Driven by steady ridership growth, Dallas Area Rapid Transit is on a roll, using alternative project delivery methods and composite materials as it expands its light-rail system and upgrades its commuter rail.
A design guide for three short-span, heavy-load bridge applications using patented recycled-plastic components is now available, reflecting what officials say is an acceleration of industry interest in the material.
Alternative project delivery methods, including public-private partnerships (P3s), may well play an increasing role in New York City-area megaprojects. Officials are exploring the possibility of private sector involvement in a range of upcoming ventures including the $3.6-billion LaGuardia Airport central terminal revamp, the extensions of the Hudson-Bergen and Camden light rail lines in New Jersey, and the $1-billion Goethals Bridge rehabilitation.“We are exploring the possibility of P3s to complement our capital program, and we welcome your ideas,” said James Weinstein, executive director of New Jersey Transit. He spoke at a July 25 forum hosted by Professional Women In Construction and
Map courtesy of chsra California's revised plan uses existing rail corridors wherever possible and starts with a focus on the Central Valley. Related Links: Calif. HSR Authority Chief Clears Air About Project Collapse of China Track Section Highlights Flaws in High-Speed-Rail Program High-speed rail got a sorely needed boost early this month when the California Legislature barely passed a bill to move forward with $5.8 billion in bonds for a 130-mile starter segment through the Central Valley. That vote came just days before delegates converged on Philadelphia for the eighth World Congress on High-Speed Rail, which met for the first
It is essentially a gigantic ditch, packed with equipment, concrete, rebar and thousands of laborers from many countries. It is a hotbed of construction challenges and a momentous sequel to one of the world's engineering epics: the original 1914 construction of the Panama Canal.
As fuel costs and environmental concerns rise in conjunction with shrinking road budgets, cold in-place recycling paving, or CIRP, methods continue to gain interest nationwide. Cold in-place recycling has been used on low-volume roads for some time, but the technique may gain acceptance on higher-volume roads as well.
Related Links: Detailed obituary on William D. Kennedy Fifth International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security, March 14-16, 2012 KENNEDYWilliam D. "Bill" Kennedy, a transit engineering pioneer and a key figure in the development of tunnel ventilation systems for road and rail tunnels worldwide, died on June 23 at the age of 69. The cause was cancer, according to officials at Parsons Brinckerhoff, where he was a vice president and a 46-year company veteran.In the 1970s, Kennedy and a small group of colleagues worked with DeLeuw, Cather & Co. and Kaiser Engineers to develop the "Subway Environmental Design Handbook"
Aided by a presidential extension of Build America Bonds—and, somewhat ironically, by the recession—the $2.5-billion widening of the New Jersey Turnpike in the middle of the Garden State has reached its halfway point, with an average $1 million worth of construction occurring every day.
Using innovative project delivery methods, the Missouri Dept. of Transportation may complete upgrades of 800 bridges in four years—a year ahead of the planned five. But as Congress dithers on enabling long-term federal transportation funding this year, MoDOT may not be able to embark upon another major program any time soon.
Builders of mass transit systems seem cautiously optimistic about the future, buoyed by steady ridership figures and the recent rally to overcome threats to dedicated funding.