Photo: Courtesy DART) DART takes delivery of first rail for the Orange Line to Irving Related Links: DHS Grant Jump Starts Houston Ship Channel Security District Port of Houston Awards Electrical Contract, Approves Green Energy TCEQ Increases High and Significant-Hazard Dam Inspections Travel to and from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will soon involve trains as well as planes. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit board put plans in motion to connect the Orange Line to DFW by 2013. “The 14-mi Orange Line is a key component of a regional rail expansion that will lead to the doubling of DART’s rail network

Related Links: DART Light Rail Scheduled to Land at DFW Airport in 2013 Port of Houston Awards Electrical Contract, Approves Green Energy TCEQ Increases High and Significant-Hazard Dam Inspections Harris County Commissioners Court recently approved a measure to improve security for the Houston Ship Channel with the creation of the Houston Ship Channel Security District. It will be a public-private partnership that will fund enhancements to security technology, infrastructure and processes along the ship channel. With about $31.3 million in grants under the Department of Homeland Security’s Port Security Grant Program, Harris County plans to design and construct a portwide

Related Links: Corgan Converts Natatorium Into Culinary Arts Building New Texas A&M Agriculture Headquarters Breaks Ground UH Freshman Housing Facility Construction Under Way El Paso Boasts Building Activity Frenzy Hanson Installs Modular Bridge at New Braunfels Middle School After opening its new $1.1-billion stadium, the Dallas Cowboys broke ground on a 400,000-sq.-ft merchandise headquarters to meet their fans’ demand for Cowboys apparel and goods. Located at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the building will consolidate and expand existing Cowboys operations. It is scheduled to open in February. Dallas-based developer Bandera Ventures previously built a 103,845-sq-ft facility for the Cowboys

Related Links: Funding for Austin�s Manor Expressway Speeds Project Ahead Transportation Commission Selects Private Firm for Agency Review Fort Worth Street Widening, Improvement Project Under Way Bridge Beams Go Up in Woodall Rodgers Extension Project in Dallas Plano�s Eastbound Parker Road Bridge at U.S. 75 Completed Stimulus Projects Started on Longview Roads Wichita Falls Flyover North to West Ramp Opened $88-Million IH-35 Project in Waco Moves with Bridge Demolition Odessa�s New $24-Million JBS Interchange Opens Sam Houston Tollway Construction Improves Exit Ramps TxDOT Implements Safe Routes to School Program in West Texas Construction Contract Let for Segment 3A of Toll

Related Links: Funding for Austin�s Manor Expressway Speeds Project Ahead Transportation Commission Selects Private Firm for Agency Review Fort Worth Street Widening, Improvement Project Under Way Bridge Beams Go Up in Woodall Rodgers Extension Project in Dallas Plano�s Eastbound Parker Road Bridge at U.S. 75 Completed Stimulus Projects Started on Longview Roads Wichita Falls Flyover North to West Ramp Opened $88-Million IH-35 Project in Waco Moves with Bridge Demolition Odessa�s New $24-Million JBS Interchange Opens Sam Houston Tollway Construction Improves Exit Ramps TxDOT Implements Safe Routes to School Program in West Texas Construction Contract Let for Segment 3A of Toll

Related Links: Corgan Converts Natatorium Into Culinary Arts Building New Texas A&M Agriculture Headquarters Breaks Ground UH Freshman Housing Facility Construction Under Way Dallas Cowboys Break Ground on Mega-Merchandise HQ Hanson Installs Modular Bridge at New Braunfels Middle School The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a construction symposium and discussed a wide variety of El Paso-area construction projects. Among the high-profile projects listed by the chamber are: The U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers at Fort Bliss has $627 million worth of construction projects for bid this year and in 2010. They include: $355 million for three infrastructure

Related Links: Congress Promotes Green-Building Practices with Financial Incentives Adolfson & Peterson Marks Safety Milestone, Earns ABC Award Rider Appointed to Industrialized Building Code Council Corrpro Houston Crew Earns Safety Excellence Award TCEQ Names M.D. Anderson New Clean Texas Member Tellepsen Launches New Brand to Mark Anniversary Mike Kress, VP With The Bayou Companies in Houston, Dies Williamson County recently hired retired Texas Department of Transportation’s Austin District Engineer, Bob Daigh, as its infrastructure chief starting in September. The newly created job utilizes Daigh’s expertise in highway planning and construction. Daigh, who worked previously as director of TxDOT’s Turnpike Authority

Related Links: Funding for Austin�s Manor Expressway Speeds Project Ahead Transportation Commission Selects Private Firm for Agency Review Bridge Beams Go Up in Woodall Rodgers Extension Project in Dallas Plano�s Eastbound Parker Road Bridge at U.S. 75 Completed Stimulus Projects Started on Longview Roads Work began recently on the $17-million reconstruction project of Rosedale Street (Bus. U.S. 287) from IH-35W to U.S. 287 in Fort Worth. The 1.1-mi project will reconstruct the existing roadway from four lanes to six lanes with medians, drainage improvements and a new railroad bridge. The project is a partnership between the city of Fort Worth,

Texas A&M Breaks Ground on New HQ, Visitors Center   09/01/2009 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary celebrates the ribbon cutting and opening of the John and Nancy Anderson House, the fi rst phase of a master plan completed by O�Connell Robertson. Skanska USA Building Inc. team members celebrate the groundbreaking of the Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Texas AgriLife Agricultural Headquarters Building and Visitor Center. The 166,000-sq-ft-building is seeking LEED- silver certifi cation. Frisco city officials and Chamber of Commerce representatives gather at the new Post Sierra at Frisco Bridges development to celebrate the opening. Breaking ground

Photo: NorthGate Constructors The $1.02-billion DFW Connector project, designed to relieve congestion and double traffic capacity on 8.4 mi of state highways 121 and 114, gets under way in earnest Feb. 15. “Work zone” signs are already posted and some speed limits reduced on the corridor through Southlake, Grapevine and the north edge of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where roads will be rebuilt and expanded, ultimately doubling capacity from 12 to 24 lanes. NorthGate Constructors, a joint venture led by Kiewit Texas Construction, Fort Worth, and Zachry Construction, San Antonio, won the contract last year from the Texas Dept.