The North Coast Corridor (NCC) program, initiated by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and SANDAG (an association of local San Diego County governments), has been advancing critical projects along San Diego’s north-south coastal corridor since 2017.

The NCC is a $6.5 billion, 40-year, multi-modal transportation project. The first phase …

The Klamath River Revival project is the largest dam removal and environmental restoration and renewal project in United States history. It spans across two states, California and Oregon, and is overseen by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), a private, independent nonprofit organization formed to oversee the project, based in …

Granite, headquartered in Watsonville, California, was recently named 2024 Grand Champion in the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) Contractor Safety Awards for transportation construction companies.

According to ARTBA, the judges were impressed with Granite’s empowerment of their workers to enhance safety on every work site and …

It is almost an understatement to say that the Mosquito Road Bridge project over the South Fork of the American River in El Dorado County, California, is rife with challenges. One of which involves a 1,200-foot-long cast-in-place concrete balanced cantilevered structure some 400 feet above the river running below, through …

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Fisher Sand & Gravel are in the middle of a widening project in Inyo County, California. The Olancha-Cartago 4-Lane Project is converting U.S. 395 from a two-lane conventional highway into a four-lane expressway and will allow for safer travel through the 12.6-mile-long project …

Determined to improve safety along the State Route 46 Corridor, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) embarked on a multiphase, multiyear project to transform the rural two-lane road into a four-lane, access-controlled highway.

“This project was driven by safety and has been in the works for many decades,” said Nicholas …

As the construction sector in California, Hawaii, and Western Nevada experiences a 4.4 percent surge in job creation, outpacing the region’s 1.4 percent job growth in other sectors, the broader picture reveals a labor market stretched uncomfortably thin. Infrastructure projects alone are bringing a staggering $32.7 billion to the region’s …

The first $60 million building on Gavilan College’s new Hollister campus has topped off and is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

“There’s a growing demand with an increased population in San Benito County, one of the fastest growing counties in California,” said Pedro Avila, President of …

Work is progressing on the $32.5 million Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Project, designed to reestablish water circulation between the lagoon and Alamitos Bay through an open earthen channel.

“Reconnecting Colorado Lagoon to Alamitos Bay will improve the lagoon’s water quality as well as restore and expand our local wetlands,” said …

An aging Terminal 1 at San Diego International Airport will be replaced by a $3.8 billion modern terminal, the New T1, complete with numerous features to better serve the millions of passengers who travel through the airport annually.

“The New T1 project is being designed to create a better airport …

In California, Neste is partnering with mining and construction companies like Rio Tinto and Power Engineering Construction to reduce emissions and meet new California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirements for the use of renewable diesel.

In November 2022, CARB adopted amendments to the regulation for the In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets …

The $92 million Interstate 80/Gilman Street Interchange Improvement Project in Berkeley, California, will reconfigure the intersection to reduce the risk of collisions at what has long been considered a dysfunctional crossing.

“The I-80/Gilman Street Interchange project will enhance safety and mobility at a location of critical safety concern for people …

In November 2021, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure. President Joe Biden’s administration proposed this legislation to rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle …

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently completed the $54.6 million Omega Curves Safety Improvement project to straighten State Route 20’s curves and reduce deer-vehicle accidents. About 5,620 vehicles drive on SR 20 in this region daily.

“It turned out amazing,” said Jeff Johnson, Resident Engineer at Caltrans. “We …

The Pyramid Highway/U.S. 395 Connection Project in Sparks, Nevada, aims to improve safety and travel predictability in this rapidly growing area.

“Some of the biggest issues and main objectives are to deal with congestion problems and the many travel inefficiencies that come with the fast population growth, as well as …

One of the most prolific and expert users of 3D Lift Plan from A1A Software, LLC, taught himself how to use the program, and the former ironworker credits the lift planning tool with launching his career. Brian Robinson, General Superintendent for Brewer Crane and Rigging, San Diego, …

The first phase of UC San Diego Health’s $2.5 to $3 billion, 15-year Hillcrest Redevelopment Project has topped off and is more than halfway to completion. The project is part of a plan that encompasses approximately 60 acres and the redevelopment of the Hillcrest campus – beginning with the outpatient …

The new nearly $10 billion, elevated, automated Honolulu Rail Transit Project, called Skyline, aims to reduce traffic on a major corridor in the Hawaiian city, providing an alternative to private automobile traffic.

“The project is intended to provide faster, more reliable public transportation service in the study corridor than can …

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) announces the winners of the 2023 National Design-Build Project/Team Merit Awards. A total of 62 projects from across the United States were submitted for consideration in 10 different categories. The submissions underwent evaluation by a panel of industry experts.

“With the continued growth of …

When most people think of Nevada, they probably envision Las Vegas. The glitzy town is part of Clark County. Approximately 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas is Moapa Valley. Although still part of Clark County, this area is rural and includes mountains and deserts. This is where the Nevada Department …

A massive transportation project in California's San Gabriel Valley region has recently commemorated a significant milestone, with the completion of all track work for the Glendora to Pomona segment of the Foothill Gold Line light rail system. This 9.1-mile segment, which includes new stations in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, …

The Association of General Contractors (AGC) and Construction Risk Partners has honored Mid-Coast Transit Constructors with the 2023 Build America Grand Award for the Mid-Coast Corridor project in San Diego, California. As the top prize of the Build America Awards, this award designates the Mid-Coast Corridor as the best construction …

Interstate 8, which runs from the Pacific Ocean to south central Arizona, is a major traffic corridor through southern California, most significantly through the metropolitan San Diego area, where it carries a wide range of commuter, recreational, industrial, and agricultural traffic. The heavy (and growing) traffic numbers have resulted in …

Concrete remains a construction mainstay, even though the building material is responsible for significant carbon dioxide emissions. But some contractors are finding ways to use concrete in more environmentally friendly ways, including with the use of volumetric mixers.

“Sustainability is important out here,” says Mike Bauman, President and Co-Founder …

The Sixth Street Viaduct Project in Los Angeles has been awarded the 2023 Grand Conceptor Award, recognizing it as the most outstanding engineering achievement of the year. The project was honored at the 57th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala (EEA), a national juried competition awards ceremony sponsored by the American …

In recent years, technological advances have opened doors for contractors of all types to expand capabilities, gather more data to drive decision making and improve project delivery. For progressive heavy civil and earthworks firms such as Goodfellow Bros., that search, test, and deploy mentality has resulted in some impressive, …

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently revealed plans to allocate nearly $300 million for nine small- and medium-sized bridge projects in both urban and rural areas. The grants, awarded in eight states and the District of Columbia, are part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Bridge …

California may be synonymous with Hollywood and Silicon Valley, yet the massive state has been the nation’s top agricultural state since the end of World War II. Glenn County, which is in north central California, is home to many farms that produce almonds, walnuts, rice, and more. Butte City, a …

California’s Interstate 680 runs north to south in Northern California. Built in the 1920s, the 70-mile I-680 goes from near Fairfield to San Jose. Among the cities I-680 passes are San Ramon and Sunol. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is in the middle of a project on I-680 that …

Having been in business for more than 30 years, Rick Engebretson would like to think he’s seen it all. And then something comes along which tells him, in no uncertain terms, that he hasn’t. His most recent reality-check came in a high-profile project in San Diego’s harbor front district. There, …

The Association of General Contractors (AGC) and Construction Risk Partners recently honored this year’s best new and renovation construction projects with Build America Awards at the AGC Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Build America Merit Awards were also presented to construction companies at the convention.

“These awards are designed …

California’s State Route 23 runs between the Santa Clara River and the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. This area, which is northwest of Los Angeles, includes Ventura County. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is currently working on a stretch of SR 23 in Ventura County that connects Thousand Oaks, …

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has awarded a $400 million Large Bridge Grant to the final phase of a project that will replace, retrofit, and install critical structural elements on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. The grant is part of the Bipartisan …

Thirty-three high school girls in Orange County, California, were recently introduced to potential careers and opportunities in the construction industry through McCarthy Building Companies’ Construction 101 event at the Newport Beach office. Aiming to inspire the next generation of women in construction, the full-day workshop provided a safe, hands-on …

Involving rail, sea, and highway, the first phase of the North Coast Corridor (NCC) Program in San Diego is comprehensive. Upon completion, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) project will impact commuters, pedestrians, cyclists, and sea life. The large project features interesting …

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in cooperation with Calaveras County, is working on a project in the centrally located county. State Route 4 (SR 4) is a major east-west connector and although much of it has been improved to current design standards, this project is on a segment that …

The California Transportation Authority (Caltrans) is working on a pair of bridges in the far northwest corner of California, just south of Oregon in Del Norte County. The project includes both the Hunter Bridge and Panther Creek Bridge north of Klamath along Route 101. The two-lane bridges, built in the …

Nearly every driver has the same goal for their commute – to get to their destination as quickly and safely as possible. District 03 of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is nearly complete with a massive project, SAC 5 Corridor Enhancement Project, that will help with both objectives. The …

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded $1.5 billion in Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grants to highway, multimodal freight, and rail projects across the country. In the California Builder & Engineer area, a $150-million INFRA grant was awarded to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the Otay Mesa …

Imagine your favorite vacation spot. Perhaps, the vision includes sand, sea, and mountains. One thing the vision doesn’t include is poor road conditions that connect you to your happy place. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is in the middle of a project whose limits are near a popular vacation …

In Santa Cruz County, California, 65,000 vehicles travel the steep, winding Highway 17 each day. When mountain lions and other animals try to cross the busy road – their only path between habitats – it often goes badly for drivers and animals.

To increase safety for all species, a unique, …

With the right equipment, anything is possible. It can give you the leg up you need to pull ahead of the competition. When it comes to delivering equipment on time or ahead of schedule worry-free, the right trailer is invaluable.

Today, more than ever, manufacturers are listening to the needs …

A team of faculty at the University of Hawaii Community Design Center, School of Architecture, and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning recently completed the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor Vision Report, which created a concept/vision plan for the harbor and generated a conceptual cost estimate for the vision …

Located in the Central Valley of California, State Route 99 runs north-south. A stretch of the 400-plus-mile highway – which was part of a route that used to run from Mexico to Canada – between Fowler and Selma is being worked on by the California Department of Transportation.

The …

A decades long dream to widen State Highway 70 from Chico to Sacramento, California, is coming to fruition and will improve traffic flow and safer passage through the agricultural area.

“The project is designed to improve safety,” says Cameron Knudson, Project Manager for Caltrans in Marysville.

The two-lane highway …

LONG BEACH, CA — Swinerton, a California-based builder with more than 130 years of experience, announces the completion of Long Beach Airport’s (LGB) New Ticketing Lobby and Checked Baggage Inspection System (CBIS) Facility, which will allow for more efficient TSA screening. The $43 million in contract value project enhances …

Maintenance might not be your favorite thing to do, but this minor inconvenience can help you avoid major headaches in the future. Good maintenance practices not only keep the machine running at peak performance, but they also minimize downtime from repairs that come from ignoring key maintenance requirements. Here are …

WINNIPEG, MB — Evolution Wheel is a manufacturer of heavy-duty skid steer tires. The EWRS-HS series solid skid steer tire is the hard surface version of the EWRS-AT series all-terrain tire. The solid EWRS-HS skid steer tire is ideal for surfaces like concrete or asphalt.

Evolution Wheel spends a lot …

Successfully completing improvements to northern Nevada’s busiest interchange amid material and labor shortages requires continuous and complex coordination.

As the $182 million Reno Spaghetti Bowl Xpress (SBX) project nears substantial completion at the end of 2022, “The main challenges are dealing with traffic, scheduling, and providing safe work zones,” said …

It doesn’t matter how much aggregate is produced in a day if it is contaminated or not sized correctly. Though screen media is a minor cost when compared to larger equipment in a quarry or mine, it is a crucial part of any operation’s profit machine. One unexpected break and …

The global upheaval of the last few years has undoubtedly rocked the construction industry – and stories of labor shortages driven by COVID-19 abound. Add to that an aging workforce further stressed by current conditions, combined with a lack of skilled replacements, and the current struggle makes sense.

But beneath …

The needs of the project owner have always defined the parameters of a construction job, but all signs are pointing to owners playing a bigger role in the use of technology on their projects in the future, especially as we begin to see federal funds put to work on transportation …

While America’s transportation infrastructure continues to be one of the country’s greatest historical accomplishments, as well as the lifeblood of the American economy, the system itself continues to have serious challenges during the last two decades.

This is mainly due to the rise in traffic congestion which has ensnarled hundreds …

Most people in the construction industry will say that on any given work site, there is always an amount of waste that could have been avoided. Whether it be poorly handled materials, re-work, weather damage, or working from out of date documents, there are plenty of ways that humans can …

As the final segment of Caltrans’ $677 million Interstate 5 South improvement project nears completion later this summer, work continues at a brisk pace.

“The overall project consists of six separate segments that bordered each other but had different start and end dates,” says Marc Bischoff, Public Information …

As droughts and growing population affect water security around the globe, desalination becomes an increasingly important option. In communities searching for sustainable, long-term solutions, new technology can increase the efficiency of water treatment efforts.

Initially developed in the late 1950s, reverse osmosis (RO) desalination evolved into the leading desalination process. …

The fifth and final phase of the $472 million State Route 84 improvement project in California, now under way, will bring the route up to expressway standards, reduce congestion and increase safety along the corridor and at the interchange with Interstate 680.

“This is an important corridor for east-west travel, …

Many of the most famous structures of ancient times were constructed from a material we often think of us as modern. The workers who built them needed a material that could be shaped into blocks and other forms more easily than carving from stone. Finally, someone concocted a mixture of …

California’s Santa Monica High School North Campus’s $133 million Discovery Building sets new standards for flexibility, technology and sustainability.

“This was a fun project to work on,” says Nathan Huntley, Senior Project Manager for McCarthy Building Companies of Los Angeles. “The concept of the building is for collaboration between …

Aiming to improve traffic conditions on State Road 57 at Lambert Road for the city of Brea, Caltrans has embarked on a $99.8 million project to reconfigure the interchange.

“This project provides congestion relief to improve the traffic flow at the interchange,” says Sheilah Fortenberry, Public Information Officer for …

The future is looking bright for the construction industry, with project pipelines full and the promise of infrastructure spending infusing the industry with confidence and optimism. But as we face another year of supply chain issues and crippling workforce shortages, it’s possible that our industry’s biggest challenge could be too …

State Route 78 runs nearly the entire width of southern California. Escondido, California is about 30 miles north of San Diego and 20 miles from Oceanside, where SR 78 terminates. The California Transportation Authority (Caltrans) is in the middle of a project on SR 78 in Escondido. 

The section of …

Caltrans has embarked on the $36 million State Road 99 Live Oak Streetscape, Safety, and Roadway Improvement Project to improve traffic flow and enhance local accessibility, with hopes that it will serve as a catalyst for revitalization of the local economy and downtown core of the City of Live Oak. …

It’s an infrastructure issue that has existed for years wherever there are cars and roads. A highly trafficked, congested route should be expanded to allow for improved mobility. While the issue is obvious, financing is not. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is using a creative way to finance and …

The Rio Vista Bridge Emergency project will ensure electromechanical operational systems of this iconic bridge over the Sacramento River are reliable to avoid disruption to vehicular or marine traffic, while preserving the historic nature of the bridge.

“This is one of those fun projects that you only get to do …

Traffic is the bane of every driver. Yet, everyone knows that they will periodically run into it. Californians, and Los Angeles area drivers, in particular, are familiar with busy highways and traffic congestion. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), in cooperation with The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), is working …

If you’re in Reno and asking for directions and locals mention the Spaghetti Bowl, don’t think they are talking about an Italian restaurant. The Spaghetti Bowl is a nickname for the interchange linking Interstates 80 and 580 and U.S. 395. The ramps and angles, seen from overhead, look like strands …

There are three United States coast-to-coast interstates: I-10, I-80, and I-90. I-10, which originates just off the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California, and continues to Jacksonville, Florida, is the southernmost cross-country highway in the country. It runs just over 2,460 miles and is the fourth longest interstate in the …

A swarm of construction activity is bringing extensive upgrades to a heavily traveled corridor in Southern California. The “60 Swarm” is an impressive Caltrans undertaking of two projects along State Route 60 (SR 60) passing through the Caltrans District 8 counties of San Bernardino and Riverside – the Pavement Rehabilitation …

Whether it’s paving new roads or rebuilding after disaster, constructing next generation energy sources or laying pipelines of opportunity, Goodfellow Bros. (GBI) has been an integral part of the development of the West Coast and Hawaii over the last century.

But it’s not just the scope and scale of capabilities …

A $73 million improvement project in Kern County, California, the two-year Rosamond-Mojave Rehabilitation Project will add 40 years of life to State Route 14.

“This project will completely rehabilitate the northbound and southbound lanes for this 8-mile stretch of State Route 14, covering 32 lane miles in total,” says Michael …

With the completion of the I-5 Central County Improvements Project, an essential transportation link in the central part of Orange County now generates less traffic congestion, fewer bottlenecks, and improved traffic operations along the section of I-5 between SR 55 and SR 57.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), in …

This year holds exciting prospects for one of America’s thriving epicenters of higher education. California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is currently on track to complete its Student Housing East project in time to welcome students for the fall semester.

The new traditional-style student housing will be the …

The new, $535 million Oak Pavilion at MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae, California, nestles in a hill composed of bedrock, with mud-like bay soil on the opposite side of the site. During construction, design-builder McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., of San Francisco dealt with record rainstorms and an unprecedented pandemic. …

The North Valleys region is in northwest Nevada, near the California border. The area, which includes Reno at its southern end, has seen tremendous population growth over the last 30 years and more is projected. In lieu of this, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is in the midst of …

A $138 million project adding truck lanes to State Route 60 in the Badlands of Western Riverside County, California, aims to improve safety, reduce congestion and bring the road through mountainous terrain and steep grades up to current highway design standards.

“This is a safety project,” says Bryce Johnston, …

The 1860’s were a violent and bloody era in American History as the Civil War raged for the first half of the decade. The Pony Express, which is synonymous with the Old West, existed during the early part of the 1860’s as well. The 1,800-mile route that ran from St. …

An annual tradition, dating back decades, Caltrans cleared and reopened State Route 120 west, the Tioga Pass, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California, in May.

“It’s a major project every spring to open this seasonal pass,” says Terry Erlwein, Deputy District …

Three road projects currently under construction along the State Route 20 corridor in Yuba County will provide major improvements to the highway – widening shoulders, straightening curves, flattening several hills to increase motorists’ sight distance, and other substantial changes.

SR 20 in the Yuba County area, a section of an …

Trade between the U.S. and Mexico increased 45 percent over the past decade – but insufficient capacity at existing border crossings in the San Diego/Baja California region costs the two countries billions of dollars in economic output each year.

In 2018, 73 percent of all border truck trade between California …