As the economy continues to strengthen, the private sector markets—particularly residential and commercial—are beginning to drive the region's construction activity.
The New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection has issued a request for proposals (RFPs) for an engineering team to help on a $2.4-billion, long-term research and development (R&D) program focused on greening waterways. The Green Infrastructure and R&D Program will use both public and private funding to increase the city's installation of green infrastructure by 2030, DEP says. This includes bioswales, stormwater green sheets, rain gardens, blue roofs, sub-surface detention systems, green roofs, porous pavement, permeable pavers, and constructed wetlands.The program aims to “significantly reduce the discharges from the city’s combined sewer system, which can occur during heavy rain
CCA Civil, a company of China Construction America, is the “apparent low bidder” for the Dept. of Transportation's (NJDOT) northbound deck replacement of the Pulaski Skyway, says Joe Dee, an NJDOT spokesman.
In some of the regions hit hardest by Superstorm Sandy, utilities—including Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) and Atlantic City Electric in New Jersey; Consolidated Edison and Long Island Power Authority in New York; and Connecticut Light & Power—are putting prevention plans in place to guard against the impact of future storms. Related Links: ENR New York More ENR New York Projects While most utilities were criticized for their storm response, at least one, Atlantic City Electric (AC Electric), garnered some praise. In a recently released Sandy responsiveness study by J.D. Power and Associates, a sister firm of ENR
Photo by Keri Greenwalt The Right Track: Working for a Gilbane-HDR Engineering joint venture, Arpino-Shaffer oversees the $1.9-billion GLX subway project. Related Links: Main Feature: Industry Women Weigh In on the New Normal Green Line Extension Project (MBTA) On the first day of her first job at Perini Corp.—now Tutor Perini—in the 1970s, a male worker approached Karen Arpino-Shaffer's boss and asked, "What the hell is she doing here?""In those days, people said what they felt," Arpino-Shaffer, 54, says. Workers now are "trained not to say it, but as a woman, you can still feel" when you are not wanted,
Private sector construction employment in New York City rose 2.4% last year to an average of 114,875, but wages remained flat, according to a recent New York Building Congress (NYBC) study based on New York State Dept. of Labor employment statistics. Photo by Sue Pearsall Moving Up: Private sector is expected to continue its gradual climb. Workers earned an average of $51,060 in the first nine months of 2012, the latest period for which numbers were available, compared with $50,089 for the same prior-year period and $49,224 for the same period in 2010.“While the relative stagnation in 2012 wages is
The signs of a gradual recovery are beginning to surface for the region's design firms as private sector work—especially for the commercial, multifamily and higher education markets—increases.
Tappan Zee Constructors, the Fluor-led joint venture team working on the $3.9-billion Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project, will face fines of $1,500 per lane per minute if it fails to keep a minimum of four lanes open during rush hour throughout construction, according to an agreement between the team and the New York State Thruway Authority. The nine-part agreement also calls for the team to be fined $120,000 per day for each day it is late in completing the project by April 3, 2018, according to an April 10 article in The Journal News, which obtained the first two parts
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is building an 11,400-ft-long wall along the A Line in Broad Channel, Queens to protect the track right-of-way from washouts should another Sandy-like storm hit the area. The A Line suffered signal, switch, and cable damage when the Oct. 29, 2012 storm hit the region. Photo by Kevin Ortiz/Courtesy of MTA Putting Up Obstacles: Crews are drilling steel sheets 33 ft below ground to protect tracks. J-Track LLC, College Point, N.Y., is building the $15-million wall, which will be located on the Jamaica Bay side of Broad Channel and is scheduled to be completed by May.
Squeezed between towers and tunnels under construction, and with only two street access points, crews are digging away at the third and final phase of the now popular High Line on the West Side of Manhattan. While many questions loom regarding coordination among multiple other parties and future funding for some aspects of work, High Line participants are benefiting from lessons learned from the previous phases and public embrace of the project. Related Links: ENR New York More ENR New York Projects When construction on the first two sections of the elevated High Line park began in 2006, New York