The board of the California High Speed Rail Authority has approved the launch of track and systems installation for the nation’s first high-speed rail network, awarding a major contract to a consortium of Kiewit, Stacey Witbeck and Herzog. The team will install track, overhead electrical systems, as well as train control and communications infrastructure on 119 miles of guideway under construction in the Central Valley, creating an electrified corridor capable of supporting trains traveling up to 220 mph. The approval follows the completion of a 150-acre railhead facility in Kern County that will serve as a staging and distribution center for the project. The phased contract allows track installation to begin as civil work is completed, supporting future extensions to Merced and Bakersfield while accelerating overall project delivery.
The US Army Corps of Engineers has awarded approximately $70 million from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to the Port of Los Angeles for harbor maintenance, seismic improvements and navigation improvements, part of a record $131.8 million allocation to the San Pedro Bay Harbor Complex. Funding comes from reforms aimed at providing major cargo-handling ports with a larger share of trust fund revenue generated through import taxes. The money will support critical infrastructure projects, including dock repairs and resilience improvements to help maintain the port’s competitiveness and strengthen supply chain reliability.
STV has been selected by the California Association of Councils of Governments lead a statewide effort to evaluate road pricing strategies to reduce congestion and improve travel reliability. Funded through a US Department of Transportation grant awarded to Caltrans and CALCOG, the initiative will evaluate tools such as express lanes, tolling, cordon pricing and congestion pricing. STV will examine political, operational, financial, and governance factors influencing implementation and produce guidance, outreach materials, and a statewide assessment by August 2026 to support future transportation planning and policy decisions.
California AGC and Teichert Construction led a statewide mental health position during Mental Health Awareness Month, stopping construction activity to promote discussions about worker well-being and workplace safety. The effort encouraged contractors and crews to share mental health resources, reduce stigma and strengthen the connection between mental health and safe workplace performance as part of AGC California’s broader industry awareness initiative.
The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority has awarded $6.3 million preconstruction contract with SSH Joint Venture, a team of Skanska USA Civil, Stacy and Witbeck and Herzog Contracting, to support the delivery of the 2.3-mile extension from Pomona to Claremont. Working under the construction manager’s at-risk delivery method, the team will provide constructability reviews, value engineering, third-party coordination and cost estimation as Parsons Transportation Group advances the project design. If negotiations are successful after the design reaches approximately 85% completion, SSH could be awarded the construction contract in 2027.
The historic Columbia River Highway has reopened east of Multnomah Falls in Oregon following the completion of restoration work on the East Multnomah Falls Viaduct, a key milestone in a $23.7 million rehabilitation project funded through the Federal Lands Access Program. The two-year effort restored the century-old structure by repairing decorative concrete railings, columns and support beams, addressing cracks and exposed rebar, strengthening structural stability, installing a new roadway surface and replacing signage to meet current standards. The project preserved the original design, color and texture of the 1914 viaduct while extending its useful life and improving safety.
Brown and Caldwell has been selected by San Jose, Calif.to provide consulting services to the owner for the Phase 1 project of aeration basin modifications at the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. The estimated $240 million design-build project will rehabilitate aging infrastructure and upgrade treatment processes to meet new nitrogen removal regulations. Brown and Caldwell will support procurement, risk management, contract fulfillment and project delivery for the facility, which serves 1.5 million residents and 17,000 businesses. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with a goal of completion in 2034.
Granite Construction has been awarded two contracts from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities for a combined value of $47 million. The projects include a $15 million pavement preservation effort on the Glenn Highway between points 83 and 92, which includes resurfacing, culvert replacements, guardrail upgrades and new swaths and signage, as well as a $32 million reconstruction project on the Parks Highway near Nenana. The Parks Highway work includes 1.2 million cubic meters of excavation and embankment and 22,000 tons of asphalt. Granite said collaborative CM/GC planning reduced the need for imported material and minimized traffic disruptions. Construction on the Glenn Highway project is expected to begin this year and conclude in 2027.
Demolition of Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium is on track for completion this summer.
Photo courtesy Aloha Stadium
Demolition of Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium continues progress as crews completed another major decommissioning milestone on June 2, bringing down a section of the upper cup in a controlled collapse. The work is part of the ongoing retirement of the 47-year-old stadium to make way for the planned New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District, which will include a new multi-use venue and surrounding mixed-use development. Officials said most of the stadium’s structure should be dismantled by the end of the summer, with demolition expected to wrap up in November. Stadium materials are reused, recycled, sold or disposed of. Construction work on the replacement stadium is expected to begin next year.
A $30 million renovation of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Stewart Building is under construction in Arcata, California, which will create a new health education center. The 41,781-square-foot project will include simulation labs, classrooms and student support spaces to expand health and nursing education for Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods students. Contractor Sundt Construction said the facility will help strengthen the healthcare workforce on California’s North Coast.
