As its investigation continues into the deadly June 22 crash of two Metrorail cars in suburban Maryland near Washington, D.C., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to incorporate enhanced safety redundancy into its train control system as quickly as possible. The agency also called on the Federal Transit Administration to advise other transit agencies using similar automated controls to evaluate their systems for adequate safety redundancy. Metrorail's control system, which automatically regulates train speed and location, has come under scrutiny after a train traveling at high speed rear-ended a stopped train,
Next year’s World Cup soccer competition is providing powerful motivation on a major transportation project. Gautrain is an 80-kilometer rail line linking Johannesburg with Pretoria, with a spur leading to OR Tambo International Airport, which serves both cities. The route will tunnel underground for 15 km, cross 55 bridges and travel on viaducts for 10.5 km. It involves 6.7 million cubic meters of earthmoving, with a peak work force of 6,000. Phase one, the 20-km airport connector, is currently on target for its May 2010 deadline. It is structured as a public- private partnership, awarded to the Bombela Consortium, made
The Senate has approved former Arizona Dept. of Transportation Director Victor M. Mendez as the new head of the Federal Highway Administration. Mendez, who was confirmed as FHWA Administrator on July 10, joined Arizona DOT (ADOT) in 1985 as a transportation engineer and in 2001 was named ADOT director. Photo: Arizona DOT Mendez led Arizona DOT from 2001 until February 2009 Related Links: Former Arizona DOT Chief Picked to Head FHWA He held the top ADOT post until February, when he and other state agency heads left when Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer [R] became governor. Mendez also played
Faster, stronger and greener elements need to be part of bridge construction in the U.S., accomplished through fast-track project-delivery methods, Accelerated Bridge Construction techniques or alternative materials, according to a variety of industry officials. Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) could contribute to all those themes, said speakers at the International Bridge Conference held in Pittsburgh on June 14-17. “The ABC mantra is ‘Get in, get out and stay out,’” noted David White, marketing manager with Sika Corp., Lyndhurst, N.J., a manufacturer of FRP components. “FRPs will fit all of that, especially the ‘stay out.’” But the higher initial cost of installing composite
A small precast-concrete bridge in New Jersey is being replaced with a hybrid-composite beam structure that could have a service life of 100 years. This is the third project using the technology, which combines a glass-fiber reinforced shell, self-consolidating concrete for compression reinforcement and high-strength continuous steel fibers for tension reinforcement. Photo: HC Bridge Co., LLC Hybrid-composite beam in New Jersey was installed with an excavator. HC Bridge Co. LLC, Chicago, is supplying beams for the $1.34-million state Rte. 23 Peckman’s Brook Bridge in Cedar Grove, N.J. The 50-year-old four- lane, 66-ft-wide, 30-ft-long bridge is considered structurally deficient and is
In a special session on July 2, the Texas Legislature refused to extend the authority of the Texas Dept. of Transportation to build privatized toll roads in agreements with private developers. The refusal comes at the end of a two-year moratorium on private toll-road construction passed in 2007. It is a setback for Gov. Rick Perry (R), who had appointed a Legislative Study Committee on Private Participation in Toll Projects. One member, Bob Poole, director of transportation policy for Los-Angeles-based Reason Foundation, says the committee’s 2008 report concluded the state needs tolling and private capital, although rules should be modified
If a hurricane hits southern Louisiana this year, a critical portion of the roadway that carries almost 20% of the nation’s total oil supply from the Gulf of Mexico should remain high and dry. The Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development on July 7 plans to open the first 4.4 miles of the new Louisiana Highway 1. The eventual 18-mile, 26-ft-high, four-lane elevated route between Golden Meadow and Port Fourchon will replace the existing, flood-prone La. 1 that is slowly sinking. Photo: James Construction Group Temporary piles support a trestle that serves as a work platform over marshes. Related Links:
A turnkey contractor for Scotland’s estimated $2-billion Forth Road cable-stayed bridge is being sought. Transport Scotland plans to invite bids from selected teams this year, aiming to award the contract in spring 2011. For additional stiffening, the bridge will have unusually overlapping cable fans reaching down from two, centrally placed pylons 145 m above deck level. Its two 650-m main spans will be the longest for a multispan cable-stayed crossing, says TS. The bridge is the centerpiece of a 2.7-km-long motorway, of which the onshore sections are included in the contract. Design work was done by Arup Group, London, with
After a 12-month experience rivaling the most hairraising theme-park thrill ride, transportation design firms are finally enjoying a sense of stability, coupled with some optimism about the future. The industry’s biggest influence in recent months has been $40 billion in transportation infrastructure funding from President Obama’s economic stimulus program. Though directed primarily to shovel-ready projects, the stimulus funding is also finding its way to design firms, according to Jim Lyman, chief operating officer for David Evans & Associates, Portland, Ore. Photo: Vince Streano Photography Bridge programs remain strong as a direct result of the I-35 collapse. Related Links: The Top
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