The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is distributing $4.9 billion to 37 nationwide projects through the FY 2023-24 Mega (National Infrastructure Project Assistance) and INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) grant programs. Twelve rail-related projects will receive a total of $1.6 billion; the Pier B project at the Port of Long Beach and the Louisiana International Terminal project at the Port of New Orleans are among the winners.
LOS ANGELES – The LA Metro has announced the Rosecrans Avenue Bridge, as part of the Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation project, has opened.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The North County Transit District (NCTD) has outlined a proposed budget of $585 million which would go toward stabilizing the eroding Del Mar bluffs and a fairgrounds train station.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Hennepin County Board Commissioners have approved another $100 million to help fund the Southwest Light Rail in Minneapolis.
NEW YORK CITY – The Gateway Development Commission has developed a shortlist of teams who will receive the opportunity to respond to an RFP for work on the Manhattan Tunnel.
PORTLAND, Ore. –– RT&S has reported for a while on the transit project in Portland, Oregon known as “A Better Red” for the city’s TriMet system. The agency recently announced that due to the severe winter weather experienced in the region, construction will be delayed one week. This story details both the nature of the disruption and how passengers can work around it.
NEW YORK CITY – For Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway Project, a $182 million utility relocation contract was awarded to C.A.C. Industries. The project will extend the Q train to East Harlem.
OXFORD, Ohio – The $16.9 million multimodal station project has broken ground in Butler County.
ONTARIO – Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have selected Pape North Connect for the Ontario Line Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations contract.
LAS VEGAS – Brightline West launches field investigation work in Nevada, and it will begin to recruit workers to construct the high-speed rail system.
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – Enfield Enterprises, LLC will begin work on a new Amtrak train station in Brattleboro.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The revised budget for the Southwest Light Rail Transit Project is now $2.86 billion.
CANADA, U.S. and FRANCE – Stantec will acquire Morrison Hershfield, a Markham, Ontario-based engineering and management firm. Also, McIntosh Perry, a consulting engineering company in Toronto, Ontario, and Beam Longest & Neff, LLC (BLN), an infrastructure engineering firm in Indianapolis, Ind., have rebranded as Egis, their French parent company, effective Jan. 1.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) has recognized R.J. Corman Railroad Services with a 2023 Small Project of the Year Award for track construction at MxV Rail’s
BISMARCK, N.Dak. – BNSF says construction will “ramp up” this year on a new rail bridge located between Bismarck and Mandan, N.Dak., according to a KYFR report.
BALTIMORE – A joint venture (JV) between Skanska and Fay, S&B USA Construction, has been selected for the $293 million Howard Street Tunnel Clearance Program, commonly known as the Howard Street Tunnel Project, which includes modernizing the historic 125-year-old Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore, Md., along CSX’s I-95 rail corridor.
MODESTO, Calif. – $13 million in state funds will go toward expanding the ACE Express, and $3.2 million will go toward StanisCruise, a vanpool program.
NEWARK/NEW YORK – Gateway Development Commission (GDC) CEO Kris Kolluri today sent a letter to the GDC Board of Commissioners outlining this year’s historic progress on the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP), including the start of construction in both New York and New Jersey and the largest ever federal funding commitment to any modern infrastructure project.
HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. – Amtrak has selected the Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) contractor for construction of two new bridges and associated track work, along with two supporting contracts that will advance replacement of the existing 117-year-old Susquehanna River Rail Bridge.
PUEBLO, Colo. –– RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES –– DECEMBER 2023 ISSUE. Authors: Benjamin Bakkum, PE
Duane Otter, PhD, PE
Stephen Wilk, PhD
David Davis, PE (Retired)