Anearly 7,000-ft-long railroad bridge is undergoing an extreme $35-million makeover over the Hudson River, thanks to hundreds of precast concrete panels, community zeal and the windblown determination of engineers and contractors. When completed by October, the revamped 121-year-old Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge may be the world’s longest pedestrian bridge at 6,768 ft, say officials. Photo: Bergmann Associates Old railroad bridge will become a soaring walkway over the Hudson River when it opens later this year. Photo: Bergmann Associates Work in high winds over the river was a challenge. The historic bridge’s 3,094-ft-long, 25-ft-wide main span consists of seven trusses supported on
Much to the relief of Miami officials, the Florida Dept. of Transportation and the Miami Access Tunnel (MAT) consortium have reached agreement on commercial terms for the revived $1-billion Port of Miami Tunnel project. MAT, led by Paris-based Bouygues Publics Travaux, brought in a new French partner, Meridiam Infrastructure Finance, after its original 90% equity partner, Australia’s Babcock & Brown, bailed out late last year. FDOT approved the switch in early May. “We signed an agreement to proceed; now they have to find financing,” says Dick Kane, FDOT spokesman. The state has set a deadline of Oct. 1 for financial
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the Obama administration will propose a remedy for the projected shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund by mid-August, but adds that the White House wants any revenue infusion to the fund to be "paid for," or offset. He also expressed confidence that the problem will be resolved. "It's going to get fixed," he says. Key Senators have said DOT and Office of Management and Budget officials told Democratic congressional staffers the trust fund will need an injection of $5 billion to $7 billion by August or federal highway payments to state DOTs will have to
The one kind of surprise you might want if you were moving more than 500 ft of bridge section would be to have things slip and slide along even more smoothly than expected. That is what happened over Memorial Day weekend in Cleveland as crews moved the Innerbelt Bridge 4 in. to open up an expansion joint. Slide Show Photo: Ruhlin Co. Crews lifted the bolster, which connects the pier to the truss. Using a painstakingly coordinated cast of hydraulic rams and jacks, crews pushed about 10 million lb of bridge section westward. The feat frees up an expansion joint
After five years and six miles of track and tunnel construction, the $898-million Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension project is nearing completion without a single lost-time injury in more than 4 million work hours. Photo: The Los Angeles Metro Massive Los Angeles rail project nears completion with no lost-time injuries so far. “We think this is some sort of a world record,” says Mike Aparicio, project manager for Eastside LRT Constructors, the design-build joint venture of Washington Group International, Obayashi Corp. and Shimmick Construction Corp., which holds the $600-million construction contract. “We have not been able to find [any other
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission selected KTU Constructors to replace 554 bridges across the state over the next four years under a $487-million design-build contract. Combined with another 248 bridge projects the Missouri Dept. of Transportation has awarded, Missourians are scheduled to be be driving across 802 new bridges by Oct. 31, 2014. The full program is expected to cost $700 million. MoDOT will sell bonds to finance the program, repaying them with annual payments of $50 million it receives from the federal bridge funds each year. Over the life of the project, that method is expected to save
A team led by Parsons Brinckerhoff and HOK bested four other high-profile groups to design a $180-million regional intermodal transportation center in Anaheim, Calif. The project is the first of what could be a three-phased effort for expanded regional rail service and a possible high-speed line to Las Vegas. The Anaheim City Council selected the team on May 26 for the $24.3-million design contract over teams led by RMJM, linked with Gehry Partners and AECOM; Parsons Corp. and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill; Pelli Clarke Pelli Architect and AAI Architects Inc.; and Foster + Partners and Gruen Associates. Anaheim Public Works
The Highway Trust Fund, which had to be rescued last September, is facing another big shortfall this summer and will need a new infusion of $5 billion to $7 billion by August to avoid a slowdown in spending, key senators say. Photo: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Majority Staff Senate committee leaders Boxer (above) and Inhofe (below) raise warnings about looming problems in highway fund. Photo: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Majority Staff Obama administration and U.S. Dept. of Transportation officials have said that the trust fund will not have enough cash to cover commitments to states for
The one kind of surprise you want when you have gone to great lengths to plan the moving of an entire bridge section is when things slip and slide along even more smoothly than expected. That’s what happened last weekend in Cleveland. It is a story of planning, good luck, checked calculations and final success. Photo: Ruhlin ws removed anchor bolts from bolster between pier cap and truss. Photo: ODOT Over 500 ft of Innerbridge was moved 4 in. to open up expansion joint. Using a painstakingly coordinated cast of hydraulic rams and jacks, crews performed a memorable 4-in. westward
Despite the global recession, a panel of transportation experts meeting in Seattle agreed now is the time to invest in and improve transit systems as part of a comprehensive and holistic solution to pollution and congestion. “The American public had the infrastructure that was once the envy of the world....We let it crumble,” said Patrick Natale, executive director of the American Society of Civil Engineers. “But it’s a new day. We finally have the leadership to take action, and it’s very exciting.” Planning is as crucial as funding. Susan Zielinski, University of Michigan’s managing director of sustainable mobility and accessibility
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