Canada's National Energy Board granted approval in December to the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project, which would string a natural gas pipeline from the upper-reaches of the Northwest Territories, Canada, 745 miles south into Northern Alberta. Before the $16.2-billion project can proceed, backers must put in place a funding framework. Image: Walter Konefal for ENR "Mackenzie needs to compete on a supply-cost basis with other sources of supply," says Pius Rolheiser, Calgary-based Mackenzie project spokesperson." It remains the critical challenge today to be cost- competitive with shale gas, liquefied natural gas and potential Alaska projects." While Mackenzie runs primarily south, staying
Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. beat out six other bidders to win a $127-million design-build contract to construct Portland, Ore.’s first crossing of the Willamette River in more than 37 years. The 1,720-ft cable-stayed bridge with a 780-ft main span will carry only light rail, cyclists and pedestrians. The bridge is part of the $1.5-billion, 7.3-mile Orange Line project from Portland to neighboring Milwaukie, scheduled to open in 2015.
A joint venture led by Dragados USA, New York City, and Tutor Perini Corp., Sylmar, Calif., is now able to begin revising its best-value winning bid to build a 1.7-mile, 55-ft-diameter deep bore tunnel beneath downtown Seattle. Tunnel Partners, which also includes Frank Coluccio Construction Co., Tukwila, Wash.; Mowat Construction Co., Kent, Wash.; HNTB Corp., Kansas City; and Spanish firm Intecsa, Madrid, submitted the favored best value proposal with a $1.09 billion bid plus technical credits that totaled 71,577,000, for a resulting best value score of 1,018,123,002, the Washington State Dept. of Transportation announced Dec. 9. Photo: WsDOT Seattle tunnel’s
The Israeli government has approved nationalizing the Tel Aviv metro light railway project in hopes of jump-starting the estimated $3-billion project after five years of delay. Two months after canceling a private consortium’s proposal, the government says it will finance construction from the state budget. The state-owned Metropolitan Mass Transit System Co. will oversee the project. The 22-km line will link Petah Tikva north of the city to Bat Yam in the southwest. About $390 million in route planning and design is set for completion by the end of 2011. The rail line, now expected to be completed in 2017,
Congress has approved a three-month extension of airport construction grants and other Federal Aviation Administration programs. The bill, which would authorize FAA programs through March 31, next goes to the White House for President Obama's expected signature. Final congressional action came on Dec. 18 when the Senate approved the measure by unanimous consent. The House had passed the bill on Dec. 2. The new stopgap is the 17th FAA extension since Sept. 30, 2007, when the last multi-year aviation authorization expired. The current extension�stopgap number 16�expires Dec. 31.
Thousands of piles dot the Middle Eastern desert, spreading out in a T-shaped formation. They are the foundations of what will become a 700,000- square-meter airport terminal—and one of the foundations of Abu Dhabi’s ambitious 21st-Century infrastructure plan. The emirate’s long-term goal, to become a top destination for world trade and a cultural crossroads for the East and West—is getting an upgrade. The project now includes green-building and sustainability goals, as well as a growing number of western engineers and consultants brought in to help manage the $2.5-billion Abu Dhabi International Airport expansion and a slew of other projects. “There
With most of the world’s economies still searching for a way out of their economic woes, global transportation design and construction firms are finding solace in markets that largely have escaped the downturn’s most devastating effects. Photo: Courtesy of Aecom Hong Kong’s XRL costs $8.6 billion. Photo: Courtesy of Parsons Brinckerhoff The list of Asian projects includes the expansion and modernization of the Indira Gandhi Airport. Related Links: Overview: Finding Work in Tough Times View Complete Global Sourcebook with Rankings General Building: Firms Say World Market Is Thawing, Albeit Slowly Power: Growing Demand Fuels Worldwide Boom Environment: Global Expansions Yield
Akey reconstruction of a major route in Kansas City is wrapping up this month, featuring a dramatic cable-stayed bridge. The Missouri Dept. of Transportation credits design-build, which it rarely has used, with slashing years off the $245-million “Interstate Connections” (kcICON) project. It was originally slated to finish next July and will be within its $245-million budget. Photo: Courtesy of MODOT New cable-stayed bridge rises over the Missouri River. Construction began in April 2008 on the project to widen and reconstruct the 4.7-mile-long Paseo Corridor that carries Interstate 29/35 from North Kansas City into the northeastern corner of Kansas City’s downtown
Getting supersized prefabricated steel modules to the Kearl oil-sands project in Alberta is proving to be the toughest part of the job for Canada’s Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil Canada. The evidence is in Lewiston, Idaho. Photo: Courtesy Imperial Oil Photo: Courtesy Imperial Oil Equipment modules, right, shipped from South Korea are parked in Idaho, more than 1,300 miles from their destination in northern Alberta’s oil fields. As part of the companies’ $8-billion construction project to produce as much as 345,000 barrels per day of oil roughly 45 miles north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Imperial Oil sourced 207 prefabricated specialized bitumen
There was no shortage of takers for the $1.2 billion in federal passenger-rail funds that newly elected Republican governors in Wisconsin and Ohio said they don’t want. U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced on Dec. 9 that 14 states may divide the $1.2 billion that earlier had been awarded to Wisconsin and Ohio. California will get the largest share of the turned-back funds, $624 million. Many observers will be watching Florida to see whether the $342.3 million the Sunshine State gets in the redistribution will be enough to keep alive a proposed Tampa-Orlando rail line. Governor-elect Rick Scott
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