TriMet receives $85 million for Portland to Milwaukie light-rail line
Trimet in Portland, Ore., has been awarded $85 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help complete the Portland to Milwaukie light-rail line.
Bridges/Tunnels
Rail bridge that serves as gateway to famed Trestles Beach completed
The completion of the nearly $8 million San Mateo Creek Bridge, gateway to California’s Trestles Beach and its famous surf break, was formally marked on Monday as a northbound Amtrak Pacific Surfliner made its way across the new bridge.
BNSF plans $372 million capital investment in Kansas and Missouri
BNSF Railway Company plans to invest an estimated $242 million on maintenance and rail capacity enhancement and expansion projects in Kansas and an additional $130 million in Missouri this year.
Twin Cities’ Central Corridor LRT construction reaches halfway mark
Construction of the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project in Minnesota is 50 percent complete and on track to be 75 percent done by year’s end.
“The contractors really hit the ground running in March. We now have work occurring in all areas of the nearly 10-mile long project, employing more than 3,000 workers to date,” Metropolitan Council Chair Sue Haigh said.
Denver RTD breaks ground on I-225 rail extension
The Denver Regional Transportation District, the Colorado Department of Transportation and SEMA Construction broke ground on RTD’s I-225 Light Rail Line extension. This kicks off construction on the first segment of the light-rail project from Nine Mile to Iliff.
Metrolinx board puts Toronto LRT plan back on track
The Board of Directors of Metrolinx in Toronto, Canada, voted unanimously to proceed with the implementation of the Toronto Transit Plan as originally approved by Metrolinx on May 19, 2010, consisting of the following projects:
RailComm provides remote control to NECR bridge
RailComm has provided remote control for a New England Central Railroad bridge. RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller System is used to dispatch the railroad and has been modified to include control of the bridge.
Oaktree Capital Management acquires Osmose Holdings, Inc.
Osmose Holdings, Inc., manufacturer of wood preservation chemistry and technology, has closed an agreement to be acquired by certain investment funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. of Los Angeles, Calif.
BNSF plans $202 million capital program in Nebraska
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $202 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvement and expansion projects in Nebraska this year.
City Council passes Chicago Infrastructure Trust
The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance to create the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, a way to leverage private investment for transformative infrastructure projects and guide the city’s renewal of these elements in the 21st century.
“Chicago will be a city that shapes its own destiny,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Nowhere is this more important than with our critical infrastructure needs. The Chicago Infrastructure Trust will allow us to consider transformative infrastructure projects and build a world-class infrastructure for our city.”
Mayor Emanuel announced the Trust on March 1, in an event in which he was joined by former President Bill Clinton.
The trust will provide advantaged financing, enabling each project to customize a financing structure using taxable or tax-exempt debt, equity investments and other forms of support. Each project will be coordinated with the city and its sister agencies’ long-term plan for transformational infrastructure investments.
The Chicago Infrastructure Trust was created with the private sector, non-profit organizations and union leaders. An amended ordinance was submitted this week, which calls for one Alderman to be on the trust’s board and clarifies that the trust will be completely subject to FOIA, Open Meetings laws and the city’s ethics ordinance.
The trust will require City Council approval for all projects and will operate as a non-profit organization as it seeks projects.
The trust passed by a vote of 41-7.
HART begins construction on columns, foundations
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation will begin on the first section of the elevated guideway for the rail transit system. With all the necessary state and federal approvals needed to move forward in hand, HART gave contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. the green light to begin drilling for the concrete foundation shafts and support columns. The work started on April 23 in East Kapolei near Farrington Highway in the first section of the 20-mile route.
CTA Loop track renewal work begins this weekend
This weekend, crews will begin work associated with the Loop Track Renewal project in Chicago and replace deteriorated rail and track components along the Wells and Van Buren elevated structure.
SFMTA Board approves two-year budget, includes $485 million for rail Infrastructure
The Board of Directors of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which oversees all transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway, approved the agency’s two-year budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 and FY 2014. The fiscal year is July 1 to June 30.
NCDOT to hold public workshop for proposed railroad safety improvement project
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will hold a citizens’ informational workshop regarding the proposed railway safety improvement project affecting railroad crossings on and between Carmon Road and Frieden Church Road in Guilford County. The workshop will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24.
SEPTA issues Norristown High Speed Line construction update
For the past several months, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has been working to complete both planned and emergency construction projects on the Norristown High Speed Line.
IDOT commits $2.2 million to BNSF viaduct replacement project
The Illinois Department of Transportation is committing $2.2 million to complete the engineering and design plans for replacing the BNSF viaduct over Illinois Route 29 in Chillicothe, Ill.
The project will replace the two existing viaducts with a single structure carrying three mainline tracks, a yard track, a service road and a pedestrian walkway.
RT&S launches “Rail Brief” weekly engineering newsletter
The editors of Railway Track & Structures are pleased to bring you “Rail Brief,” a weekly e-mail newsletter that brings breaking news about rail engineering and maintenance-of-way to your inbox. Whether it occurs on or off the track, RT&S “Rail Brief” will cover advancing projects, developing technologies and other updates on rail infrastructure.
Congress passes 90-day surface transportation bill extension
Congress approved a three-month extension of current transportation programs and the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012 was signed by President Obama on March 30, extending the authority to make expenditures from the Highway Trust Fund for HTF-financed programs through June 30, 2012.
Ground breaks to eliminate major bottleneck in Missouri
A groundbreaking in Osage, Mo., has taken place for a new railroad bridge that will eliminate one of the worst rail bottlenecks in the country. The $28 million project received $22.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program.
Illinois high-speed rail corridor work resumes
The Illinois Department of Transportation and Union Pacific will be upgrading Illinois’ high-speed route, Chicago-St. Louis, for future high-speed Amtrak trains, from April 16 through May 25. The improvements for 110-mph service include the installation of new premium rail with concrete crossties and ballast; upgrades to bridges, culverts and drainage; signal and wayside equipment installations and upgrades and roadway-rail grade crossing improvements.