Lori Lovely
Lori Lovely is an award-winning journalist, editor and author of the children's book Isadora's Dance. She has worked for newspapers, magazines and niche publications, covering a wide-ranging list of topics that includes motor sports, construction, MSW, energy, environmental issues, water, animal rights and issues, history, Native American issues and people, real estate and home decor, farming and more. Her degrees in History taught this dedicated professional to research thoroughly and ask detailed questions in order to winnow interesting facts that convey the essence of the story. As a seasoned writer and compassionate storyteller, she accurately portrays the subject in a manner that entrances the reader.
When she's not working on assignment, Lori is tending to her historic Indiana farm, where she raises alpacas. An inveterate animal lover, this vegetarian enjoys spending time with her animals and working in her garden.
Modern Hydrogen's Practical Approach to Decarbonization
Modern Hydrogen, a start-up specializing in decarbonizing natural gas at the meter in order to deliver clean fuel for sectors traditionally difficult to decarbonize, set out to prove its hypothesis: stripping solid carbon from natural gas before combustion is a more practical approach to decarbonizing than managing gaseous CO2 — and can reduce the amount of harmful CO2....
Caterpillar Industry Sales Representative Promotes Diversity
When Yuliya Maslava, industry sales representative of Caterpillar, talks about diversity and inclusion, she's not merely echoing company values. She's the embodiment of these beliefs she and her employer share....
Indiana's I-65 Corridor Accommodates Expanding Population in Whitestown
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is building a new interchange on Interstate 65 at Boone County Road 550 South and redesigning the I-65 and State Road 267 interchange at Whitestown Exit 133....
Iowa Interchange Undergoes Major Redesign Reconstruction
The junction of Interstate 80, Interstate 380 and U.S. 218 in Johnson County is one of the busiest interchanges in eastern central Iowa. Known as the Systems Interchange and located within the cities of Coralville and Tiffin, it predominantly serves the greater Iowa City metropolitan area and is a major crossroads for freight haulers as well as local commuters....
Reconstructing Indy's North Split
In Indiana's capitol, May usually signifies fast cars at the Indianapolis 500, but this year, the month also focused on other kinds of traffic. The North Split in downtown Indy closed on May 15 to allow crews to continue work on the $329 million project to rebuild bridges and roadways that are part of the state's second-busiest interchange....
Gateway Expressway: Tampa's Biggest Project
The Florida Department of Transportation is working on one of the biggest construction projects in Tampa Bay history: The Gateway Expressway. The two-part project consists of constructing two new two-lane elevated tolled roadways that will provide direct connections between U.S....
Nothing lasts forever. When the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) conducted routine inspections of the bridge decks and surface of Interstate 75 over Edwin C. Moses Boulevard and Carillon Boulevard near the Great Miami River in Dayton, Ohio, they concluded that the bridge decks built in 1963 had reached the end of their useful design life....
Arkansas Embarks On Biggest-Ever Highway Construction Program
The state of Arkansas embarked on its biggest highway construction program ever undertaken by the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and the people couldn't be more excited. "Arkansas is a small state with a population of just three million, but this project touches every corner of the state, with a total of 36 projects in 19 corridors," said Keli Wylie, administrator of the CAP Program and alternative project delivery administrator....
Dam Rehab: Bringing Knox Lake Dam Up to Spec
Last June, just as the summer outdoor sporting season was getting under way, trailered watercraft was banned on Ohio's Knox Lake. Knox Lake was created in 1954 when the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife dammed the Kokosing River to create the reservoir for recreational purposes, comprises 469 acres with 11.4 mi....
Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge Gets Replacement
Clinton, Tenn., is getting a new bridge. Rather than replace the existing, aging truss bridge, Mark Nagi, Tennessee Department of Transportation community relations officer of Region 1 in eastern Tennessee, said "replacement was the preferred alternative to a restoration [or] repair for the crossing," in part because this option imposes a less significant impact on the motoring public, but also because a new bridge will enjoy a longer service life than a restored older bridge....
Augmented Reality Comes to Construction Industry
Augmented reality, often considered merely gaming technology, is coming to the construction industry. In 2015, a close-knit team in Palo Alto, Calif., founded Grid Raster Inc., a provider of cloud-based XR platforms that power high-performance and scalable AR/virtual reality/mixed reality experiences on mobile devices....
Built Robotics Aspires to Automatize Industry
Demand in the construction industry has remained steady since the pandemic began, but productivity has slowed continuously over recent years, in part because skilled equipment operators are hard to find....
Nebraska Launches $352M Lincoln South Beltway
Most large cities have a loop around the city center to divert traffic from the downtown area and to enhance traffic flow. Lincoln, Neb., has been dreaming of a beltway since the 1960s, but until the Build Nebraska Act was passed in 2011, designating one-quarter of 1 percent of sales tax for expansion of the expressway system, federal high priority corridors and preservation of the existing transportation system, the Nebraska Department of Transportation wasn't able to commit the resources necessary....
Racing to Beat the Next Hurricane Season
Work is under way to construct a permanent floodgate on Bayou Chene near Morgan City, La., that will provide backwater flood protection for six parishes in the path of Mississippi and Atchafalaya river overflows that result from high water events....
Kansas' U.S. 169 Project Is Back On
Despite being identified as a number 1 priority, the U.S. 169 reconstruction project in Anderson County, Kan., was placed on delayed status in 2017. "Counties from the Oklahoma border all the way to Kansas City said this project was a priority," said Trisha Purdon, executive director of the Montgomery County Action Council....
Upcoming Rental Report to Take Unique View of Industry
The Association of Equipment Distributors has compiled a report that may just revolutionize the American heavy equipment rental industry as it examines management practices and provides granular benchmarking data for this important industry segment....
Indiana's Midwest Mole: 'Legacy to the Future'
For nearly 40 years, Midwest Mole Inc. has forged a reputation as a premiere specialty underground contractor providing boring, tunneling and directional drilling throughout the Midwest, more recently expanding its territory to the east coast, as well as to other cities throughout the country as opportunities develop....
Constructing the North Spokane Corridor
Approximately half of the U.S. Route 395 North Spokane Corridor has been completed and is now operational. The Washington State Department of Transportation is managing the project – a 10.5-mi. north-south section of freeway along the eastern border of Spokane, Wash., designed to improve freight and commuter mobility through the metropolitan area....
Bridge to Nowhere … Long-Finished Span May Open Soon
Five years after Virginia's tallest twin bridges were completed across challenging terrain, they remain closed to traffic — but that may be changing soon. The Virginia Department of Transportation hopes to open the Route 460 Connector bridge that spans Grassy Creek in Buchanan County, connecting southwest Virginia and eastern Kentucky, sometime in 2020....
Crews Address Aging Infrastructure in Northumberland
It's a familiar story across the country as our aging infrastructure deteriorates under increasing traffic loads. In the Borough of Northumberland, the underlying structure of PA 147 and U.S.11 consisted of brick or cement concrete installed during the 1920s and 1940s, according to Maggie Baker, PennDOT spokesperson....
Turner Mining Group … 'Mine-Changing' Innovation
At the age of 27, Keaton Turner wanted to "make mining sexy again," so he decided to "take a swing" at launching a contract mining company. He said he wants people to know how "awesome" the industry is....
Timberlake Construction Tackles Will Rogers Airport Upgrades
Will Rogers, the Oklahoma-born actor, cowboy, humorist, newspaper columnist and social commentator for whom the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City is named, once said, "If you want to be successful, it's just this simple: Know what you are doing....
Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Leads Vital Military Cutoff Extension Project
The Wilmington, N.C., metro area, situated in both New Hanover and Pender counties, experienced significant growth over the past decade, experiencing a 15.5 percent rise in population from 2010 to 2018, ranking 49th in the nation....
Modernizing NYC's LaGuardia Airport
It's been called the most significant new airport project in the United States in more than 20 years. Modeled on the vision outlined by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2015, this project will transform the cramped, poorly lit and dirty LaGuardia Airport into a unified, 21st Century terminal system with improved transportation access, 8 mi....
State DOTs Use Quarantine Time as Advantage for Projects
While some states have halted all non-emergency construction projects, Indiana has decided to take advantage of the lighter traffic to get some scheduled projects done more quickly and more safely. A project already on tap will benefit from a drop in traffic numbers resulting from Gov....
Building a Temporary Hospital in NYC's Central Park
For the first time since the Civil War, a field hospital has been established in New York City's Central Park. Located on the East Meadow in front of Mount Sinai Hospital, according to a spokesperson for the Mount Sinai Health System, 14 tents allocated for patients seriously ill with COVID-19 are designated as part of the response to the anticipated peak of illness in coming weeks....
Pa. Contractors Donate N95 Masks, Negative Air Machines to Local Hospital
In a demonstration of community support, Rycon Construction Inc. donated N95 face masks and negative air machines to St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., to help keep patients and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic....
Historic 1800s Building Comes Down Amid Safety Concerns in Oxford, Miss.
When Tim Smith bought a run-down building on the Oxford city square, he planned to tear it down to make way for a new restaurant. The Courthouse Square Preservation Commission denied permission to demolish the nineteenth-century structure, however, forcing Smith to alter his plans....
Clear Lanes Progressing in State's Most Populous Areas
The second-most populous state in the country continues to grow by an average of 1,100 per day, with state demographers predicting that the populations in five metropolitan areas (Austin, Houston, Dallas, Ft....
Five-Year Plan to Extend SH 146 Near Houston Takes Shape
A 4.5-mi. section of State Highway 146 between Red Bluff and State Highway 96 is undergoing expansion to accommodate increased traffic volume, said Deidrea George, public information officer of the Texas Department of Transportation, Houston District....
Vandals' New Digs Will Be 'Game-Changer' for Athletes
After years of planning, the University of Idaho has finally broken ground on a dedicated basketball arena. Scheduled for completion in 2021, the 62,000-sq.-ft. Idaho Central Credit Union Arena will be the new home for Vandals' basketball, regional tournaments, lectures, as well as "small and mid-size" events, other cultural and special events, concerts and conventions, said Guy Esser, project architect of the University....
Long-Awaited Widening of North Carolina's I-26 Begins
After years of planning, environmental studies and even lawsuits, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is relieved to see the start of a widening project on Interstate 26 between Hendersonville and Asheville....
Construction Software Developer Builds New Offices in Sugar Land
HCSS, a construction industry software developer in business since 1986, is adding a new building and three-story parking garage on its Sugar Land, Texas, campus. Rosenberger Construction in Katy, Texas, broke ground in August on the two-story, approximately 56,000-sq.-ft....
Goodfellow Builds Rock Structures From Ground Up
When California native Ryan Goodfellow moved to Utah in 1994, he gained experience working for an excavation company, but three short years later, he founded his own: Rock Structures Utility & Excavating....
W.F. Delauter & Son to Celebrate 65 Years in Business in 2020
With one International TD6 dozer, Willie F. Delauter and his son, Russell, started a business in Thurmont, Md, in 1955. W.F. Delauter & Son Inc. used that dozer to perform residential and commercial grading....
New Design of U.S. 95 Corridor Coming Soon to Idaho
Several roads at the southern end of the Garwood-to-Sagle U.S. 95 corridor north of Couer D'Alene, Idaho, are being reconfigured as part of a multi-year project to improve traffic flow and safety. The intersection with ID 53 junction near Hayden, Idaho, will be replaced with a unique interchange, while the intersection at Garwood Road will be replaced with an overpass, leaving Lancaster Road as the last signal on U.S....
A Vision of the Future: Inside Nashville International Airport's $1.2B Expansion
Since its establishment in 1937, the Nashville International Airport has undergone numerous name changes, expansions and renovations. The public/military airport in southeast Nashville, Tenn., currently hosts 16 airlines with 585 daily flights, including nonstop flights to more than 70 cities in North America and Europe....
Budco Tricks Out Trucks With Custom Paint Creations
It's hard to miss the purple logging truck driven by Alex "Tater" Opdahl for Whitco Inc. , a trucking company owned by Rick and Barb Whitcomb in Kamiah, Idaho. Whitco was founded on Sept. 5, 1984....
Building Up a Demolition Business
Maybe it's only natural that a demolition contractor prefers to focus on the future rather than look back. National Demolition Contractors Inc. , (NDC) based in San Pedro, Calif., doesn't dwell in the past....
Revisiting an Iconic Image in Construction
A WWII-era poster made in 1942 by Pittsburgh artist Howard Miller for the Westinghouse Company's War Production Coordinating Committee as part of a series to support the war effort has become an iconic image of female know-how and strength....
AMG Demolition Expands, Diversifies Services Offered
Not every family business is small. When AMG Demolition and Environmental Services, Inc. was founded in 2002 by Mike and Annette Gafa Sr., the company employed 10 to 15 people. Today, the company has about 10 times the number of employees....
Team Looks to Turn CO2 Into Pre-Fab Concrete
Carbon Upcycling UCLA/CO2 Concrete, one of 10 teams competing in the final round of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, is hoping to win $7.5 million for demonstrating the most practical technology for turning carbon dioxide emissions into a useful end product....
Potential Rule Changes Would Relax Hours of Service
After years of challenging the rigid hours of service regulations in place for the trucking industry, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Inc. (OOIDA) may be seeing some progress. An announcement by the Department of Transportation is expected this summer, following a fact-gathering phase, of a proposed rulemaking....
Georgia Tech Goes Green With New Building
Nearing completion after two years of construction, the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design sets the bar for green buildings by becoming the first structure in the state certified under the Living Building Challenge, the world's most rigorous green building certification standard....
Seattle's $1.8B Convention Center Due to Open in 2021
When the Washington Convention Center Addition opens in 2021, it will very likely be hailed as one of the most cutting-edge event centers of its kind — certainly in the United States, and quite possibly beyond....
Douglasville Begins Master Plan to Revitalize Downtown
Just 20 miles west of Atlanta, Ga., the city of Douglasville has created a 10-year downtown master plan to revitalize the growing community's center. The city of Douglasville, along with the city's Downtown Development Authority, Main Street Douglasville and the Douglas County Development Authority, challenged the project team comprised of TSW, Bleakly Advisory Group and Croy Engineering with creating a plan for the downtown district....
TDOT Stabilizes I-24 Hillside After Landslide
The Tennessee Department of Transportation reopened a section of eastbound Interstate 24 two days earlier than expected following a landslide Feb. 23. The slide, which took place near mi. marker 42, dumped approximately 50,000 cu....
Charities, Contractors Pitch In to Help Relieve Tornadoes' Devastation
As part of a powerful storm system that also tore through the Florida panhandle, South Carolina and Georgia, devastating tornadoes decimated parts of eastern Alabama during the first week of March, killing 23, injuring dozens more and leading Gov....
ASR Issues Cause PennDOT to Replace Miles of I-84
A few years ago, Pennsylvania DOT began the biggest project in northeastern Pennsylvania since the Casey Highway was built in the 1990s: replacing Interstate 84 through Pike and Wayne Counties. The highway, built between 1972 and 1977 is “rotting from bottom up,” PennDOT spokesman James May said in an interview with the Pocono Record in 2013....
$12M Project Expands NM 47, Improves Safety
In February, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and AUI Inc., the project contractor, began reconstruction of the NM 47 Peralta roadway corridor from milepost 31.0 to 32.8 through the town of Peralta....
$10M in Federal Funds Allows Vermont to Extend Rail Service
Due to $10 million in federal funding, passenger rail service should reach Burlington, Vermont's largest city, by 2020. In addition, the last sections of track between Burlington and Rutland, which is where passenger service currently stops, will be upgraded....
Geotechnical Exploration Crucial to Construction
“Most of Alaska is pretty remote,” said Sean Baski, project manager, State of Alaska Department of Transportation, Central Region Highway Design Section. It also features some of the harshest terrain in the United States....
Scenic Virgin River Site of $27M Bridge Rehabilitation
A 29-mi. (46.7 km) stretch of Interstate 15 through Arizona is a heavily-traveled commercial route between Nevada and Utah — an economic corridor effectively linking southern California with the Rocky Mountain region that sees more than 1.4 million commercial trucks each year....
Severe Traffic Woes Lead to $270M Spaulding Turnpike Reconstruction
A major project to reconstruct and widen a 3.5-mi. (5.6 km) section of the Spaulding Turnpike from the north end of the Gosling Road/Pease Boulevard Interchange in Newington, N.H., across the Little Bay Bridges to the Dover Toll Plaza in Dover, N.H., is underway....
Utah University Undergoes Upgrades
The University of Utah in Salt Lake is undergoing its third-highest construction peak, but it might be difficult to detect because much of the critical electrical infrastructure upgrades are underground or housed within buildings....
Alaska Spends $43M to Upgrade Dalton Hwy.
The Dalton Highway Reconstruction project in northern Alaska has undergone several modifications as a result of weather-related conditions. Initially begun in 2015 with a $27 million construction contract awarded to Cruz Construction, the scope of the project encompassed reconstruction of the Dalton Highway from mi....
Bittersweet: Chocolate Factory Razed in N.Y.
For more than 100 years, just before a rain, the scent of chocolate perfumed the air in Fulton, a small city in the western part of Oswego County, N.Y., 25 mi. (40.23 km) north of Syracuse. That's because it was home to the central New York plant that produced Nestlé chocolate products for more than a century....
ADOT Spends $14.4M to Replace Hell Canyon Bridge
Crossing Hell Canyon in the Arizona county of Yavapai will get a lot easier once the new, wider four-span steel-plate girder bridge is completed. The $14.4 million bridge replacement project being overseen by the Arizona Department of Transportation involves building a new structure east of the existing bridge and then removing the existing 600-ft....
Project to Commemorate 100th Race at IMS
In preparation for a colossal celebration to commemorate the 100th running of the 500-mi. race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2016, Project 100 was launched to install upgrades and updates at the famous race track....
ConnDOT's I-84 Widening Project Will Make Road Safer
Interstate 84 winds through the city of Waterbury, Conn., with two lanes of traffic in each direction navigating a substandard “S” curve alignment near Harpers Ferry Road. Approximately 125,000 vehicles travel on the 55-year-old highway every day....
Parkway Connects Highways, Divides Opinions
Work on the final 1.7-mi. (2.7 km) section of the Ronald Reagan Parkway is under way, after waiting until after Labor Day in order to accommodate traffic for the NHRA U.S. Nationals at nearby Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, drag racing’s big event....
ConnDOT’s I-84 Widening Project Will Make Road Safer, Increase Capacity
Interstate 84 winds through the city of Waterbury, Conn., with two lanes of traffic in each direction navigating a substandard “S” curve alignment near Harpers Ferry Road. Approximately 125,000 vehicles travel on the 55-year-old highway every day....
Houston Museum of Fine Arts Undergoes $450M Expansion
Like a reworked piece of art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, one of the largest cultural institutions in the country, will present a dramatically altered appearance by the end of 2019, due to a campus transformation of its 14-acre campus that includes construction of two new buildings designed by Steven Holl Architects; a new conservation center designed by Lake|Flato Architects; and a landscape plan that unifies a century’s worth of architectural legacy....
Repaving Crew Gets the Green Flag at ’The Glen’
This summer, the historic Watkins Glen International racetrack at the southern tip of Seneca Lake in upstate New York began its first repaving project since 1998, the same year as the track’s 50th anniversary....
While Bertha Rests, Work Continues On Seattle Tunnel
Work on the new tunnel under Seattle’s waterfront is on hold while Seattle Tunnel Partners repair damage to “Bertha,” the world’s largest-diameter tunneling machine named after Bertha Knight Landes, the first woman elected mayor of a major American city (Seattle) in 1926....
I-90 Creates Safe Passage for Humans, Animals
Interstate 90 is the main east-west transportation corridor in Washington State, connecting the large population and business centers of western Washington with the agricultural industries and recreational areas of eastern Washington....
Nashville Ballpark Opens Despite Challenges
First Tennessee Park, Nashville’s new ballpark for the Nashville Sounds Triple-A Minor League baseball team, has cost $10 million more than planned due to unexpected construction issues. With an initial budget of $65 million, the city-financed stadium has now exceeded $75 million in costs, which include $47 million in construction costs alone, plus $23 million in land acquisitions and $5 million in capitalized cost, as well as $5 million for street and sidewalk paving and new water and electrical lines....
Kentucky Dam Lock Job Reaches Milestone
The Tennessee River sees a high volume of barge traffic carrying mostly coal (11.3 million tons) and crude materials (10.7 million tons) like rock from nearby Vulcan Quarry and sand mined out of the Ohio River near Paducah....
Crews Rebuild I-90 as State-of-the-Art Corridor
The Illinois Tollway is rebuilding and widening 62 mi. (99.8 km) of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a 21st century, state-of-the-art corridor linking Rockford to O’Hare International Airport, as Dan Rozek, senior manager of communications....
PennDOT Replaces Deteriorating Interstate 84
All of Interstate 84, which connects Northeast Pennsylvania to New York State and New England, needs to be replaced, caused by the use of a then-new mixture of concrete in the 1960s. According to a report by the News Eagle, an unforeseen alkali-silica chemical reaction occurred with the rock underlayment, forming a gel inside the concrete....
One of Seattle’s Busiest Arterials Sees Repairs
As one of Seattle’s busiest arterials, with an average daily traffic count of 30,000, Holman Road NW was showing noticeable signs of wear. “[It’s] is in need of maintenance repairs,” said Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) spokesperson Maribel Cruz....
Seismic Retrofit to Strengthen Oregon Bridges
Most of Oregon's bridges were built before modern seismic design specifications were developed in 1990. Five of them along the Interstate 5 corridor in the Portland metropolitan area are undergoing an upgrade in order to meet those specifications so that they may remain passable if Oregon experiences a powerful earthquake....
Project to Transform Gandy Boulevard Under Way
Phase One of a two-phase project to transform the entire stretch of Gandy Boulevard from just east of Fourth Street N in St. Petersburg to just west of U.S. 19 in Pinellas Park began in January 2014. Designed to improve traffic flow along one of Pinellas County’s busiest roads, the design-build project involves transforming the existing roadway into an elevated six-lane facility (three in each direction) between I-275 and MLK Jr....
’Hospital of Tomorrow’ Breaks the Mold in Queens, N.Y.
Over the past decade several hospitals in Queens have closed, but the historic Mount Sinai Queens is doing just the opposite. Last summer it broke ground on a $125 million expansion project. Dubbed the “hospital of tomorrow” by Mount Sinai Health System President and CEO Kenneth Davis, the 150-year-old hospital will add a new five-story building that will feature seven new operating suites, facilities for primary care and a larger emergency department with 36 patient bays, eight observation beds, an off-street “drive-through” ambulance bay, a separate walk-in entrance and a new imaging suite....
WSDOT Earthquake-Proofs Ferry Terminal
One of the treasured memories many Washington state tourists fondly recall is the 35-minute ferry boat ride across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island, where they can bicycle or wander amongst shops, art galleries, wineries, restaurants and a public garden....
Superstorm Sandy Repairs Continue With Rt. 35
When Superstorm Sandy hit the New Jersey shoreline on Oct. 29, 2012, it ravaged many communities with its hurricane-force winds, pounding rain and record storm surges along the coast. New Jersey’s state highway system along Route 35 from Point Pleasant Beach to Island Beach State Park in Ocean County was particularly devastated by the unprecedented conditions....
New Pier Park on Delaware River Has Historic Ties to Philly
The Washington Avenue waterfront, site of the country’s first Navy Yard and Philadelphia’s first immigration station (used from the 1870s through WWI), is undergoing renovation in order to create a pier park for public use....
Native Americans Build Power Plant, Focus on Energy Efficiency
The Forest County Potawatomi Community recently constructed a $20 million renewable energy facility that will convert food waste into enough electricity to power about 1,500 homes. The plant is powered by biogas created in two 1.3-million-gallon anaerobic digesters, according to Charles Opferman, owner’s representative of Greenfire Management Services LLC a subsidiary of the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation and a construction and property management business owned by FCPC....
ASU Students Aid in Campus Project
Students in the Del. E Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University in Tempe have a rare opportunity to participate in building their own facility. Just north of the campus, Tempe-based Okland Construction Co....
New Jersey’s Second Largest University Continues to Grow
One-hundred-year-old Montclair State University, New Jersey’s second-largest university, is the site of construction of two new buildings on its Essex County campus. Over the past 15 years, enrollment has dramatically increased, due to — in Vice President of university facilities Greg Bressler’s words — the “outstanding leadership” of President Susan A....
Super Crane Sails Through Panama Canal
Officially opened in 1914, the 48-mi. long Panama Canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the Caribbean Sea by cutting through the Isthmus of Panama has greatly reduced travel time for ships....
WSDOT Oversees Railway Improvements
State departments of transportation are most often thought of in connection with roadways, but in Washington State, the DOT is busy overseeing railways. Washington State Department of Transportation is the steward of a large transportation system, responsible for ensuring that people and goods move safely and efficiently....
N.D. Airport Undergoes Much-Needed Expansion
The Minot, N.D., International Airport is undergoing a much-needed expansion, with construction of a $40 million terminal which was scheduled to begin this past October. As the fourth-largest city in the state, Minot is experiencing a population growth and an upswing in its economy as a result of the oil boom in western North Dakota....
Work Begins on Cheyenne Prairie Generating Station
Construction has begun on the Cheyenne Prairie Generating Station in Cheyenne, Wyo. Five miles southeast of downtown Cheyenne, within city limits, the new plant will contain three natural gas-fired combustion turbines with a capacity of 132-megawatts and will include a simple-cycle combustion turbine unit that will be wholly owned by Cheyenne Light, as well as a 95-MW combined-cycle unit that will be jointly owned by Cheyenne Light and Black Hills Power....
First Response Team, Cat Aid in Colorado Cleanup
When a slow-moving front collided with warm, humid monsoonal air from the Gulf over Colorado the week of Sept. 9, 2013, it resulted in heavy rain that re-fired on an almost daily basis from New Mexico to Colorado and southern Wyoming....
Port of Long Beach Gets New Bridge
In 2016 the city of Long Beach, Calif., will have a new iconic landmark in its harbor. The project to replace the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge is a joint effort of Caltrans and the Port of Long Beach, with funding contributed by the Port of Long Beach, the California Department of Transportation, the U.S....
Desalination Plant Worth More Than Grain of Salt
Currently under construction, the Carlsbad Desalination Project will become the nation’s largest seawater desalination facility when it’s completed, providing an estimated one-third of all locally generated water in San Diego County....
Start Your Engines: Work Begins on Daytona Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is undergoing a dramatic overhaul intended to create a modern look and feel for the aging front stretch grandstands. The Speedway represents a complete reimagining of an American icon....
VDOT Embarks on Bold Four-Year Job
In 2010 the Virginia Department of Transportation embarked on a four-year project to replace 11 bridges on a 7-mi. (11 km) stretch of I-95 in metro Richmond. It may be unusual to work on so many at once, but VDOT’s goal is to get in and get out as quickly as possible....
Community Lobbies for SR 502 Widening
Ten years ago Washington Department of Transportation officials began an early design and environmental review in regards to widening State Road 502 from two to four lanes between Interstate 5 and the city of Battle Ground to the east....
Ferguson & McCann Inc. Celebrates 80th Anniversary
Delaware County’s oldest mechanical and environmental contractor turns 80 this year. Founded in southwest Philadelphia, Pa., in 1933, by James Ferguson and John McCann, grandfather of the company’s current owners, the company is now located nearby in Aston and resides successfully in the hands of the third generation of the McCann family....
Bay Bridge East Span Designed to Withstand Mother Nature
During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, a 50-ft. (15 m) section of the upper deck on the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge east of Yerba Buena Island collapsed. An interim retrofit was performed to shore up the bridge while the state government made the decision whether to do a complete retrofit or build a new bridge....
Arizona DOT Updates Vital Cordes Junction
Interstate 17 is a vital roadway for Arizonans and a major connector along the state highway system, linking I-10 and I-40. In addition to serving as a major interstate route to move people and goods between metro Phoenix and other parts of the country, I-17 also is the primary route to northern Arizona and the only highway serving the growing communities north of Maricopa County....
Mathis Survives Down Economy by Staying Close to Home
In 1959 two brothers bought a used Cat D6 dozer in Salisbury, N.C., and launched a grading business that’s still going strong today. When they began, Bill and R.T. Mathis cleared land for farmers, adding jobs of clearing roads for the state....
Atlas Survival Shelters Dig Deep for Luxury Recreation — Or for Doomsday
Today’s "doomsday preppers" and people of a certain age are familiar with emergency bomb shelters, but Ron Hubbard, founder and owner of Atlas Survival Shelters in Los Angeles, Calif., began catering to a new clientele in 2011 by marketing them as luxury underground homes for recreational use....
Texas Rangers Ballpark Upgrades, Take 3
The Texas Rangers are at it again. Another series of upgrades to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is underway. “This is the third year of projects,” said Rob Matwick, vice president, ballpark communications....
Sarah Fisher Moves HQ to Ind. Town of Speedway
Within sight of the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the two-acre lot immediately north of Dallara, manufacturer of the cars that run at the famed oval, a new race shop is taking shape. Work on the new headquarters of Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing began Aug....
Snohomish Road Widening Job Adds Lanes, Bridges
When the project is completed in 2014, the 4 mi. (6.4 km) of SR 522 from the Snohomish River Bridge to Monroe, Wash., will feature four lanes with a median barrier to separate oncoming traffic, a roundabout, a noise wall and upgraded lighting and signage....
In the 1970s, a group dreamt of a “Southwest Indiana Highway” connecting Evansville to Bloomington, but it wasn’t until 1991 when Congress proposed a “New National Highway System” that the dream took shape as part of a new Interstate 69 corridor....
Louisiana Museum to Showcase History, Sports
Natchitoches, La., the oldest settlement from the Louisiana Purchase, will soon celebrate divergent aspects of its history when the Louisiana State Museum and Sports Hall of Fame opens next year. The $12.6 million facility under construction on Front Street in the Historic District will showcase two seemingly disconnected subjects within one contemporary venue: sports and history....
Virginia Legislates Selling Naming Rights for Its Roads
Commuters in Virginia may see new names on familiar roads and bridges next year. In an attempt to generate revenue, the Commonwealth of Virginia recently passed legislation including a novel provision allowing the state to sell naming rights on transportation infrastructure....
Family CAT Dealership Renews Focus on Paving
When James Gregory Poole Sr. and his uncle, William Lewis Gregory, founded an equipment dealership in Raleigh, N.C., in 1951, one of the manufacturers they aligned themselves with was Caterpillar. More than 60 years later, that relationship remains firmly in place: Gregory Poole Equipment Company is the Cat construction equipment dealer for eastern North Carolina....
Science Center Builds Unique ’SciQuarium’
Eight years ago, Glenn Dobrogosz, executive director of Greensboro, N.C.’s Natural Science Center, believed the museum needed a new direction — a master plan that everyone would embrace. Searching for something unique to the area, he and his staff came up with the idea of “Science City USA — a single campus with an accredited park, aquarium and school....
Organization Paves Way for IndyCar Racing’s Return
After a three-year absence, IndyCar racing returned to Belle Isle last June, but a triumphant return was marred when the Detroit Grand Prix was red-flagged for two hours to repair two sections of the circuit after the track began to fall apart....
First Proposed in ’58, Triangle Project Proceeding in Earnest in North Carolina
It may not be Bermuda, but some of North Carolina’s commuters might feel a little lost when the state’s first toll road opens next year. The 18.8-mi. (30.2 km) six-lane divided highway near Raleigh-Durham is designed to provide relief from congestion on existing routes between the Research Triangle Park business area and western Wake County to the south....
Nehring Construction Builds Mills Fleet Farm Store
Approximately six miles north of Des Moines in Polk County, Ankeny, Iowa, will soon be able to boast that it is home to the state’s second Mills Fleet Farm store. Ten years after the first one opened in Mason City, the new store will be the first in the metro-Des Moines area as it joins 31 other stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota....
Indy Apartment Complex Hits Home Run
Historic Bush Stadium in Indianapolis had three strikes against it, but instead of being “out,” it got another at bat. Currently under construction, the former baseball stadium that twice made the 10 most endangered historic landmarks list will soon become an apartment complex with commercial space....
National Water Center Goes to College in Tuscaloosa
Construction on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (aka the National Water Center) began in Spring 2012 on the University of Alabama (UA) campus in Tuscaloosa....
States Review Projects for Earmark Funds
In August, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood released $473 million in unspent highway earmarked funds from appropriations acts in fiscal years 2003-2006. Those acts contain provisions that authorize LaHood to make the unused funds available for eligible surface transportation projects....
Amid Name Change, Customer Service Standards Stay High
“There were a lot of good people in Mocksville,” reminisced Dan Marion, former manager of parts marketing and aftermarket of Ingersoll Rand, in reference to the newer Doosan Portable Power Division in North Carolina....
Savannah Harbor Expansion Project Plans Finalized
Charged with responsibility for improving harbors under the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is funded by Congress to study potential harbor improvements that will ensure that commerce has safe and adequate access to ports throughout the country....
Schultz Construction Tackles $18M Project
Traffic congestion, delays and deteriorating roadway were exacerbated when a nanotechnology center at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering of the University at Albany added thousands of jobs to the Capitol region....
Foley Helps Revive N.J. Recycler’s Workhorse
When a driveshaft broke on the used 972G wheel loader All American Recycling Corporation (AAR) acquired from Foley Inc. in 2004, Eric Cliff, customer support representative, suggested a Caterpillar Certified Powertrain rebuild, based on the “value of a certified against the cost of a new machine.” General Manager Bill Gannon agreed....
Middlesex Corp. Tames Tricky Fla. Interchange
Seminole County, in partnership with the city of Cassselberry and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), began an improvement project on state Road 436 and Red Bug Lake Road in October 2011 to improve mobility and safety in the heavily traveled area....
Fulton Street Transit Center in NYC Moves Toward Completion
Ten years after construction began — and seven after its original scheduled completion date — the Fulton Street Transit Center project overseen by MTA Capital Construction is now expected to be finished in 2014....
NOLA Gets Racy With New Motorsports Park
Visitors to New Orleans now have a new entry to add to their itineraries. Just 14 miles from the infamous French Quarter is NOLA Motorsports Park, a $60 million racetrack located on 750 acres in Jefferson Parish....
New Wooden Span to Link Bald Head Isle
Pirates once hid on Bald Head Island, the state’s southern-most barrier island — technically part of the larger Smith Island — accessible only by a 20-minute ferry ride across the Cape Fear River from Southport, N.C....
With fuel prices once again on the rise, there is a noticeable disparity in cost from one region to the next, leaving many consumers wondering why. Several factors affect the price of gas everywhere, including demand, supply and supply disruptions, which, in turn, can be affected by events such as hurricanes and politics, distance from the supply source, competition and federal emissions standards – or even higher environmental standards in some regions, which require specific refining, distribution and storage, all of which add to the cost....
St. Francis Hospital Expansion Just What the Doctor Ordered
Two years after acquiring state approval, St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, Ga., broke ground on its $115 million expansion in October 2011, the largest in its 60-year history. Robert Granger, St. Francis president and CEO, told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that the time was spent “working through getting the financing arranged and the final construction plans drawn.” The hefty price tag covers the cost of construction and installation of medical and office equipment....
AED Brings Holiday Spirit to Charlotte Rescue Mission
On Dec. 5, a chapter of the Association of Equipment Distributors (AED) located in the Carolinas presented a check for $3,000 to the Charlotte Rescue Mission. “It’s not just a check,” responded Tony Marciano, executive director, explaining that the money would go to help women and their children create better lives....
Three States to Feel Effect of Louisiana Corridor Project
When completed, 36 mi. (60 km) of new four-lane interstate will extend I-49 North from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas state line. Divided into 11 segments (A to K), the project is estimated to be completed sometime in 2016 at a cost of $622 million....
Indian Street Bridge Project Replaces, Renames Old Span
By Lori LovelyCEG CORRESPONDENTThe Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is overseeing the construction of the Indian Street Bridge on behalf of Martin County. When completed, the county will own and maintain the bridge, which the County Commissioners have already renamed Veterans Memorial Bridge. Designated for $127 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the contract for this design/build project is $64.1 million....
Tripling Population Spurs SR 365 Resurfacing Project
After decades of traffic, State Route 365/US 23 between Lula and Cornelia, Ga., is in need of repair. After an extensive corridor study of the four-lane, median-divided rural highway, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) designed a project to remove damaged, crumbling asphalt and lay down a new, smooth driving surface from SR 52 in Hall County to the split at SR 17 and U.S....
Work on U.S. 17 Alternate Overcomes Many Issues
Plans to widen U.S. 17 Alternate have been considered for 20 to 30 years, said Steve Ulery, project manager for U.S. Group, Inc. Ulery, who has lived in the area a long time, believes “it should have been widened years ago,” particularly since the housing boom has added a lot of fast-moving traffic to the two-lane road....
Setting Benchmark in Machine Automation Technology
The industry has changed, said Chuck Harris, president of Benchmark Tool & Supply Inc. “Ten years ago we were ’the laser guys’ selling $5,000 pieces of equipment to the guys in the field,” explained Harris....
Farming Solar-Style in Yardville
Completed in February, the Yardville Solar Farm in Hamilton Township, N.J., is the largest of four solar farms that Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) has built to date as part of its $515 million Solar 4 All program....
Highland Tractor Reopens Branch
Highland Tractor Co. has weathered some economic storms since it first opened in 1974 in Ocala, Fla. Diversification into agricultural and forestry equipment has helped Highland survive in central Florida, but it’s John Deere’s “yellow line” of construction equipment that has always been the company’s main focus....
Wind Farm Requires Major Earthwork
Before the massive wind turbines could be erected at White Oak Wind Farm, in McLean County northwest of the Bloomington/Normal metropolitan area in Illinois, the groundwork had to be laid — literally....
Construction Industry Assists in Tornado Aftermath
Two weeks into an emergency response in North Carolina, where his First Response Team of America crews were clearing roads and home sites, founder Tad Agoglia got word that “the worst tornado in history” hit nearby....
Jefferson Davis Library Receives New Home
Damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum at Beauvoir is undergoing a transformation in a new location. The library opened in 1997 as a research center and museum to Davis’ life and times, but the building, along with many artifacts housed on the first floor, such as a giant First National flag that flew over the Spotsylvania Hotel in Richmond, Va., sustained significant damage during the storm....
For a Good Causeway: Addition of Ramps on Louisiana Roadway
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD) is working on the sixth of eight projects to widen Interstate 10 through Jefferson Parish east from Kenner to New Orleans. The sixth stage of the project includes two phases to improve the efficiency of a heavily traveled interchange in Metairie, a city just west of New Orleans....
Army Corps Works to Avert Catastrophe
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is midway through a 20-year, $300 million construction project to fully stabilize Bluestone Dam, located on the scenic New River near the town of Hinton in southern West Virginia....
Two-Part Pontoon Project Set for Washington Bridge
As it nears the end of its useful life, the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge that carries State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina is the focus of two projects, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation....
Off the Island: Skidaway Span Replacement Accelerated
Skidaway Island, a barrier island off the coast of Savannah, Ga., bordering Skidaway Straights, which is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, is linked to the mainland by Skidaway Narrows Bridge....
Boaters Nightmare Coming Down Over the Mighty Miss
It’s known for sustaining more barge collisions than any other bridge on the Mississippi River, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT). It even took a hit in 1951 when a jet pilot from nearby Greenville Air Force Base crashed into it while attempting to fly under it....
Tiger Dams Assist in Cleanup Efforts in Louisiana Oil Spill
Editorial note: This is a firsthand look at First Response Team of America’s early days of working on the Gulf Coast to clean up the oil spill. It does not reflect the progress that has been made to date....
Leveling the Field: Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation
By Lori LovelyCEG CORRESPONDENTThe Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD) around Florida’s Lake Okeechobee is undergoing extensive rehabilitation due to flooding, seepage and leakage issues. Considered one of the country’s six most at-risk of failing, the earthen dike system encircling the lake consists of 143 mi....
Picayune Strand Restoration Project Sets High Standards
Although many construction projects begin with a certain amount of demo work, the Picayune Strand Restoration Project takes that practice to the extreme by trying to eradicate all signs of development and restore an area of native wetlands to pristine condition....
Council Bluffs Interstate Systems Slowly Expands
It’s been years in the works — and even more years will pass before work is completed — but two of the Council Bluffs Interstate Systems improvements projects are currently under way....
Rounding Off SR 840 Circle Around Nashville
Usually, the motoring public, tired of delays and detours, is anxious for disruptive road construction projects to be completed. But on the SR 840 project around Nashville, Tenn., it’s hard to imagine any motorist as eager to see the end as the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the contractors working on the project....
Former Golf Course Transformed Into Car Dealer Central
Choosing a driver has a whole new meaning at Cheviot Hills. The scenic public 18-hole golf course near Raleigh, N.C., was sold to Leith MLC Automotive LLC. This partnership is transforming rolling greens and sand traps into five car dealerships and a corporate headquarters, with design work by engineer of record WG Daniels & Associates....
Iowa’s I-35 Rehab: A Model in Resurfacing
Iowa’s Interstate 35 rehabilitation project is the showcase resurfacing project in Warren County, funded by money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Just a month after the Act was signed by President Obama, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) let the I-35 rehabilitation project for bid....
TDOT Finally Begins Reelfoot Spillway Job
After years of delay and controversy, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) finally began work on a new Reelfoot Spillway, a new spillway channel and a new bridge over the channel at Reelfoot Lake in July 2009....
Going, Going, Gone to the Florida Auctions - Once Again
While much of the world is bracing against the mid-winter blues, Kissimmee, Fla., gives heavy construction equipment buyers and sellers an excuse to shed their winter coats and head to the key state, all in the name of business....
Tamiami Trail Project Restores Water Flow in Everglades
Crews are replacing a bridge along Tamiami Trail, not because its condition has deteriorated, but because it’s causing environmental problems. To solve the problem, the aim of this project, explains Donna George, U.S....
Making Work Easier, More Profitable With Machine Control
Traditionally, construction sites were manually staked, with three workers pulling strings, verifying grades by walking the area and operating equipment. Construction companies hired equipment operators who had a lot of experience — the kind of guys who “run machines for a living,” said Chuck Harris, president of Benchmark Tool & Supply....
Illinois Route 59 Gets Major Makeover
Illinois Route 59, a main arterial route in western Will County, is undergoing major reconstruction along a 7-mi. (11.2 km) stretch between IL Rt. 126 and I-55. Scheduled improvements include widening of lanes from IL Rt....
No More Bottleneck for 159th St. Viaduct
The infamous forty-year traffic bottleneck along 159th Street between the Tristate Tollway (I-294) and Halsted St. (IL Rt. 1) in Harvey, Ill., is coming to an end. In a two-pronged project, the Illinois Department of Transportation will reconstruct the viaduct that carries the Metra electric commuter and the Canadian National Railroad over 159th St....
Rock Slide Poses Slippery Slope for Repair Crews in Tennessee
Rain set off a rock slide at the 17-mi. marker on U.S. 64 in the Ocoee River Gorge in Polk County, Tenn., early one morning in November, blocking the west lane. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) quickly dispatched mobile maintenance crews to clear it, but when a boulder the size of a truck fell on the east lane, TDOT brought in a private contractor to break it up with an impact hammer in preparation for removal....
Kentucky Tunnel Project Up in the Air
Sanitation District 1 (SD1) of Northern Kentucky broke ground in September on a 6-mi.-long (9.6 km) tunnel intended to convey sewage across western Boone County to a new treatment plant on the banks of the Ohio River....
Bishop Ford Freeway Rehab Hits Round 3
For the third time in 20 years, Mike Myszkowski, Illinois Department of Transportation engineer, is resurfacing the Bishop Ford Freeway just outside of Chicago. In 1989, a “surface fix” was performed, putting down a 2-in....
Rehabilitating Crucial Michigan Corridor
A short 19-mi. (30.5 km) stretch of road just north of Detroit has been transformed into an improvement project with a rather complicated strategy. Extensive work on the I-96/I-696 corridor in Oakland and Macomb counties has been divided into four separate projects....
Georgia Flood Recovery Begins in Earnest
A series of torrential downpours in the Atlanta metro area in late September caused what U.S. Geological Survey experts deemed a 500-year flood, leaving 10 people dead and 20 counties in Georgia disaster areas....
Reconstruction of what is known as the “Stretch” of U.S. 1 between Key Largo and Florida City began in April 2005 under the direction of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District Six....
Federal Dollars Pave Way for Kalamazoo Road Work
Few states have been hit as hard by the struggling economy as Michigan. Home to the “Big Three” automakers, the Wolverine state’s unemployment rate rose to 12.6 percent in March — the highest in the nation, according to a Michigan Labor Market Information report....
Obel Tower Raises Belfast’s Waterfront to Great Heights
Northern Ireland’s capitol city of Belfast will soon be home to the country’s tallest residential building. Designed to reach 265 ft. (80.7 m), the Obel Tower (a condensed blend of “old Belfast” and “obelisk”) will surpass the city’s current tallest skyscraper, Windsor House....
Making I-70 More Comfortable at Mt. Comfort
To improve current traffic flow from Mount Comfort Road to Interstate 70 and to handle expected future growth, the Indiana Department of Transportation initiated a $20.2 million project to upgrade the interchange....
Travelers along U.S. Route 460 through the rugged mountains of Pike County, Ky., will follow a new and improved route when the four-lane highway from Pikeville through Elkhorn City joins up with a planned highway in the mountains of southwestern Virginia....
Texas Highway Project Benefits From Attachment
Zachry Construction Corporation, a privately owned construction and industrial maintenance service company based in San Antonio, began working on a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project in the fall of 2006....
N.J.’s Warren County District Landfill Recycles More Than Just Garbage
Landfills and recycling don’t usually go hand in hand, but the Warren County District Landfill is working on several fronts to reduce waste. At the Gas to Energy Plant, two internal combustion engines burn landfill gas to generate electricity....
Frank Borman Expressway Nearing Finish Line in Ind.
The third of three contracts on the Frank Borman Expressway got under way in March. The final project, a two-year, $97 million construction contract, is part of the complete rebuilding of the aging expressway, the major east-west highway between the Indiana/Illinois state line and Interstate 65 that carries Interstates 80 and 94 and U.S....
Heartland Highway Heads Toward Completion in Ind.
Ten years after former Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon opened the first 8 mi. section of the Hoosier Heartland Highway in Logansport, construction of the final 35-mi. section (dubbed the State Road 25 project) is about to get under way, earlier than originally predicted....
Gateway Project Motors Ahead in Detroit
The $230-million Ambassador Bridge Gateway Project in Detroit constitutes the largest project in Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) history. Three phases have been completed:• Rehabilitation of Fort Street from Clark Street to Rosa Parks Boulevard• Reconstruction of the West Grand Boulevard Bridges over I-75• Reconstruction of the I-96/I-75 southbound service drive and the I-96 off-ramp from Vernor Highway to Michigan Avenue....
Groundbreaking for the then-named Hoosier Dome took place on May 27, 1982; its roof was inflated on Aug. 13, 1983; and it opened on May 3, 1984. The last event held in the Dome took place in April 2008....
Brandeis Celebrates Century of Service
The world was a different place in 1908 when businessman Robert E. Brandeis founded Brandeis Machinery & Supply Company in Louisville, Kentucky. The United States consisted of only 46 states. Men like Frederick Cook and Robert Peary were trying to tame a new frontier: the North Pole....
Illinois to Revamp 220-Mi. Major Economic Corridor
A 1989 Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) study titled “Lifelines to the Economy” identified areas losing economic development opportunities due to inadequate highway facilities. Included was U.S....
New Honda Plant Drives Need for Roads
When Indiana constructed a new Honda plant, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) crews rushed to meet deadlines on nearby roadways for the plant, which began full operation in October. The completed roadways allowed its employees to get to work on time....
IDOT Takes on Edens Expressway/I-94
The Edens Expressway/Interstate 94 in Illinois is hardly an idyllic retreat right now, but the Illinois Department of Transportation is working to make it a pleasant passage for the estimated 170,000 daily drivers along the nearly 14-mi....
On May 4, 2007, a deadly EF5 tornado struck Greensburg, Kan., wiping out 95 percent of the small Midwestern town. Only one of an outbreak of more than 100 tornadoes in “Tornado Alley” during a 48-hour period, its total path length was 22 mi., with a funnel width of 1.7 mi....
Major Moves Targets Borman Expressway
Good news for Chicago-Indiana commuters: Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ Major Moves has targeted the aging Frank Borman Expressway, an east-west highway in northwest Indiana that carries Interstates 80 and 94 and U.S....
End in Sight for INDOT’s Accelerate 465
One more year. Motorists slogging through construction of I-465 at the 38th Street interchange are counting down until its completion next year — roughly the same time as motorists who use the Crawfordsville Road and Rockville Road interchanges and the 21st Street bridge south of 38th Street will be facing the start of work on their segments of the Accelerate 465 project....
Fenway Park: America’s Little Ballpark Grows Up
Fenway Park celebrates its 96th anniversary this year. In lieu of a birthday gift comes a much-needed update. Like so many unassembled toys, one of Fenway’s “gifts” had to be put together before it could be put to use....
INDOT Completes $175M Super 70 Reconstruction
Drivers can breathe a sigh of relief — the $175 million reconstruction of Interstate 70 that put the east side of Indianapolis in turmoil through most of 2007 is now complete. Dubbed “Super 70” by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), it was the biggest single-season construction project ever undertaken by the state....
IDOT Reconstructs U.S. 136 in Danville
Danville, a sleepy little town of 33,904 in eastern Illinois about 120 mi. south of Chicago was founded in 1827 on 80 acres donated by Guy W. Smith and the town’s namesake, Dan W. Beckwith. Recently, the Vermilion County seat saw the completion of a $7 million reconstruction project of its oldest street, just a few blocks from the busy Interstate 74 that links it to Champaign, Ill., and Indianapolis, Ind. Main Street (U.S....
WisDOT Completes I-94 Resurfacing Project
Work on approximately 12 mi. (19 km) of Interstate 94 between the west Waukesha County line and County T in Wisconsin sped toward a revised interim completion date of Oct. 22. Paving was originally scheduled for completion on Nov....
Tollway Links Future to Ecological Heritage
The 12.5-mi. (20 km) six-lane extension of the North-South Tollway from where Interstate 355 ends at Interstate 55 (the Stevenson Expressway) through Will County to Interstate 80 opened to bicycle traffic on Veteran’s Day Nov....
WisDOT Finally Completes Oconomowoc Bypass Project
Work on the Oconomowoc bypass in Wisconsin essentially wrapped up last October — 46 years after it began. The idea for the 7.9-mi. (12.7 km) project originated after state-authorized preliminary engineering studies were launched in 1960 because local municipalities were concerned about congestion, truck traffic, pedestrian safety and crashes in the downtown area....
Dallas’ $1B Stadium Begins to Take Shape
Work on the $1 billion, 80,000-seat Dallas Cowboys stadium continued on schedule; however, Jack Hill, stadium construction manager of Blue Star Land L.P., Dallas, Texas, said he hopes to beat the ample 40-month deadline....
Chicago’s Dan Ryan Dialed in on Deadline
Work on Chicago’s Dan Ryan Expressway is going well, claimed Jacek Tyszkiewicz, engineer for project implementation and chief construction engineer for Region 1. He anticipated a late October to early November completion date....
Tempers Elevate During Work on ’L’ Stations
Officially known as the CTA Loop, sometimes referred to hesitantly as the “El” by outsiders, Chicagoans know the elevated rapid transit rail system as the “L.” Now, in its second century of operation, the story of the L began with the incorporation of the city’s first elevated railway companies in 1888, eventually becoming as much a Chicago landmark as the Sears Tower....
IDOT Nears Completion on Kingery Expressway Project
By Lori LovelyCEG CORRESPONDENTWork on the Kingery Expressway Reconstruction Project in Chicago is expected to wrap up this summer, approximately nine months later than originally expected and nearly $80 million over budget, due primarily to construction delays and a spike in asphalt costs, according to the Chicago Sun-Times....
GM Demolishes Plant in Lansing, Mich.
Due to the prohibitive cost of operating safely and in an environmentally friendly manner in two existing plants in Lansing, Mich., General Motors Corporation constructed two new facilities (the Grand River Assembly and Delta Township plants) to replace them....
INDOT Explores New Routes for Super 70
The words “Super 70” make many people shudder with memories of shiny disco shirts, mood rings, kung fu movies and bad music. But Super 70 evokes new fears in residents and business owners on the east side of Indianapolis....
Groundbreaking for a new 60-story office building on prime real estate in downtown Chicago took place last June. Construction at 300 North LaSalle Street was scheduled to be completed within 30 months, with substantial completion of core and shell construction expected by December 2008....
V3 Companies Builds Tollway Through Illinois
Winter won’t stop work on the Illinois Tollway’s construction of a 12.5-mi. (20 km), three-lane extension of the North-South Tollway from where Interstate 355 ends at Interstate 55 (the Stevenson Expressway) through Will County to Interstate 80....
IDOT To Upgrade Dan Ryan Through Winter
Work on the Dan Ryan Expressway came to an end for winter as crews reopened all lanes at the half-way point for the main line. “They’re taking a break for winter,” Mike Claffey, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) spokesman, said....
Idaho’s U.S. 93 Approaches Finish Line
As the cold winds of December hit Idaho, work on the U.S. 93 Twin Falls Alternate Route project was well into the final phase, right on schedule. “The concrete roadway is open and the signals are going,” Kimbol Allen, Idaho Transportation Department District 4 resident engineer, said....
Cowboys Build Stadium of the Future
Nearly 40 years after America’s team put Irving, Texas, on the map, the Dallas Cowboys plan to mosey over to a new stadium in nearby Arlington. They’ll take up residence on 35 acres across from Ameriquest Field, where their new neighbors will be the Texas Rangers, with whom they will share a parking lot, and Six Flags Over Texas amusement park....
Detriot Tackles Six-Pack of Road Projects
Motor City, home of the “Big Three” automakers, is running short of good roadways for all the vehicles that roll off its assembly lines. A study conducted by the Reason Foundation determined that Los-Angeles-style traffic jams are in store for metro Detroit by 2030 unless new roads are built and the state learns how to manage its highway system....
Crews Begin Second Phase of I-96 Project
Kent County, MI, has been waiting for a new interchange at Interstate 96 and 36th Street in Cascade Township since November 2003, when the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) began working on a design....
Iowa Engineer Ponders the Future of Land Surveying
Evidence of surveying, defined as the science and art of measuring distances and angles to determine the relative position of points above, on or beneath the surface of the earth, exists as early as 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, where harpedonapata (rope stretchers) used ropes and knots tied at pre-determined intervals to measure distances....
Indianapolis Puts ’Update 38’ in the Fast Lane
With three world class motor races — the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 and the U.S. Grand Prix — drawing annual attention to the Hoosier capital, speed marks the cornerstone of Indianapolis’ reputation....
Private Road Debate Takes Toll on Indiana Government
The Indiana Toll Road is about to be leased to a private investor — or not. A group of individuals joined forces with the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana to file a lawsuit in St. Joseph County to block the Indiana Finance Authority from leasing the toll road to a Spanish-Australian consortium for 75 years at the cost of $3.8 billion....
New Look for Busy Chicago Expressway
It’s been years in the planning, but the time for Dan Ryan’s makeover is now here. “The Dan Ryan opened more than 40 years ago and it is now feeling the effects of as many as 320,000 vehicles that travel the expressway every day,” Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary (IDOT) Tim Martin told reporters....
Detroit Bridge Ready for Some Football
If you’re headed to Super Bowl XL in Detroit, MI, this February, you might be pleasantly surprised — and impressed — by Detroit’s newly completed $14-million Gateway Bridge spanning Telegraph Road along I-94 in Taylor....
Indianapolis Central Library Project Plagued by Calamities
Budget overruns, costly delays, cracked concrete support columns and lawsuits exemplify the problems troubling the Indianapolis Central Library renovation and addition. Originally scheduled to open this year, the tentative completion date for the Central Library has now been pushed back two years to 2008, although funding problems may continue to hinder progress....
I-80 Interchange Gets Facelift in IA
Work is wrapping up on a hot mix asphalt resurfacing project in Davenport, IA, at the Interstate 80-U.S. 67 interchange approaching the Mississippi River. The $5.2-million contract was let in April, and McCarthy Improvement Company, the winning bidder, started work in late May....
U.S. 34 Bypass Boo-Boo Gets Corrective Surgery in Iowa
As technology advances, construction deadlines grow increasingly tight, with jobs stacked up like airplanes at Thanksgiving. Rising expectations and mounting pressure often obscure the concept of human error....
Hurricanes Fan Fuel Shortages, Rocketing Prices Across Nation
Katrina, the Category 4 hurricane that slammed into the Gulf Coast just before Labor Day, continues to not only cripple Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, but to leave its mark on the entire nation’s economy as well as numerous business industries....
National Highways Created Societal, Economic Lifeline
June 29, 2006, marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Federal Highway Act of 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Act created the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, which now consists of 46,000 miles of roadway, 15,000 interchanges and 54,000 bridges....
Aptly Named FastTrack Project Speeds Ahead in Indy
Another summer of road construction faces Hoosier motorists on Indianapolis’ northwest side as the city’s vital link between its four distinct quarters undergoes reconstruction. Indianapolis’ Northwest FastTrack project is a three-year, $38 million effort to replace existing pavement and widen I-465 from I-65 to just north of 86th Street and add a lane in each direction from the 71st Street interchange to the 86th Street interchange....
Bypass Job Moves on Despite Controversy Over Fines
Attorneys are now involved in the dispute over fines levied by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for deadlines missed by Sierra Bravo Inc. of Sesser, IL, on the 641 bypass around Terre Haute....
Iowa DOT Targets Outdated Bridges on I-74 Corridor
It’s a common story: aged, outdated infrastructure can’t keep pace with the increasing population in urban areas. Growth in the Quad Cities has translated into amplified traffic, particularly on the I-74 corridor that spans the Mississippi River....
Work Continues at Site of New St. Louis Cardinals Home
The crack of the bat is not the only sound Cardinals baseball fans are hearing at Busch Stadium this summer. The sound of driving piles might be heard above the roar of the crowd during day and night games as work continues on the new $387-million facility during the 2005 baseball season....
Upgrade 74 Renews One of IL’s Oldest Roads
Located midway between Chicago and St. Louis, Peoria is Illinois’ oldest community. The four-lane stretch of road traversing the Illinois River to connect Peoria with East Peoria seems like some of the state’s oldest roadway....
Cranes Prep Indy Art Museum for Unveiling
In May, after three and a half years of work, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) will unveil a new work of art: a remodeled and expanded version of itself. The three major objectives under this $220 million plan include: building and strengthening the permanent art collections with an $80 million art acquisition fund; enhancing the educational and outreach programming with a $30 million new operating endowment fund; and facilities development and enhancement with a $109 million initiatives fund, out of which comes the $74 million expansion and renovation project....
Temporary Pool Makes a Splash in Indianapolis
Speed records were set in Indianapolis long before any swimmer rippled the water in the temporary pool constructed for the 2004 FINA World Swimming Championships at Conseco Fieldhouse on Oct. 7 to 11. Although planning began two years ago, a mere 10 days was allotted for construction –– and only three for demolition after the event –– due to the busy schedule at Conseco, home of the Indiana Pacers basketball team....
C.R. Meyer Goes Flat Out on MN Racetrack
Brainerd International Raceway’s drag strip successfully roared to life in 2003 after undergoing a lengthy, pioneering repaving project designed to make it one of the flattest, fastest quarter-mile tracks in the country. Scott Quick, general manager of the facility in Brainerd, MN, is so pleased with the results, he’s lobbying to have the entire 3-mi....
Paying The Price: Budget Diversions Irk IL Road Crews
Marvin Traylor, of Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP), knows the battle is lost this year, but says the Association – and others – will return to fight another day against millions of dollars of diversions in next year’s budget. “The budget’s a one-time thing,” Traylor shrugs....
Palmetto Digs Into Florence, SC, Widening Job
Since the first of the year, Palmetto Paving has been trying to push forward with a road-widening project in Florence, SC. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has been pushing back. “It’s been the wettest winter in 10 years,” chuckled Project Manager Carl Rabon....
Palmetto Forges Ahead on Florence, SC, Widening Project
Since the first of the year, Palmetto Paving has been trying to push forward with a road-widening project in Florence, SC. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has been pushing back. “It’s been the wettest winter in 10 years,” chuckled Project Manager Carl Rabon....
IN’s Clarian Health People Mover Nears Spring Finish
Parts of central Indiana are among the fastest growing areas in the United States; therefore, much of the state is experiencing heavy cases of urban sprawl. With three facilities in Indianapolis’ downtown vicinity, Clarian Health is experiencing its own kind of sprawl, and is determined to combat the difficulties and inconveniences of shuttling between three distinct campuses....
Dore, Anderson Go Head-to-Head Over Demo Contracts
The end of the story is a much-publicized boxing match challenge, issued by Art Dore Sr., age 66, to septuagenarian Virgil Anderson. Unable to achieve satisfaction in court or at City Hall, Dore, head of Michigan-based Dore & Associates Contracting Inc., hopes to end a year-long feud over Omaha, NE, demolition contracts with Anderson, head of Omaha’s Anderson Excavating Co. “This is the way that men are supposed to settle things,” Dore said....
Massive Floods Spur Cleanup in MN
Roseau, MN, had the flood of its life last week, according to Mayor Jeff Pelowski. Flood stage in Roseau is 16 ft. and the city’s levee system was designed to hold back the river only to about 22 ft....
New IN Museum Brings Hoosiers Back to Native Shores
Nestled on the banks of the White River between the new NCAA Hall of Fame Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis’ new State Museum is preparing to bring Hoosiers back to the shores of their ancestors....
Memorial Honors Work-Zone Victims
A visually striking new memorial was unveiled in the Washington, D.C. metro area during National Work Zone Awareness Week held April 8-12. James L. Oberstar (D-MN), ranking Democrat on the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, presented the memorial in ceremonies that began at 10 a.m....
Northeast DOTs Arm Themselves for Winter Weather
Every year state Departments of Transportation (DOT) prepare to do battle with Old Man Winter, bracing themselves for cold temperatures, strong winds, heavy snowfalls and treacherous ice. As the years go by, each DOT combines its experience with the available budget, technology, equipment and manpower to keep the roads clear and safe for travelers, adapting techniques to suit individual state needs and circumstances....
Ross-Ade Stadium Gets Facelift in IN
Alumni and Boilermaker fans in northwestern Indiana will soon be treated to more amenities and easier access to the Ross-Ade Stadium. Since 1998, HNTB of Kansas City, MO, has been working with Purdue University in Lafayette to devise a strategy for renovating and improving the 75-year old stadium without compromising its historical significance....
Ross-Ade Stadium Gets Facelift in IN
Alumni and Boilermaker fans in northwestern Indiana will soon be treated to more amenities and easier access to the Ross-Ade Stadium. Since 1998, HNTB of Kansas City, MO, has been working with Purdue University in Lafayette to devise a strategy for renovating and improving the 75-year old stadium without compromising its historical significance....
Chicago Transit Authority Rehab to Cheer Up ’Blue’ Line
Any commuter in Chicago who rides the Cermak Branch of the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Blue Line can tell you it takes a lot longer to get “there” from “here” these days....
Walsh Construction, Subs Team Up to Revive Chicago’s Historic Wacker Drive
When it was built nearly 90 years ago, Wacker Drive set an example for state-of-the-art bridge and highway construction in Chicago, IL. Its construction represented the finest reinforced concrete work of its day, with innovative, octagonal columns supporting the drive....
Walsh Construction, Subs Team Up to Revive Chicago’s Historic Wacker Drive
When it was built nearly 90 years ago, Wacker Drive set an example for state-of-the-art bridge and highway construction in Chicago, IL. Its construction represented the finest reinforced concrete work of its day, with innovative, octagonal columns supporting the drive....
Milwaukee’s Old Sixth Street Viaduct Yields to Modern Cable-Stayed Spans
After 93 years of dedicated service, Milwaukee’s Sixth Street viaduct has retired. The 0.7-mi. (1.1 km) viaduct, which served as the primary connector of the city’s north and south sides since 1908, was demolished to make room for two unique, state-of-the-art cable-stayed structures, two bascule bridges and two approaches....
380-Mile Millennium Pipeline Links U.S. to Canada
As California struggles to recover from its energy crisis, consumers nationwide are glancing nervously at their own heating bills and wondering if there is any respite in sight. With harsh winter conditions throughout the Northeast, residents are feeling the sting of higher gas bills. CNN reported that natural gas consumption is up 14 percent, and the request for assistance in paying heating bills has risen 25 percent....
CRI Slips Into Record Books With $88M Indianapolis Pour
Because Walsh Construction is new to the Indianapolis, IN, area, the Chicago, IL-based prime contractor that specializes in structural concrete work is relying heavily on subs for the I-65 project through Indianapolis....
Midwest DOTs Arm Themselves for Harsh Weather
Illinois The Illinois DOT was prepared when snow hit the northern part of the state this year. Maintenance Operations Engineer Dave Johnson said annual snow meetings take place before the winter weather blows in – by early October in the northern part of the state, and by the end of October in the southern part of the state....
Midwest DOTs Prepare for Season Packed With Snow
(This is Part I of a two-part series on winter maintenance preparation in the Midwest. Part II will continue in the next Midwest edition of Construction Equipment Guide.) As the sun’s golden orb slips lower in the sky, auburn leaves fall from the trees and long, cold nights close in on the Midwest, everywhere preparations for winter are underway....
Beaty Construction Gives Abandoned Indiana Waterway a Second Chance
The canal boom in the United States began in the 1810s as a means of connecting existing waterways for the purpose of commerce. Canal fever soon became rampant in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana....
Spirtas’ I-70 Bridge Project Raises Spirits in St. Louis
Spirtas Wrecking Company proved to St. Louis, MO, why its name is synonymous with urban renewal when it completed the demolition of three bridges over Interstate 70 in roughly a third of the time budgeted....
Hopes Go Up and Down for World’s Tallest Building
Chicago hopes to return the title of world’s tallest building to its shores, but ongoing financial woes have kept the project from getting under way. Scott Toberman, president of European American Realty Ltd., plans to demolish an existing vacant office building at 7 South Dearborn in order to erect a futuristic, 1,550-ft....
Contracting Hoosiers Outline Game Plan for I-465 Overhaul
Once the snow and ice melted in Indiana last spring, Hoosiers prepared themselves for the inevitable road construction and the lane restrictions that go with the change of season. Kicking off the warm-weather work this year was an extensive project on Indianapolis’ east side. Since April 24, the southbound lane of Shadeland Avenue south of Fall Creek Road and the 46th Street bridge over I-465 has been closed....
Chicago Discovers Solution to Water Woes
Chicago and 51 other, older municipalities in Cook County share a combined sewer system. Rainfall drains into the system and combines with wastewater output, resulting in an overflow of contaminated water....
Ohio Expressway Stays Slim, Trim During $280M Overhaul
Bigger is not always better — or safer, according to city planners in Cincinnati. This year Cincinnati Bengal’s football fans will be able to drive to the opening game of the season along a new slimmer, trimmer — but safer — Fort Washington Way....
Primco, INDOT Add $13.9M Worth of Travel Lanes to S.R. 9
The 1998 fiscal year saw the implementation of Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon’s Crossroads 2000 program, an effort to improve highway capital projects throughout the state. Included in the initiative are 104 projects intended to add new roads or new travel lanes to existing roads....
FlowMole Technology Helps Shape Guided Boring
Electronics comprise the most significant change in utility work since 1994, said George Taylor, vice president of operations and engineering with UTILX Corporation. And UTILX has been at the forefront of the developing technology. In 1984 three engineers at the company’s research and development lab in Kent, WA, succeeded with an innovative drill pipe, signaling the beginning of widespread guided boring....
Controversy Reigns Over Plans for Philly Stadiums
What do sports, politics and construction have in common? Besides hotly contested divergent opinion, the local economy. Proposed construction of two new sports stadiums in Philadelphia has sparked numerous controversies based on conflicting opinions....
Contractors Exposed to Toxic Metal at Oak Ridge Weapons Plant
Evidence of beryllium disease turned up during medical screenings of former construction workers at the Oak Ridge, TN, nuclear weapons plant. Nearly 600 former construction workers have been interviewed as part of the Oak Ridge screening program, which was organized through the Knoxville Building and Construction Trades Council with funding from the U.S....
Composites Offer Solution to Earth Shaking Experiences
By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT From the land of earthquakes comes a new technology whose benefits can be applied worldwide. Composite Solutions Inc. (CSI), based in San Diego, CA, is marketing a fast, cost-effective process to limit the damage earthquakes or explosions cause to bridges, buildings and other structures. Charles Lee Powell Structural Research Laboratories at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) teamed together to develop the process, which relies on lightweight, advanced composite overlay materials wrapped around structures for protection. Dr....
Global Positioning System Revolutionizes Dirt Moving
Trimble has expanded its Global Positioning System GPS) machine guidance system to use on motor graders. The Site Vision system is already being utilized by bulldozer operators around the world to reduce construction time on large-scale earthmoving projects including golf course development, airport expansions, land reformation, railway and road construction, housing developments and shopping malls. As Trimble’s senior director of mining, construction and agriculture, Mark Nichol said, “We have already proven that Site Vision GPS can enable bulldozer operators to increase productivity by dramatically cutting construction times....
Clugston’s T-Rex Takes Bite Out of Attachment Market
With the arrival of the much-anticipated millennium comes the advent of many new business ventures. Among them is Clugston Manufacturing in Livonia, MI. Owner Scot Clugston has been in the construction industry for two decades, serving in various capacities and operating in many aspects of the business....
