City Grill

Basem E. Muallem 
VP | Southern California Practice Builder, Regional Transportation Lead 
HNTB Corp.

“The construction industry is booming,” Muallem says. “There are many projects currently in construction that will deliver on the promise of mobility and connect communities to the things that matter most in the places we call home.” 

In the Inland Empire, the focus has been on transportation and transit. After a slowdown during 2022, highway and bridge starts leaped by 66% in the region to reach almost $1.5 billion. DODGE projects the trend to continue and surpass the pre-pandemic peak of $1.7 billion in 2024.

A key player has been the San Bernardino County Transit Authority (SBCTA), which HNTB is working with on several projects including the I-10 Contract 1, which adds two express lanes for approximately 11 miles. The Riverside County Transportation Commission is poised  to launch an express lane project from the city of Corona to Lake Elsinore with a progressive design-build procurement.

“At HNTB, we are growing and hiring additional staff who are committed to making these connections possible,” Muallem says.