Tag: Infrastructure: Page 35

Roadbuilding

As highway reauthorization hearing nears, ARTBA proposes 15-cent gas tax increase for 10-year funding

A proposal dubbed “Getting Beyond Gridlock” by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) would raise $401 billion for highway and mass transit capital investments via a 15-cents-per-gallon increase in federal gas and diesel fuel taxes. The proposal comes less than a week before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee holds a hearing on “reauthorizing” federal surface […]

March 13, 2015

Roadbuilding

Sixth element, reaching 90 feet deep, placed for Midtown Tunnel in Virginia

The sixth of 11 elements being used to create a new two-lane Midtown Tunnel connecting Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia, was placed March 5 by the Elizabeth River Tunnels (ERT) Project team. This element will be the deepest component of the tunnel (roughly 90 feet), which is being placed parallel to the existing U.S. 58 Midtown […]

March 13, 2015

Roadbuilding

Mississippi DOT begins work on Interstate 220 erosion

Almost immediately after The Federal Highway Administration announced emergency relief funds were being issued to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, roadwork began on an embankment slide on an Interstate 220 ramp. Heavy rains and severe winter weather combined to cause sliding, or embankment erosion, along the eastbound Highway 80 exit ramp to I-220, MDOT said. […]

March 13, 2015

Roadbuilding

Iowa Transportation Commission approves $33 million in new highway and bridge projects

The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved a 2015 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) amendment to add highway and bridge projects for fiscal year 2015, a move made possible by the recent 10-cents-per-gallon gas tax approved by Gov. Terry Branstad. The new projects total $33.2 million, which is the amount expected to be collected for FY […]

March 12, 2015

Roadbuilding

Los Angeles city engineer joins Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure Board

The American Public Works Association (APWA) President Larry Stevens has appointed Gary Lee Moore, Los Angeles city engineer, to the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) board of directors for a three-year term. APWA co-established the ISI with the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies. A non-profit group, ISI develops and maintains a […]

March 12, 2015

Roadbuilding

Mississippi receives FHWA emergency funds for flooded road repairs

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is providing $500,000 in emergency relief funds to help the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to repair “federal-aid roads damaged by rainfall”. Flooding from severe winter weather, including excessive rainfall, this year has caused extensive erosion along Interstate 220 embankments, damage that will cost an estimated $1 million to repair. […]

March 11, 2015

Roadbuilding

Texas toll road fight proves how badly we need a gas tax hike

When push comes to shove, Texans can get more than a little rowdy. Of late, their cantankerous streak has flared up in opposition to the state’s toll road programs. For those of you who are not familiar, the newest toll roads in Texas use license plate scanners and other technology to eliminate toll booths and […]

March 11, 2015

Roadbuilding

Michigan campaign to raise sales tax for highway funding launches first TV ad questioning safety of roads

The first television spot by the Safe Roads Yes! campaign aired March 9 to push for approval of Michigan’s Proposal One, which will increase state sales tax to create an estimated $1.2 billion for road and bridge projects. The proposal is up for vote this May and would increase the state sales tax from 6 […]

March 10, 2015

Roadbuilding

North Carolina DOT asks for public input on 10-year transportation plan

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) wants the public to comment on its Draft 10-Year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) by April 23. The STIP has been developed under the state’s Strategic Transportation Investments law and would cover the years 2016-2025. It addresses 1,073 projects throughout the entire state. Final approval is expected in June. […]

March 10, 2015

Roadbuilding

Texas Senate passes highway funding bill

The Texas Senate passed a highway funding bill March 4 that will dedicate a portion of motor vehicle taxes to road and bridge construction, according to a report from the Associated Press. The Senate passed the bill on a 28-2 vote roughly a week after the Transportation Committee approved it. The bill, along with a constitutional amendment, […]

March 5, 2015

Roadbuilding

Senate fails to override veto on Keystone XL pipeline construction

President Obama’s veto of the Keystone XL pipeline remains intact after the Senate could not muster enough votes March 4 to override the decision. The president vetoed Senate bill S. 1 in late February. The Senate fell just a few votes shy of the two-thirds majority needed in a 62-37 vote, according to a report […]

March 5, 2015

Roadbuilding

Report identifies areas of improvement for Utah’s roads and bridges

Despite getting a B+ grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers for the condition of its roads and bridges, Utah still needs improvements to prevent economic growth from being stifled, according to a report from The Road Improvement Program. In its report, “Utah’s Most Critical Surface Transportation Projects to Support Economic Growth and Quality of […]

March 3, 2015