The California Transportation Commission has approved $700 million for critical repairs and upgrades needed for the Vincent Thomas Bridge, a 60-year-old span in the Port of Los Angeles that will soon undergo a major deck overhaul. The funding was part of $4.9 billion for statewide transportation initiatives that the agency had given the green light in October. The upcoming one-year remodeling project will also replace the bridge’s railings, fences and median barrier. Work is scheduled to begin in 2026 and is being carried out by Skanska and California Engineering Contractors. In a related development, a proposal by Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, to raise the Vincent Thomas Bridge 26 feet to accommodate newer and larger container ships has been shelved. State officials determined that combining the $1.5 billion bridge lifting plan with Caltrans’ current renovation effort would be too complex.
STV has been selected by the San Mateo County Express Lanes Joint Powers Authority (SMCEL-JPA) to provide policy and program management for the 22-mile US 101 Express Lanes corridor in San Mateo County. Over the next five years, STV will support the development of long-term policy, operations and strategy to advance equity initiatives, guide reinvestment and strengthen climate resilience. Operating since 2022, the lanes prioritize carpooling and transit on one of the Bay Area’s busiest thoroughfares while reinvesting toll revenue into mobility and equity programs.
The interstate bridge program has reached agreements with four river users affected by a proposal to replace fixed spans for the 108-year-old interstate bridge that crosses the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. The agreements allow ODOT and WSDOT to submit an updated Navigation Impact Report to the US Coast Guard proposing a fixed spacing of 116 feet. The $140 million in mitigation agreements is far more cost-effective than building a new mobile span, which would cost about $500 million more and require higher annual maintenance. The Coast Guard will review the updated report, open a 30-day comment period, and is expected to issue a revised decision in early 2026, allowing the project to move toward construction.
Skanska has begun construction of a new 95,000 square meter cargo building at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which is part of the first phase of the West Field development. Cargo Building 720.1 and GSE 742 include 25,000 square meters of mezzanine office space, plus a separate 17,000 square meter ground handling equipment maintenance facility. The project, scheduled for completion in 2028, is being delivered on a design-build basis with Woods Bagot as architect. The cargo building is one of two currently being developed for the West Field Campus, along with a new employee parking garage.
The US Army Corps of Engineers in the Portland District is seeking public comment on a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) evaluating potential changes to the operations of Willamette Valley Dams in Oregon. The SEIS is based on a six-year study completed in April 2025 and addresses new requirements related to the passage of endangered fish and hydroelectric power. It analyzes environmental, community and operational impacts, with information sessions planned during the comment period that runs through December. A new biological opinion from NOAA Fisheries calls for a deeper drawdown reduction in Detroit Reservoir by 2026 to help endangered fish, which the SEIS will evaluate. The study also considers an alternative mandated by the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 that would eliminate hydroelectric power as a purpose at eight dams.
The historic ship, the Falls of Clyde, was sunk after efforts to restore it fell short.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Department of Transportation
The Hawaii Department of Transportation and contractor Shipwright LLC have completed the ocean disposal of the historic Falls of Clyde ship. The ship had been the world’s last surviving four-masted iron-hulled ship and the last surviving sail-powered oil tanker. HDOT was forced to remove the badly damaged ship to make way for the redevelopment of Pier 7 in the Port of Honolulu, where it had been docked since 2008. Work will continue to commemorate the ship in a permanent display that will include key artifacts including the ship’s deck, wheel and bell. Other artifacts removed from the ship have been transferred to the National Park Service and will be displayed at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
Jacobs has received a five-year contract extension continuing to serve as a program management consultant for billionaire Don Young’s Alaska Port Modernization Program. Located in Anchorage, the port is Alaska’s main inbound cargo hub. The next phases will replace one of the port’s two main cargo berths with a modern and resilient structure. Jacobs, who has been part of the port modernization effort since 2014, will continue to oversee planning, design, procurement and construction to move this long-term effort forward. Last spring, the city of Anchorage awarded the $807 million contract to build the port’s Terminal 1 to a joint venture of Manson and Michels Corp.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, working with Ventura County, is resuming maintenance dredging in Channel Islands Harbor, a routine effort since the 1960s. Contractor Manson Construction will complete the remaining work of the 2025 cycle, having previously dredged 900,000 of 1.6 million cubic metres. The new phase aims to remove enough sediment to reach a total of 2.2-2.5 million cubic meters. Dredged material will be pumped approximately one mile south to Hueneme Beach to improve shoreline protection. Operations will run 24/7 from early October to February 2026.
The California Youth Learning Committeeconvened by the Division of Learning Standards, has published The California Youth Apprenticeship Model, which outlines recommendations for expanding youth apprenticeship programs and strengthening the state’s workforce. With 32 percent of current apprentices between the ages of 16 and 24, the report projects that California’s system could grow to serve as many as 650,000 apprentices. Key recommendations include creating a Career Learning Bridge (CAB) program to allow students to begin paid apprenticeships in high school, expanding college-connected pathways through the California Learning Initiative, and increasing support services, such as mentoring and tutoring, for out-of-school and disconnected youth.
