The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), along with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and city of Las Vegas, has begun construction on Project NEON, a public works project that will entail an investment of about $1bn.Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. is the general contractor for the project under a $559.4m design-build contract, with Atkins North America serving as the project's lead designer.Project NEON will widen 3.7 miles of Interstate 15 between Sahara Avenue and the ‘Spaghetti Bowl’ interchange in downtown Las Vegas. At present nearly 300,000 vehicles pass through this route daily, with 25,000 lane changes per hour. Traffic through the corridor is expected to double by 2035.Project NEON will include an 81ft-tall, 2,606ft-long High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) flyover bridge that will also accommodate carpool traffic along part of the route.The project will also convert the two existing I-15 express lanes into a general purpose and HOV lane, thus creating 22 consecutive miles of carpool lanes.Other proposed upgrades include extending Grand Central Parkway over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, and connecting to Industrial Road for improved resort corridor access and mobility.When completed in mid-2019, Project NEON will reduce travel delays by 28%, creating $110m in annual savings through increased productivity. It will create 4,000 jobs in the region.
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority has broken ground on the $743m 183 South Expressway project.The eight-mile expressway will stretch from US 290 to State Highway71, tripling capacity on a corridor that carries more than 60,000 vehicles each day. It will have three tolled lanes in each direction in the middle of US 183, while the existing US 183 will be rebuilt with up to three non-tolled general purpose lanes in each direction.The new road will provide a non-stop, signal-free route to and from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The project will also include a $25m investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The project will preserve the Montopolis Steel Truss Bridge by transforming it into a bicycle and pedestrian bridge that will connect to a new trail head at the Colorado River below.Construction is expected to last about four years and take place in two phases. Phase one improvements, between US 290/290 Expressway and TechniCenter Drive, are scheduled to be completed in 2019. The second phase, stretching up to SH 71, is expected to be finished a year later.Mobility Authority chairman Ray Wilkerson said: "Beginning work on the 183 South Expressway project is a tremendous win for Central Texas as we build a stronger transportation network and enhance one of our area's key corridors, which hasn't seen an upgrade this significant since it was built more than 50 years ago."The Mobility Authority's hope for this roadway is that it will support broader efforts of making this region and city increasingly liveable and accessible for years to come."
The government of Canada has announced an investment worth over CAD170m ($131.2m) to protect and preserve Parks Canada’s five historic canals in Quebec.Parks Canada, an agency of the government of Canada that is operated by the Minister of the Environment, will use the funding for projects including reconstruction work on the walls of the Lachine Canal, on the lock of the Carillon Canal, and on the locks and bridges of the Chambly Canal.The investment will be used to upgrade and reconstruct heritage buildings such as the Chambly Canal superintendent’s house and to construct structures that preserve biodiversity, such as the Vianney-Legendre Fish Ladder on the Saint‑Ours Canal. Further, service areas and footpaths will be constructed for the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal.Minister of environment and climate change Catherine McKenna said: “Through this significant investment, our government is protecting and preserving these treasured places, while supporting local economies, contributing to growth in the tourism sector, and enhancing the charm and attractiveness of these heritage sites.“I encourage Canadians to visit and experience Parks Canada’s special places and to enjoy the outdoors, while learning about our rich history and heritage.”
The board of directors of the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) has chosen to award a $108m contract to O.C. Jones & Sons for the construction of a 9.5-mile roadway project in California.The scope of the contract will include the construction of the infrastructure and station platforms for AC Transit’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, which is being developed in three separate projects. O.C. Jones & Sons received the contract for the third project.
Granite Construction has won a $209m contract for modification of the 59/20 interchange in Alabama, US.The scope of the contract, awarded by the Alabama Department of Transportation, will include the construction of the interchange at I-59/20 and I-65 on the northwest side of the Central Business District in Birmingham.In addition, work will involve the construction of new direct connector bridges to downtown, widening of existing bridges, replacement of crossover bridges, and upgrades to main lane pavement.Construction on the project is expected to commence in early 2016, and will be completed by the end of 2018.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport general manager Miguel Southwell has unveiled details of the airport’s capital plan.Dubbed ATLNext, the 20-year capital plan will include upgrades to atrium and the exterior of the domestic terminal.
A joint venture (JV) of Granite Construction Company, Fluor, and Ames Construction has won a $917m contract from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to build the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in Phoenix, Arizona.
Ferrovial Agroman has won a contract from the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to design and build a 22-mile section of high-speed railway line in the Central Valley, California.
The Lane Construction Corporation has secured a $108m contract to build the final section of the I-85 widening project from north of Lane Street (Exit 63) to north of the U.S. 29/601 Connector in North Carolina.
Construction is set to start on the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge replacement project in Dare County, North Carolina.
Purple Line Transit Partners, a consortium including Meridiam, Fluor Enterprises, and Star America, has won a contract to design-build, finance, operate and maintain the $2bn Purple Line light rail transit public-private partnership project in Maryland, US.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has signed an agreement with the city’s major airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a $1.3bn infrastructure project at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois.
Construction is underway on GO Transit’s new $859.2m East Rail Maintenance Facility in Whitby, Ontario.
Construction work has commenced on the $113m South Bay Rapid project in California.
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has agreed to provide $300m in extra funding for two railway projects in Los Angeles County, California.
New York’s LaGuardia Airport has faced criticism for many years, but now the domestic airport is due to be reconstructed as part of a $4bn plan announced by New York governor Andrew Cuomo.
TransEd Partners, a consortium between EllisDon, Bechtel, Bombardier and Fengate Capital Management, has achieved financial closure on the $1.8bn Valley Line LRT Stage 1 tram project in Edmonton, Canada.