On March 5, Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Ill) joined House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig for the groundbreaking on the Englewood Flyover, which is now expected to begin this year thanks to $133 million in new federal funding.

Engineers who design facilities and structures live in a cycle of planning and planning again, the BNSF electronic employee newsletter reports. But sometimes, even with the best of planning and looking "around the corner," a surprise comes along that requires a different approach. That's what happened with the Burlington, Iowa, bridge project, which involves rebuilding a bridge originally built in 1867-1868.

MTA Long Island Rail Road customers using the busy Ronkonkoma Station now have almost 300 new parking spots available to them thanks to completion of a railroad-funded renovation project on the northeast side of the tracks in the Town of Brookhaven. The rehabilitation of the former dirt lot included drainage, curbs, asphalt paving, sidewalks, lighting, striping, signage, fencing and landscaping.

Hundreds - perhaps thousands - of old creosote-soaked railroad ties dumped along a 30-mile stretch of the Deschutes River may be removed in coming months thanks to persistent cage-­rattling by Eugene, Ore., businessman and clean-water enthusiast John Brown, The Eugene Register-Guard reports.

IMPulse NC LLC promoted of Jeffrey Wharton to president. Wharton previously served as executive vice president and general manager for the company. He has more than 30 years of transit construction and manufacturing experience and currently serves on the board of directors of the American Public Transportation Association, and as Chair of the APTA Business Member's Business Development Committee.

Work on a $2.8 million project to add additional signals to the Caltrain signal system will take place between 8 p.m., March 8 and 4 a.m., March 9 at Fair Oaks Lane in Atherton, Calif.

A five-level parking structure opened at Aurora, Ont., GO Station near Toronto offering customers 866 new parking spaces. Customers at this station now have access to more than 1,700 parking spots, making it easier to leave their cars behind.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission directing Norfolk Southern to install flashing lights and roadway gates at grade crossings in Montgomery, Summit and Warren counties. PUCO also approved an agreement authorizing CSX Transportation to install flashing lights and roadway gates at the Taylor Road (154-092R) and Ringwood Road (154-089H) grade crossings in Oxford Township, Butler County.

Buses will replace train service for Long Island Rail Road customers traveling between Long Beach and Valley Stream, N.Y., the weekend of March 6-7 as work continues on the construction of two new railroad bridges over Powell Creek and Hog Island Channel. The shutdown of train service on this upcoming weekend was added to the LIRR's original construction schedule because recent snowstorms have impeded work on previous weekends. The railroad's goal is to complete the installation of both bridges before Memorial Day.

Earthquake Safety construction at BART's West Oakland Station will soon limit access to the station. Beginning in mid-March, crews will move into a new phase of work that will be done in two stages.