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The John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York is undergoing a $19 billion renovation project, which is progressing well. The redevelopment includes the construction of two new terminals and involves collaboration between public and private partners, as well as community stakeholders. The aim of the project is to create an integrated and diverse airport experience that improves customer satisfaction. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is investing $3.9 billion, while private partners are contributing $15 billion. The article specifically focuses on the ongoing construction of the Roadways, Utilities and Ground Transportation Center (RUGTC) project, which aims to provide a seamless and sustainable customer experience for international travelers. The project involves coordination between various teams to build a multilevel center with parking spaces, electric vehicle charging stations, and a pedestrian bridge. The construction process is complex and requires the integration of existing infrastructure. Additionally, the project prioritizes diversity by awarding contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the innovative construction techniques used to install an 18-million-pound timber roof at Portland International Airport's Terminal Core (TCORE). The project, part of the $2 billion PDX Next program, aims to double the size of the main terminal and create a modern layout for improved operations and passenger experience. Notable technologies used include drones, self-propelled modular transporters, and a curtain wall that hangs off the roof. The design incorporates locally sourced timber to represent the Pacific Northwest's residents, history, and geography. The new terminal area will also feature art exhibits and concessions that evoke Portland's streetscapes. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the Best of the Best 2023 projects recognized by ENR (Engineering News-Record), which represent the highest achievements in U.S. design and construction. The projects include the Microsoft Thermal Energy Center, which features a geothermal heating and cooling system, and the Geowell drilling project, which used drone flights for assessment. Other projects highlighted include the Kings Bay Dry Dock Recapitalization project, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) project, the Orlando International Airport Terminal C, the Orange County Museum of Art, the 1021 O Street State Office Building, the UVA Inn at Darden - The Forum Hotel, the Mayo Clinic East Expansion, the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies and Barry Mills Hall at Bowdoin College, the Riverbend Meats Processing Plant, the Aston Martin Residences in Miami, the Primary Children's Hospital Hybrid Operating Room, the Martin Marietta Texas Quarry project, and the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. These projects showcase unique features, sustainability efforts, and overcoming challenges. [Extracted from the article]

The article lists the top 25 newsmakers, recognized for their contributions to decarbonization and overcoming structural challenges including Sean Beatty, Manager at Turner Construction, Joe Benvenuto, Chief Operating Officer at LIFTbuild, and Robert Buckley, President of Buckley & Co.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a container vessel collided with one of its central pylons, causing the section of the bridge to fall into the Patapsco River. Four construction workers are still missing, while two workers survived and two bodies were recovered. Weather and water conditions have made it difficult to remove the wreckage and search for the missing workers. Demolition crews have started cutting and removing sections of the collapsed bridge, and plans are being made to reopen port channels. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and recommendations may be made regarding bridge design, inspections, and safety measures for ships. [Extracted from the article]

The article highlights the 2023 ENR Global Best Projects Awards, showcasing 31 winning projects from 23 countries. These projects exhibit diverse challenges, innovations, and collaborations across various sectors, with a special emphasis on quality, innovation, safety and teamwork. Turkey's 1915 Çanakkale Bridge emerged as the Project of the Year among three finalists, celebrated in a virtual awards ceremony.

The article reports that the Joe Biden administration's Federal Sustainability Plan requires all agencies to transition to light-duty electric vehicles by 2027 and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles by 2035, prompting a significant shift in transportation planning and construction to accommodate the growing electric vehicle market. It also mentions that the development of a national network of 500,000 publicly accessible EV charging stations by 2030 and changes in tax incentives.

The article highlights the ongoing construction project to upgrade and expand a section of Highway 1 known as Kicking Horse Canyon in British Columbia, Canada. It aims to transform the 70-year-old two-lane highway into a modern four-lane roadway, improving safety and accessibility. It further involves building bridges, viaducts, mechanically stabilized earthwalls, and conducting major excavations while navigating through challenging geological conditions.

The Concrete Preservation Institute (CPI) Foundation offers a program that helps active-duty U.S. military members transition to careers in construction. The program, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. National Park Service, trains service members by having them repair landmark structures on Alcatraz Island and the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Participants in the program have the opportunity to connect with construction companies nationwide and pursue careers in various roles within the industry. The program provides free housing, transportation, and equipment to trainees, and also assists service members who do not participate in the program in connecting with employers and college programs. [Extracted from the article]

Owners and engineers must use higher strength or longer lasting materials and increased quality assurance to repair and build highway infrastructure, whether it is fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) or any other materials. Regional public-private collaborative certification groups are updating for the second time the technician certification programs mandated by the Federal Highway Administration.

Las Vegas is starting to show the strain of 20 years of unrelieved excess in every field. Almost all infrastructure is nearing collapse with roads becoming congested, schools crowded, dwindling water supply and unrelented growth are distorting the market for construction labor and contracting capacity, also the real estate prices are rising.

Technology is becoming very crucial to airport operations from contracting to cabling, flexible and redundant IT infrastructure and IT specialists on construction teams. Owners are creating separate master plans for IT projects or at least creating specific sections within the traditional master plan and the technology team coordinates with every other aviation department to ensure that the projects fit into the overall airport vision.

Many small U.S. ports are expanding as shippers are increasing larger container carriers and are looking for regions with the most efficient systems and capacious infrastructure networks. Construction cranes are working with ship cranes at U.S. ports, where containerized cargo traffic is expected to increase by 350% in the next 20 years, as on 2004.

Designing and constructing airports is the most complicated building type and it has become a constant exercise in adapting to change. The emergence of low-fare carriers in the U.S. means more frequent flights to more destinations with smaller aircraft.

Airport construction projects are incorporating Transportation Security Administration guidelines as security has replaced capacity as the most important priority for airports. A discussion of explosion detection equipment is also provided.

High-speed rail and maglev (magnetically levitated) projects in China, Japan, Taiwan and Europe are examined. Accordingly, these projects are encouraging to rail advocates in the United States, where support for and investments in studies for high-speed rail development is growing. However, high-speed rail initiatives in the U.S. face challenges, not least of with is the securing of finance.

A two-mile section of Wacker Drive is being rebuilt with a special concrete mix that is expected to prevent crumbling. Walsh Construction is the contracting agency for the roadway, which is expected to still be in good condition for 75 years. The concrete mix and construction progress is detailed, and completion is planned for November.

The article announces ENR's 2023 Top 20 Under 40 awards to various professionals in the construction industry including Tahirah Ali, Ryan Bauman, and Rob Best.

The Panama Canal is discussed with emphasis on a program in 2001 to expand and develop it. The $1-billion dollar investment in infrastructure is described and it is hoped it will safeguard the canal's economic future.

A review of the activities that have taken place under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century in its first three years since its enactment in 1998 is presented.

The construction of the Millennium Skyway light rail extension in Vancouver, British Columbia, is discussed. Attention is given to disputes over the design-build contract.

The design and construction of the Fort Washington Way in Cincinnati, Ohio, is described. The new highway will take an estimated 34 months to complete at a cost of $315 million.

US light rail transit systems have the potential to spur land development and encourage economic growth but some pro-road activists say that they are a waste of taxpayers' money.

The Tren Urbano, a new railway system costing $1.7 billion, is being constructed to ease congestion in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. The railway is expected to reduce car travel by 45% by 2010.

The North Carolina Dept of Transportation attempts to complete another monumental project for the state through the construction of a $200-million road project along Interstate 26. Upon completion, the highway would serve as a link between Tennessee and North California and would enhance the transportation accessibility of western and northeastern cities. Reports revealed that the adequately funded project would be completed on its target date.

The Nevada Dept of Transportation's $91.5-million expansion of the interchange linking Interstate 15 and U.S. 95 highway is part of the new transportation infrastructure undertaken by the state to support the casino-hotel industry boom in Las Vegas, NV. Meadow Valley Contractors Inc., the contractor for the project, started the project in Dec 1997. The project is envisioned by state officials to ease the growing traffic gridlock in Las Vegas brought about by the fast paced development of residential and commercial areas in the region.

New Jersey is changing its image from a quiet community to a growing employment center. The shift is made possible by the state's economic progress and highlighted by several infrastructure and transportation projects underway. State Transportation Dept commissioner James Weinstein estimates projects worth over $50 million each for 1999. A major project involves the $2 billion Secaucus Transfer rail hub, which is the major component of the Urban Core Program.

The transportation industry is expected to surge in 1999 with the passing of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. The bill has provided a total of $217 billion for the construction of highways and mass transit over the 1998-2003 period. Matching money from state governments are also expected to keep road construction running all around the country. In addition, aviation work also continues to grow in all regions as airports renovate their terminals and runways. However, states claim that this surge may shrink bidding lists and raise project costs.

Utah Dept of Transportation (UDOT) executive director Tom Warne commends the construction work on the Interstate 15 project, being the first and biggest design-build project in the state. The $1.5 mil project is overseen by Wasatch Constructors, and has always been ahead of schedule thanks to a system of incentives which provides hefty sums for contractors. UDOT is chronicling every stage of the construction process to serve as the model for state governments in road infrastructure projects.

Railroads are poised for a revival with 200 new railroad construction projects slated under The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Light rail systems account for 10% of the projects and among the highest-profile ones are the Long Island Rail Road extension into midtown Manhattan, extensions in Philadelphia and new routes in the Northwest. Major cities are also counting on TEA-21 to upgrade their heavy commuter and high-speed rail lines. Freight lines are also being resurrected as owners seek profits competing with the trucking industry.

State governments are debating over the move to reform the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). ISTEA is expected to establish new spending levels and formulas for allocation of transport funds. Officials are hoping that the reauthorization of the funds are adequate for US highway maintenance.

The article focuses on the ENR (Engineering News-Record) Best of the Best Projects of 2022. It highlights the top 20 construction projects in the U.S. that were completed between May 2021 and May 2022. It is reported that the projects were selected based on their teamwork, safety, overcoming challenges, innovation, and quality.

The article discusses the ongoing construction of the Corridor H, a four-lane highway, connecting rural and isolated areas to major markets including Washington, D.C. It discusses the challenges faced by construction crews, including building roads through heavily forested areas and mountains to reach the site, and the importance of this project in promoting economic development in the region. It also discusses the Appalachian Development Highway Program.

The article announces winners of the periodical Newsmakers, individuals who have made a significant impact on the industry and their communities with their experiences, including Kevin Antonelli, Chad J. Basinger, and Sean P. Clifton.