Scott Van Voorhis

Public-private team under pressure to finish New Champlain bridge by Dec. 21

But developers chafe at new fees to support an added $2.1 billion in infrastructure investments.

Shade tents and frequent water breaks are part of the strategies Kris Comon uses for dealing with 100°-plus temperatures and a punishing sun at a two-story building being constructed in Phoenix.

Canada has prided itself on innovative use of public-private partnerships to build major infrastructure projects. But critics, including public employee unions, argue in new analyses that P3s cost taxpayers more than government procurement methods.

Jesse Ely, a union ironworker, can thank a net designed to catch falling debris for saving his life after a harrowing fall from the edge of a Seattle high-rise building.