structure. “We were totally surprised,” said Browne whose house faces the bridge and is only about 7,500 ft....
Traffic Continues During 'Raise the Roadway' Project
Construction crews in New York and New Jersey are at work on a project that is a first for bridge construction. Crews in the joint "Raise the Roadway" venture of Skanska Koch/Kiewit Infrastructure are raising the roadway of the Bayonne Bridge from 151 ft....
Salt Lake City Airport Undergoing $2.9B Expansion
Fifty-five years ago, the Salt Lake City International Airport was built to service about 10 million passengers, but five decades later, the Delta Air Lines hub now sees more than twice that number of travelers....
Cranes Pierce Pacific Northwest Skies
One only need to look to the sky to confirm that construction in the Pacific Northwest is booming. A recent report by Rider, Levett, Bucknall, a global company specializing in project management, cost estimating and legal advisory, shows 58 cranes dotting the Seattle skyline....
UA Memorializes USS Arizona on Campus
Seventy-five years ago on Dec. 7, our country witnessed one of the darkest moments in its history — the bombing of Pearl Harbor. One thousand, one hundred and seventy-seven men perished on the USS Arizona that day....
Wyoming Raises Capital to Restore Capitol
The Wyoming State Capitol is one of less than 20 current state capitols listed as a National Historical Landmark. And yet until recently, some feared the massive stone building with its domed top was perilously close to condemnation....
Billion- Dollar 'Project Neon' Comes to Vegas
Its catchy name might conjure flashy lights, glitter and glitz, as befits a project in Las Vegas. In fact, Project Neon isn't flashy at all, but at a nearly $1 billion investment, it is Nevada's largest and most expensive public works project ever undertaken during the state's 152-year history....
Bertha Bashes Past Half-Way Tunnel Point
Three years after the tunneling machine dubbed "Bertha" began work on a 2-mi. (3.2 km) tunnel beneath the city of Seattle, the machine has passed the half-way point. Bertha pushed past the Pike Place Market on Sept....
Crews Rehabilitate Walcott Junction in Wyoming
Work is under way on a repaving and bridge rehabilitation project of more than 6 mi. (9.7 km) of I-80 in southern Wyoming. The project has been in the works for the last six years or so, said Ralph Tarango, district construction engineer with the Wyoming Department of Transportation....
Contractor Snuffs Out Underground Coal Mine Fires
For more than nine months, crews with Earthmovers Unlimited Inc. have labored cautiously to reach a coal fire 146 ft. (44.5 m) below the surface of the earth in Carbondale, Pa. At stake, 50 homes and the safety of all who reside within them....
Washington-Grizzly Champions Center Will Feature State-of-the-Art Amenities
Next year at this time, athletes at the University of Montana should have plenty to celebrate — the completion of the new $14 million Washington-Grizzly Champions Center. It's a 46,000-sq.-ft....
ODOT to Host Public Grand Opening for Highway 20
Rarely has an Oregon highway project completion been so eagerly anticipated and so long overdue, which is why the Oregon Department of Transportation is not about to let the date go without a celebration....
Project Increases Clearance on Connecticut Bridge
Years of collisions with trucks that were just too tall to fit under Connecticut's Mayflower Bridge in West Hartford have prompted a replacement project that will add about 2 ft. (.6 m) to the bridge, originally built in 1965....
Water Project Leads to Padre Island Bridge Concept
When the Army Corps of Engineers deemed a new water exchange between Padre Island, Texas, and an old canal system was necessary, the city of Corpus Christi and private developers could have simply gone with culverts....
Could This Be a Safer Alternative to Coal Tar Based Sealants?
A freshly sealed parking lot is generally an improvement to any property — but unless that property happens to be in one of a few places, that fresh coat of black sealant is likely potentially deadly....
Seismic Program Grants $1B to Retrofit Schools
It hasn't always been common knowledge that the Pacific Northwest from northern California to Vancouver, B.C., is vulnerable to a mega earthquake. Scientists only grew savvy to the potential for the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the west coast to rupture in recent decades....
Hawaii's $8B HART Project Is Chugging Along
Honolulu just moved one step closer to seeing the completion of a rail system that's been under construction since 2009 and in talks for decades. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) recently awarded the contract for a third section of the Honolulu Rail Project, part of an elevated rail system expected to be fully operational in 2024....
Oregon DOT Honors Bridge Designer, Engineer Conde B. McCullough
The Oregon Department of Transportation has unveiled its new bridge interpretive display honoring famous bridge designer/engineer Conde B. McCullough. The display is in Astoria at the west end of the Lewis and Clark River Bridge on U.S....
State Police, Officials Break Ground on Oregon's Fallen Trooper Memorial
After five years of planning and fundraising, crews broke ground on June 14 in Salem for the Oregon State Police Fallen Troopers Memorial. The memorial will honor 33 Oregon State Police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty....
Becco Crews Demolish Bird Creek Bridges
Construction crews recently demolished the last of eight bridges as part of a $45 million Oklahoma Department of Transportation project to expand U.S. 169 in Owasso. The expansion, which stretches 1 mi....
Well-Traveled Span Over I-35 Undergoes Replacement
There are plenty of challenges in the Iowa Department of Transportation's project to replace the NE 54th Avenue bridge over I-35. It's a heavily traveled area with the interstate seeing 75,000 vehicles daily, and located just a half a mi....
(VIDEO) Galloping Gertie's Failure Leads to Safer Bridges Today
In Tacoma, July 1, 1940 was a day of celebration as a crowd estimated to number 7,000 gathered for the opening of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a suspension bridge with a main span measuring 2,800 ft. (853 m) over the Puget Sound....
Crews Repave 50-Year-Old Stretch of I-271 in Summit County
The $46.4 million construction project to repave I-271 in Summit County, Ohio, from Broadview Road to the Ohio Turnpike was standard enough. Take a 50-year-old, 4.3-mi. (6.9 km) stretch of highway, including eight bridges and one culvert, and replace the pavement....
Landslide Cuts Off Road to Elk City
A landslide that closed Idaho State Highway 14 in February has turned out to be more than twice the job anticipated. “It ended up being much larger than the Idaho Department of Transportation thought,” said Ryan West, vice president of the Spokane-based West Company Inc....
Environmental Work Continues as Hwy. 20 Nears Completion
Part 3 of a 3-part series: As a 10-year project to straighten 10 mi. (16 km) of narrow, curving dangerous highway through the Oregon Coast Range nears completion, Oregonians eagerly await the chance to drive the new stretch of road....
Landmark Construction Company Prepares Site for Volvo Plant in Charleston
When Rick Mixson, vice-president of Landmark Construction Company first took a look at the Volvo plant project near Charleston, S.C., he figured the company would need to bid about $35 million to do the site preparation for the 726-acre project....
Iconic Pulaski Skyway Receives $1B Facelift
Four years into the most costly project undertaken by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, work is on track as planned to finish rehabilitation of the Pulaski Skyway by 2020. The DOT is now preparing to reroute traffic on the iconic 84-year-old bridge so that re-decking can continue....
Highway 20 Project Ready to Move to Phase Four
Part 2 of a 3-part series: Project leaders on the Pioneer Mt. — Eddyville Highway 20 project are readying to make the final big push on the last construction phase of this overdue project. Phase four will involve straightening one final hard curve, building buttresses for landslide mitigation, paving, striping and installing guard rails and drainage....
Tenn. Plans to Spend $8.5B on Infrastructure
After three years of work, members of the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) adopted a plan that will set the course for mid Tennessee regional transportation projects for more than two decades to come....
Oregon's Highway 20 Moves Forward Despite Problems
Part 1 of a 3-part series: A decade after the design-build contract was first awarded, the end of a project to straighten a dangerous portion of Oregon's U.S. Highway 20 is within sight, with drivers possibly traveling the new stretch as early as fall 2016....
Crews Reach Milestone on Northwest Corridor Job
Construction crews recently reached another milestone in Georgia's Northwest Corridor Express Lanes project, completing the placement of five 155-ft. (47.2 m) concrete beams over Delk Road. The beams are part of a 2,311 ft....
Parkway Construction Unearths Archeological Treasures
When work began to connect the Southern Parkway in southwest Utah, the staff with the Utah Department of Transportation knew the project came with its share of challenges and concerns. There were a number of threatened or endangered wildlife and plant species that would have to be protected, and the terrain changed significantly and often over a short distance....
Crews Close in on Completion Date for Repairs to Talmadge
Crews are closing in on the February 2016 completion date on a nearly $2 million contract to repair the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah, Ga. Work began last spring and has proceeded as expected, said Jill Nagel, Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman....
Mike Kemmerer Serves as Corporate Service Director of Hills Machinery
Mike Kemmerer has plenty of goals in his new position as corporate service director of Hills Machinery Company, but at the end of the day they all fit under one objective, said Kemmerer, “…to make sure we are a premier customer support dealership.”Kemmerer joined the Case Construction equipment dealer for North and South Carolina in September 2015....
Vermont I-89 Bridge Project Set to Enter Final Phase in Late March 2016
Work on the final phase of a multi-phase bridge project in Vermont is set to get under way in late March. The I-89 bridges project in Waterbury was designed to repair aging parts of the I-89 mainline substructure, to extend the life of the northbound and southbound bridges and replace the Exit 10 northbound off-ramp bridge....
Good Samaritans Come to Aid of Swindled WWII Vet
Carol Broussard had watched the re-topping of local asphalt roads in around his house for days. So when a truck pulled up in the driveway and the driver asked Broussard if he'd like an asphalt drive, the 91-year-old WWII veteran said, ‘Sure.'That was the first mistake....
Make It One Original Taco Bell Restaurant — To Go?
Moving any historical building can be a challenge, but moving a 400-sq.-ft. (37.16 sq m) plywood and stucco restaurant thrown up with materials from the hardwood store, takes the task to an entirely new level....
Crews Work to Stabilize Road After Major Storm
Six days after heavy rains forced the closure of a section of Highway 101 on the north Oregon Coast, contractors were able to open one lane of the highway with flaggers directing traffic. More closures are expected, however, as crews work to stabilize this often troublesome stretch of road just north of Tillamook at mileposts 47 and 48....
ODOT Repairs Historic 83-Year-Old Rock Wall
Restoration work is underway on a historic wall along the designated scenic Highway 101 on the Oregon Coast that was originally constructed in 1932. Built some 400 ft. (122 m) above the Pacific Ocean, the basalt rock wall stretches as much as 20 ft....
Hennings Construction Puts Its Customers First
When Darren Hennings’ crews head out on a job, he tells them, “I like our customers to see us like the calvary when they see us coming over the hill, and that’s how I want you to act, too.”That attention to customer service goes a long way in explaining why Hennings Construction, specializing in grading and site utilities from its East Bend, N.C., headquarters, not only survived the recent recession intact, but in the years between 2008 and 2011 doubled in size....
Voters in 10 Utah Counties Elect to Pass Proposition 1
Ten counties in Utah passed a measure on Election Day raising sales taxes by a quarter of a percent to pay for road projects. But the state’s two most populous counties, Salt Lake and Utah, defeated the rate hike....
Preservation Work Begins on Historic Siuslaw Bridge
Contractors began preservation work in September on the Siuslaw River Bridge, one of numerous bridges designed on the Oregon Coast by Conde McCollough, Oregon state bridge engineer from 1919 to 1935. The $14.2 million project is expected to take four years to complete with the main components including cathodic protection, new bridge rail and pedestrian improvements, specifically, ADA ramps on each end....
Scottsdale’s OdySea Aquarium on Track to Open in Summer 2016
Construction crews with McCarthy Building Companies are right on track to finish work in time for the scheduled July 2016, grand opening of the 200,000-sq.-ft. (18,580 sq m) OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, Ariz....
Concerns Rise Over Oregon’s Bridges, Economy
A report on Oregon’s bridges brought mostly good news for the current state of bridge conditions, but it does not bode well for the future — not for bridges or the state’s economy. “We’re in pretty good shape right now, said Bruce Johnson, Oregon Department of Transportation bridge engineer....
One More Phase Takes Off at O’Hare International Airport
Yet one more phase of the nation’s largest airport construction project was finished earlier this month with the commissioning of Runway 10R-28 L and the new South Air Traffic Control Tower at O’Hare International Airport....
News of forest fires generally calls to mind the courageous souls who risk their lives to fight them. As it turns out, there’s another component to the battle — heavy equipment and lots of it, too....
Key Cog in Multi-Billion Dollar Elgin O’Hare Project Opens
Three new interchange ramps on the $440 million I-290 interchange project on Illinois Route 390 opened recently, moving the massive undertaking one step closer to the finish. Work on the highway, formerly known as the Elgin O’Hare Expressway, has been ongoing since 2013 and expected to be completed in 2017....
Frisco Hopes to Score Big With ’Boys’ Training Complex
The booming town of Frisco, Texas, is making headlines for its partnership with the Dallas Cowboys and the Frisco Independent School District to build the Cowboys’ new training facility. The Star is one of numerous projects this city, 25 minutes north of downtown Dallas, has to cheer about....
Fort Vancouver Historic Site Renovations Under Way
Perhaps what is most remarkable about the multi-faceted project just underway at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is not the high-tech construction techniques commonly called for these days, but rather the old-fashioned handwork required for a significant portion of the rehabilitation project....
Crews Set to Work on Washed Out Calif. Bridge
Crews with Granite Construction Inc. are hard at work on repairs to the Interstate 10 bridge washed out in July during heavy rains caused by Hurricane Dolores. “This flooding came up over the highway with mud, boulders and rock,” said Terri Kasinga, spokeswoman for California Department of Transportation (Caltran)....
Nortrax Goes Beyond the Conventional for Wetland Mitigation Specialists
When crews for Haywire Point, wetland mitigation specialists in Grand Rapids, Minn., went to work with their new customized excavator, it took owner Steve Gilbertson less than a minute to know he’d made the right choice in selecting the equipment manufacturer....
Crews Revitalize Franklin Hall Back to Hey-Day Status
In its heyday, the English-Gothic style Franklin Hall was the stately structure standing sentinel at the gateway to Indiana University Bloomington campus. Built in 1907, the building initially served as the campus library....
Houston Begins Long Road to Storm Recovery
Last month, after Memorial Day weekend, floods left much of Houston underwater, crews went to work cleaning up as soon as they could safely do so. Even so, Gary Readore, chief of staff of the Houston Solid Waste Management Department, expected it would be nearly the end of summer before the city was back to normal....
NIPSCO Unit 12 Project’s 2016 Deadline Well in Sight
After more than three years of planning and highly choreographed work, crews on the job to complete the dry flue-gas desulfurization environmental upgrade project of Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s (NIPSCO) Unit 12 have the spring 2016 deadline well in sight....
San Francisco War Memorial a ’Daunting’ Project
When the San Francisco Public Works project team set out to design the retrofitting of the historic War Memorial Veteran’s Building, they knew they had their work cut out for them. Or at least they thought they did....
Total Makeover Thrusts Loop 303 Into New Era
Four years ago, the Loop 303 freeway near Phoenix was an outdated two-lane highway with limited areas to pass and ill-placed traffic signals and stops signs. It was, said Doug Nintzel, spokesman of the Arizona Department of Transportation, “slow going and frustrating for local residents in the growing region about 20 miles west of downtown Phoenix.” But today that’s all history....
Fake City for Driverless Cars Could Change Entire Construction Industry
For several months, backhoe, dump truck, grader and other heavy equipment operators worked to transform 32 acres at the University of Michigan into what will eventually look like a typical little city....
Las Vegas Sees Largest Job in Over a Decade
Not since construction of the City Center nearly a decade ago has Las Vegas seen a project the scope of the Las Vegas Arena. Spread over 16 acres right near the Strip, the arena will have the capacity to seat 20,000 people for events like boxing matches, concerts, award shows and other sporting events and entertainment....
Time’s a Wastin’ on Fraser Creek Project
Once the clock starts ticking this spring, crews on an Oregon Coast highway project will have just 75 days to get the job done. The U.S. 101-Fraser Creek Fish Passage Culvert Project, located at milepost 104 on the central coast, calls for workers to dig out a section of the highway and install a 105-ft....
Oregon Bridges Undergo Major Rehabilitation
Major work is under way on two drawbridges that are some of the last of their kind in Oregon. Crews with the Oregon Bridge Construction Company of Stayton, Ore., began work last fall on the Lewis & Clark River Bridge and Old Youngs Bay Bridge....
Ohio I-475 Work to Reset Pavement’s Life Cycle
For the first time, the Ohio Department of Transportation will continue working through the winter months as they progress on a series of a major highway improvement projects on Interstates 75 and 475....
Service, Product Support, Dedicated Staff Enable SANY’s Continued Growth
A company doesn’t get to be the fifth largest construction equipment manufacturer in the world without good reason, and at SANY Global that long list of reasons begins with good service, product support, dedicated people and a broad range of equipment at a reasonable price....
Largest Recycling Center Breaks Ground in Nev.
When it came to recycling, there was a time not so long ago when southern Nevada lagged behind much of the nation. As Len Christopher, general manager of Republic Services, put it, “There was a lot of room for improvement here.” But now that is all so much old history....
Crews Wrap Up Phase One of Alum Creek Job
Right on schedule, workers are putting the final touches on a Columbus, Ohio, project that sat on a shelf untouched for 10 years. The Alum Creek Drive improvement project started in 2012 and involved expanding the two lane highway between Williams Road and State Route 104 to five lanes, as well as adding curbs, a storm system, gutters, drainage facilities, multi-use trails for pedestrians and bicyclists, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps, improved mast-arm signals, street lighting and landscaping....
Iconic Yaquina Head Lighthouse Receives Rare Scaffolding Restoration
Visitors to Oregon’s iconic Yaquina Head Lighthouse won’t get the view they might be expecting. Instead, they may be surprised to find the 93 ft. (28 m) tall tower shrouded in a wrap of white....
Colorado Dam Project: Creating a Safe Passageway
Work is underway on a $9.7 million project that will include restoration of a dam, construction of a pedestrian/cyclist bridge and for the first time in Oregon, the manmade sculpting of a white water course....
AEMP Certifies Ecco Equipment Green
The Ecco Equipment Corporation may not be the biggest equipment rental business out there, but they can claim a distinction that is perhaps even better. The company recently earned the right to call itself the largest equipment rental company to be certified green by the Association of Equipment Management Professionals....
SANY Sets Sights on American Market
A company doesn’t get to be the fifth largest construction equipment manufacturer in the world without good reason, and at SANY Global that long list of reasons begins with good service, product support, dedicated people and a broad range of equipment at a reasonable price....
Founded in 1947, J.H. Williams Oil Company Continues Growth in Fla.
Customer service is the key to success for any business, but for a family business like J.H. Williams Oil Company, it is a defining feature. It’s commitment to personal service, fast and easy access, and the promise of reliability and quality care....
Pennington Cuts Ribbon on $31M Centerpiece
After three years of construction, Pennington County, South Dakota, is ready for the October ribbon cutting on the centerpiece of a multi-phase project that includes an expanded parking garage, a new criminal evidence building and a $31 million, 100,00 sq....
Construction crews this summer made significant progress on a multi-million dollar project that marries safety with art and may one day redefine the landscape along Lake Michigan. On Chicago’s wish list for at least a decade, the Navy Pier Flyover is an elevated pathway along the 18.5 mi....
Challenging SR 520 Floating Bridge Job Makes Progress
A lot of bridges have been built in the state of Washington, but few, if any, pose the construction challenges of the new SR 520 Floating Bridge and Landings over Lake Washington. At 7,710 ft. (2,350 m) long, the $750 million project will be the longest floating bridge in the world when it’s finished and it’s every inch the formidable task it sounds....
Solar Roads Being Implemented in the U.S.
There’s been much talk lately about a new solar roadway the Federal Highway Administration is testing that could provide power for everything from traffic signs to heaters – even sensors warning drivers of animals on the roads....
Newberg-Dundee Bypass Phase One Under Way
Landscapes don’t come much prettier than the lush rolling wine country in Yamhill County, Ore., but there’s nothing scenic about the traffic jams that clog the old highway through the northwestern towns of Dundee and Newberg....
ODOT Reaches Solution for Historic U.S. 101
For more than 10 years, engineers at the Oregon Department of Transportation have tried to come up with a solution to a congested stretch of U.S. 101 in a historic tourist area on the central Oregon Coast....
Wildlife Underpasses Save More Than Animals
When officials with the Oregon Department of Transportation talk about the two wildlife migration underpasses they recently built and a third proposed migration overpass, it tends to sound a little touchy-feely, inspiring comments along the lines of "Aw, isn’t that sweet." And it’s true, it does save wildlife....
Hrustic Brothers Choose Mack Family Again With Recent GU813 Purchases
Husein Hrustic bought his first dump truck, a Mack, in 2003 intent on building a family business his young sons could one day take over and help grow. But those early years were surely not easy ones. Barely two years into the business, Hrustic returned from an out of town job and parked the truck overnight in a nearby parking lot....
ODOT, FHWA Showcase ICST to Nationwide Transportation Leaders
When the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) decided it was time to spread the word about intelligent construction systems and technologies (ICST), it turned to Oregon, considered the leader in developing and using the technologies....
Arizona Contractor Ends Equipment Search With NYE 40CP49DU Pulverizer
Brian Thomas, owner of the BLT Companies in Yuma, Ariz., got into the business of recycling concrete largely out of necessity. As a supplier of Ready Mix Concrete, he often had waste, which ended up in his company yard....
Bear of a Busy Ramp Project Wraps Up on Chicago Span
Removing one interchange bridge and replacing it with another is the kind of job that can give a contractor more than a few headaches. But when the job is in the heart of Chicago on an expressway that sees an average of 260,000 vehicles daily, that headache can quickly morph into a major nightmare....
After Years of Talk, I-20 Nears Completion
The need to widen Interstate-20 in the northeast Richland County of S.C. has been talked about for at least a decade, and in 2012 work finally got underway. Now, contractors are closing in on the August completion date on a job that’s called for expediency and smarts....
National Attachments Adds Bite to Customized Pulverizer for Contractor
The Homrich family has been doing business with National Attachments for nearly 15 years, utilizing some of the most unique and specialized equipment in the industry. So when their Nye concrete pulverizer was due to be replaced, there was only one company to turn to....
Windsor-Detroit Crossing Funding Sparks Concerns
The absence of funding in President Obama’s $3.9 trillion fiscal 2015 budget for a joint international border crossing project is sparking concerns on both sides of the border that the proposed project could be in jeopardy....
Oso Remains a Recovery Mission After Slide
One month after a hillside collapsed burying dozens of homes and killing 43 victims, the work in Oso, Wash., remains a recovery mission, but plans are under way for rebuilding the stretch of highway devastated by the slide....
Iowa Contractor Relies on Nye’s Stumpharvester Model SHX 350
The memory is still fresh enough to make Nick Wylie cringe. J. Pettiecord Inc. crews were hard at work clearing 30 acres of trees along a new rail line when the shear they were using to process stumps broke....
Cobb County Gears Up for Atlanta Braves Stadium
Fifteen years ago when the members of the Cumberland Community Improvement District (CCID) set out on a plan to make multi-million dollar highway improvements, a new Atlanta Braves baseball stadium was probably not even a glimmer in someone’s eye....
Savannah, U.S. to Reap Benefits of Harbor Expansion
Dredging on a long-awaited Georgia project that could earn the U.S. more than five times its investment may get underway full speed ahead as early as the end of this year. That’s the expectation of the U.S....
’Stan The Man’ Span Wraps Up Early, Under Budget in Mo.
There’s been talk about building a new bridge across the Mississippi River to link Missouri to Illinois for more than a quarter century. But it was only in recent years that the project picked up steam....
Tornillo-Guadalupe Port of Entry: Bridge to Nowhere
The largest land port of entry in the U.S. is on target to be opened for business by the end of the year. The U.S. and Mexico Consulates announced late January that construction on the $130 million Tornillo-Guadalupe Port of Entry in El Paso County, Texas, is scheduled to be completed by July 2014....
Work Surges Ahead on Quakes Stadium
After delays that twice pushed back the opening date of the San Jose Earthquakes new major league soccer stadium, work is again on track and surging ahead. And people are taking notice. “The road right next to the stadium, Coleman Avenue, is a busy road,” said Quakes President Dave Kaval....
Kansas City Waterpark Builds ’Insane’ Waterslide
It all started at a business meeting over casual conversation when the question arose: When was the last time you did something big? Apparently for Schlitterbahn Kansas City waterpark co-owner Jeff Henry, not recently enough....
Construction Jobs Up Despite Fragile Industry
Thirty-nine states posted gains in construction jobs over the past year, but analysts say the industry remains fragile. “We think the market is soft,” said Brian Turmail, spokesman of The Associated General Contractors of America....
Closer Look At Construction Numbers Reveals a Mixed Bag
At first glance, recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau on public construction spending offered some surprisingly good news, but a closer look revealed a picture that insiders said remains worrisome — albeit hopeful....
Cactus Ave. Interchange Under Way After Delay
After a four-year delay, a $62 million interchange project in Las Vegas is at last under way. The Cactus Avenue interchange is being constructed between Silverado Ranch Road and St. Rose Parkway on I-15 and will include a six-lane street and overpass above the freeway to link Dean Martin Drive with Las Vegas Boulevard....
Colorado’s Twin Tunnels Widening Begins
On a good day, the 60 mi. (97 km) drive home on I-70 from Colorado’s mountain play land takes about an hour. On a bad day — and there are many — you can expect to triple the drive time home....
The ’Shadow’ Fades in the Housing Market
A new report putting the so-called shadow inventory of houses at a three-year low, and showing a decrease in foreclosures spells good news for the construction industry, economists said. According to a report by CoreLogic, a provider of business data and analytics, "The overall shadow inventory is down 34 percent from its peak in 2010, when it reached 3 million homes, and down 18 percent from a year ago, when it was at 2.4 million."The shadow market is generally defined as the homes that are in foreclosure, but not on the market, or homes that the bank or mortgage provider has taken back but is holding until the market improves....
