Now that Mineta San Jose Airport has its new 12-gate Terminal B and concourse, an upgraded Terminal A and a Consolidated Rental Car Center and public parking garage, regional passengers can now take the time to absorb the enhanced, modern atmosphere and, literally, bask in its glow. The $1.3-billon project, almost a decade in design and development, certainly improves Silicon Valley�s main transportation hub operationally, but it does something else as well: It enhances the region�s image. Or, as Steve Weindel, Gensler�s principal in charge of design, put it: The designers set out to �create an iconic building that people

In late July, four 1,200-ton, 165-ft-long steel segments were erected to become a tower for the $6-billion San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge’s self-anchored suspension span. Photo Courtesy Of Caltrans Steel tower legs are lifted into place for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge’s self-anchored suspension span. Under a $1.43-billion contract, the joint venture of American Bridge, Coraopolis, Pa., and Fluor Corp., Irving, Tex., used a strand-jack gantry positioned atop the erection tower to pull the segments off a barge, lift them straight up over the tower foundation, then lower them into place. The first four tower sections, fabricated by ZPMC in Shanghai,

As David Kalb, our Wednesday question-and-answer columnist for the Daily Pacific Builder delves into contractor licensing issues, we always find satisfaction knowing there is someone in Sacramento who knows what to do no matter what the problem. But recently, Kalb, who is president of Capitol Services Inc., found a subject that is definitely sensitive to all California contractor firms and has an overall solution that is going to be extremely difficult to get to. Here’s part of his column: Who is and who isn’t a “real” American citizen is one of the top issues of our day. As a nation

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors this week voted 8-3 to approve the environmental impact report for the 720-acre Hunters Point Shipyard redevelopment project, a major step in the progress of developer Lennar�s decade-long endurance test. The board is scheduled to vote for final approval of the project on July 27. Just prior to the board meeting, the San Francisco City Controller released an economic impact report on the project. Among the many benefits, the report found that at buildout, the project is expected to increase the city�s property tax base by approximately $11 billion, contribute $6.4 billion to $6.6

Last month, San Francisco voters approved Proposition B, a $412-million �Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response� bond that will cover the first phase expense of seismically upgrading a number of neighborhood fire stations and emergency water systems and construct a new public safety building in Mission Bay. This is great news for construction and design firms in the city, since these projects mean ongoing jobs. The Emergency Firefighting Water Supply System, officially called the Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS), is an independent high-pressure water supply system dedicatedto fire protection. It was built in 1913 in response to the 1906 Great Earthquake.

Skanska USA Civil West and AECOM Technical Services were selected the design-build team on the first phase of the $810-million Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension project, which broke ground last weekend at a ceremony in Arcadia. Photo: Gary Leonard Many of the public officials on hand for the groundbreaking event take a turn behind the golden shovels. The tracks where the Gold Line will run are in back of the bulldozer. The Monrovia Metro station Photo: Leo Jarzomb Artist Andrew Leicester looks over his architectural model of the proposed Metro Gold Line Extension bridge that will cross over the 210

Richard Hale, who runs his family business, the Hale Corp., a small contractor in Monrovia, Calif., has been a longtime supporter of Pasadena Ronald McDonald House. He has been on the volunteer board since 2005 and served as board vice president for two years. As a board member, his role includes fundraising and chairing events for the charity. In addition, his family business and his parents have been supporting Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House since the early 1990s. Ronald hangs out in front of the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House, which is planning an expansion. In 2008, Richard’s then three-year-old son,

In a board hearing on May 20, the California Transportation Commission approved a request from Caltrans and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority to use a public-private partnership on phase two of the Presidio Parkway project. Image: San Francisco County Transportation Authority Second phase of new Golden Gate Bridge approach would bypass public engineers’ union. The $1-billion project, which will demolish the current Doyle Drive southern approach to the Golden Gate Bridge and construct a six-lane replacement facility through the Presidio park, is currently in the first phase, which includes the first four contracts; contracts five through eight now would

In a board hearing Thursday, the California Transportation Commission approved a request from Caltrans and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority to use a public-private partnership on phase two of the Presidio Parkway project. The $1 billion project, which will demolish the current Doyle Drive southern approach to the Golden Gate Bridge and construct a six-lane replacement facility through the Presidio park, is currently in the first phase, which includes the first four contracts; contracts five through eight would now be financed through a private developer. The CTC approval was applauded by the governor and the American Council of Engineering

The Great Recession has enabled the California Department of Transportation to save approximately $2.4 billion in construction costs for major projects since 2006 due to competition and some bids coming in up to 40% less than estimates, says Kris Kuhl, supervising transportation engineer and official chief for contract awards and services at Caltrans. Overall, Kuhl says that so far this fiscal year, project bids are averaging 33.8% under estimates. CALTRANS Doyle Drive project in San Francisco. CALTRANS A simulation of the Caldecott Tunnel fourth bore project. The savings, obviously, means that Caltrans can push for more transportation construction starts, Kuhl