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Florida’s Department of Transportation has broken ground on the second phase of the SunRail system in Florida. The $187m project is the first extension of the commuter rail system, which opened on May 1, 2014 and currently serves 12 stations between DeBary, in Volusia County, and Sand Lake Road, south of Orlando’s city. The expansion project, awarded to Middlesex-Herzog joint venture, is a 17,2-mile extension of the existing SunRail service and will include four new stations at Meadow Woods, the Tupperware Station, the Kissimmee Station adjacent to the current Amtrak station and the Poinciana station. Other features of the project include grade crossing improvements, the construction of vehicle storage and layover facilities at the Poinciana station, the installation of a second track and an upgraded signal system. The construction work is expected to be completed in about two years, opening to passengers in 2018.
Sound Transit has broken ground on the $3.7bn East Link light rail extension project that will connect Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond's Overlake area and Microsoft campus.The 14-mile light rail will provide 24-minute trips from Bellevue to Westlake Station in downtown Seattle.Contractors have started site preparation just south of downtown Bellevue near East Main Street and Northeast 112th Street, where a tunnel portal will allow trains to transition from the surface to a 1/3-mile-long tunnel before re-emerging at the surface near Northeast Sixth Street.East Link's 10 stations are expected to open in 2023. By 2030, East Link is likely to carry about 50,000 people daily.
Panama has signed a $2.6bn agreement with Japan to finance the construction of Line 3 of Panama's Metro.Touted be the largest project in Panama since the expansion of the Panama Canal, Line 3 of the Panama Metro will be 26.75km long with 14 passenger stations.The first phase of Line 3 will meet the demand of 20,000 daily commuters in rush hour in 2020, while the second phase of Line 3 will benefit 31,862 commuters in 2050. Panama president Juan Carlos Varela said in the joint press conference with the prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe: "The funding granted today by Japan is a recognition of Panama's credibility, stability, and strength. Today's announcement proves that our economy is sustained by solid foundations." The contractor for this project will be chosen through an international public bidding. Construction work will commence in 2017 and the metro line is set to be operational by the end of 2021.
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has broken ground on the Metro Rail Transit 7 (MRT-7) project in the Philippines.The elevated railway from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan will be constructed by SMC’s infrastructure subsidiary San Miguel.Estimated to cost PHP69.3bn ($1.49bn), the 23km project will feature 14 stations and take 30 minutes to travel end-to-end. It will also link to the MRT-3 and LRT-1 and serve more than 800,000 passengers daily.MRT-7 will have stations at Quezon-North Avenue, Quezon Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala and San Jose del Monte.The project will be completed in three to four years with the assistance of Hyundai Rotem and EEI consortium.
The state government of Alberta, Canada, has approved $100m of funding for the upgrade of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway interchange with Gaetz Avenue in Red Deer.The project is aimed to improve traffic flow and safety for travelers, local residents and businesses.According to advice from the former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge, Alberta has undertaken a $34.8bn plan to build and upgrade critical infrastructure, including roads, schools and hospitals.As per the most recent figures, every day 42,000 vehicles travel on the QEII in both directions at the existing interchange.Alberta’s premier Rachel Notley said: "Alberta families and businesses deserve safe, modern and efficient roads, highways and bridges. In the past when oil prices fell, governments slashed funding for infrastructure."Albertans paid the price for these short-sighted cuts in longer commutes and lost opportunity. We will not repeat those mistakes."Our Alberta Jobs Plan moves Alberta forward with significant investments in critical infrastructure that will create jobs and build a more resilient economy."Construction work is scheduled to be completed in 2019, in time for Red Deer to host the Canada Winter Games.
A joint venture led by Astaldi and Max Bogl has won a €100m contract from National Company of Motorways and National Roads for the Brasov–Oradea motorway in Romania.
A joint venture (JV) of Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Bouygues Construction subsidiary Bouygues Travaux Publics, along with Egyptian partners Orascom Construction and Arabco Contractors, has bagged the €1.1bn Phase 3 contract for Line 3 of the Cairo metro from the National Authority for Tunnels.
London Luton Airport (LLA) has unveiled plans to build a new £200m light rail link between Luton Airport Parkway station and the airport terminal.The mass passenger transit (MPT) system project is part of a wide-ranging £1.5bn inward investment programme of Luton Council that outlines a 20-year plan for major transformation of the town.LLA has appointed Arup to design and procure the scheme. The MPT system will be a fully-automated, two-way, 24-hour, guided light rail based on latest system technology and design innovation, and when complete will enable more than 2m passengers to undertake a direct journey between the railway station and the airport terminal in less than 30 minutes.Work is slated to begin in 2017 with the system ready for operation by the end of 2020.LLA CEO Nick Barton said: "Improving rail links is a crucial part of LLA's development, and integral to ensure that we provide the best service possible for all our passengers."The creation of a light rail link between Parkway station and the terminal is a significant milestone in the airport's transformation and the first step towards creating a world-class air-rail service."
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Airports Division has broken ground on the new Consolidated Rent-A-Car (Conrac) facility at Kahului Airport, Maui.The cost of the Maui Conrac facility is approximately $340m, which is part of the $2.7bn statewide Modernization Program that is aimed at improving facilities at airports around the state of Hawaii.Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company is the lead contractor of the project and design team is being led by Demattei Wong Architects.Kahului Airport rents an average of 2,200 cars daily. The Conrac will house more than a dozen rental car companies in one location close to the main terminal. The new Conrac will be a three-level structure comprising rental car offices, customer service counters, ‘ready and return’ rental car spaces, and Quick-Turn-Around (QTA) areas with fuel and car wash facilities to service rental car fleets.There will be nearly 3,800 parking stalls for the rental car companies and another 700 dedicated to employee parking.Maui Conrac's new electric tram built on a rail system will eventually be powered by solar energy, which will help the airport reduce its overall carbon footprint. It will also minimise congestion around the airport. The facility will be accessible through a new road that will extend from the Hana Highway to the Airport Loop Road. The facility's decorative feature elements will also serve as an irrigation reservoir with non-potable water for landscaped areas. The reservoir will contain nearly 140,000 gallons of non-potable water that will be filtered to eliminate particles and will prevent clogging the system. This also means more potable water will be available for the community.Maui Conrac will be completed in approximately three and a half years. It will employ more than 200 people on the site and a total industry employment of more than 500 jobs.The project is being exclusively funded by a Customer Facility Charge, which consists of a daily charge of $4.50 to those who rent a car.
DAA, formerly known as Dublin Airport Authority, is set to construct a new runway at Dublin Airport.Estimated to cost €320m, the project will include multiple contracts and packages of works.Dublin Airport received planning permission in August 2007, which got delayed due to the economic downturn and subsequent decrease in passenger numbers. The current planning permission was granted with 31 conditions attached.The 3,110m runway will be built 1.6km north of the existing main runway. Enabling works are set to start later in 2016 with construction of the north runway scheduled to start in 2017. The project will create about 1,200 jobs during its development. It is expected to be completed in 2020.DAA chief executive Kevin Toland said: "We are progressing our plans to deliver the new runway in accordance with the development and pathway for growth outlined in the Government's National Aviation Policy (NAP)."Dublin Airport's North Runway will significantly improve Ireland's connectivity supporting trade, foreign direct investment and tourism."
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.
VINCI Construction has won a €496m contract to build the new La Défense station and adjacent tunnels.The company was awarded the contract through its subsidiaries VINCI Construction France, VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Dodin Campenon Bernard, Soletanche Bachy France and Botte Fondations, in a joint venture (JV) with Spie Batignolles TPCI and Spie Fondations, The contract, awarded by SNCF Réseau, will involve the construction of a new La Défense station under the CNIT dome and extension of RER line E towards the west of Paris (Eole). Apart from the underground structural work beneath the CNIT itself, the JV will also build 1km of tunnel, a 40m-deep and 15m-diameter shaft and a large number of underground pedestrian corridors enabling connections between the RER E and A lines, the L and U lines of the Transilien and the T2 Tramway.Extending the E line and building the new CNIT-La Défense station is intended to provide commuters with a better quality of service, and connections with other RER lines and the future Grand Paris Express network.The construction work, including the unearthing of 350,000 cubic metres of rubble, will be undertaken without affecting the daily operations of all the CNIT offices, shops and hotel.Work on the project will commence in mid-2016 and will continue for just over five years.The project will create 700 construction jobs at the peak period. It will require 4m hours of labour with more than 300,000 hours that will be carried out under work-integration programmes.
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."
Indian construction firm MBL Infrastructures has secured two road development projects worth INR21.3bn ($320m) from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.NHAI awarded the projects on a DBFOT (design-build-finance-operate-transfer) hybrid annuity basis.Construction period for both the projects is stipulated at 730 days. During construction, 40% of the bid project cost will be funded by NHAI and the remaining 60% will be arranged by the concessionaire.
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), a wing of the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry of Bangladesh, plans to build four underground railways across Dhaka in a bid to mitigate traffic congestion.The cost of the first two railways is estimated to be $8.14bn.According to the proposal, a 32km-long subway will connect Sayedabad with Tongi, via Airport, Banani, Mohakhali, Moghbazar, Paltan and Motijheel, at a cost of $5.265bn. It will later be extended to Arranging. The second subway, totalling a distance of 16km, will connect Aminbazar with Sayedabad. The proposed route will go through Gabtoli to Shyamoli, Asadgate, Newmarket, Tsc and Motijheel and will cost $2.87bn.Planning for the third and fourth routes is still in a development stage. These will connect Gabtoli with Sadarghat, and Rampura with Sadarghat, respectively.
Dutch port operator APM Terminals is set to develop a new trans-shipment terminal at the Tanger Med 2 port complex in the Moroccan city of Tangier.Estimated to cost €758m, APM Terminals MedPort Tangier will have annual capacity of 5m TEUs, increasing the port's total annual throughput capacity to over 9m TEUs. It will feature the latest technology and have up to 2,000m of quay length, along with the technology pioneered at the APM Terminals Maasvlakte II Rotterdam terminal. APM Terminals already operates the APM Terminals Tangier facility at Tanger Med 1 port. The 30-year concession of APM Terminals MedPort Tangier at Tanger Med 2 port will complement the current operations of the existing APM Terminals Tangier facility.The new terminal is scheduled to commence operations in 2019.APM Terminals CEO Kim Fejfer said: "Terminals MedPort Tangier will bring important innovation and future capacity into the West Med market on one of the world's most strategic seaways - the Strait of Gibraltar."
Budimex, a subsidiary of Ferrovial Agroman, has secured a project worth about €175m to design and build the Olsztyn bypass in north-eastern Poland.The scope of the work will include the construction of 14.7km of the S51 highway as it passes south-east of the city.It will also involve the construction of two intersections and access roads, 16 overpasses (one for the railway line), two bridges and a pedestrian overpass.Further, Budimex will also improve some other roads in the municipality. The work on the project is anticipated to be completed in 28 months, excluding the winter time.Recently, Budimex has increased its backlog of road projects with the award of two sections of the S7 (between Nowy Dwor Gdanski and Kazimierzowo and in Ostroda), two sections of the S6 (Ploty-Kielpino and Goleniow-Nowogaid), two segments of the S17 (Garwolin-Gonczyce and Gonczyce to the Lublin-Warsaw provincial border) and the Kepno bypass, on the S11. It has also been selected to build the depot for the light railway system in Olsztyn.
MMC Gamuda KVMRT (T) (MGKT) has won a MYR15.47bn ($4bn) contract from Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) for an Underground Works Package for the MRT Sungai BulohSerdang-Putrajaya (SSP) Line in Malaysia.The SSP Line is 52.2km in length, of which 13.5km will run underground. It will have 37 stations, including 11 underground stations.The Underground Works Package involves the design, construction and completion of tunnels, underground stations and associated structures such as portals and escape shafts for the SSP Line’s 13.5km underground alignment from the Jalan lpoh North Escape Shaft to the Desa Waterpark South Portal.MRT Corp CEO Dato’ Sri Shahril Mokhtar said MGKT had a proven track record in carrying out tunnelling and other underground works in the challenging geology of the Klang Valley. “The working relationship between MRT Corp and MGKT began with the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line. This good relationship can now continue with the SSP Line.”
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.”
A joint venture between Skanska and BAM Nuttall has secured a contract from Network Rail to build the new Ordsall Chord project in Manchester, UK.The project will connect Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly for the first time, helping to deliver faster and more frequent train service. It forms part of the Northern Hub project to enhance railway services across northern England.The contract runs from 2016 to 2019. Skanska’s share in the contract will be more than £74m, which will be included in order bookings for Skanska UK in the first quarter of 2016.BAM Nuttall sector director Alan Cox said: “This alliance continues a long association we have had with the railway in the North West and we are delighted to be creating such an important new link with an iconic structure that will enrich the railway heritage and passenger experience in the whole region.”Skanska managing director James Richardson said: “This is a significant part of Network Rail’s plan to stimulate economic growth in the north of England and Skanska is delighted to be part of the alliance delivery team helping to achieve this goal.”
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