Top Story

• NYC steel workers reject PLA for $6B Tappan Zee project
  Thirty of 36 trade unions voted down a proposed project-labor agreement for New York's $6 billion Tappan Zee bridge project because fabrication of the reinforced steel for the bridge would be moved from near the site to another place in the state. This means the Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Local 46 would lose about $40 million in wages and benefits from the work. Crain's New York Business (6/10)     

Infrastructure & Project Focus

• TVA is committed to completing Watts Bar reactor, exec says
  The Tennessee Valley Authority remains dedicated to finishing the Unit 2 reactor of the Watts Bar nuclear plant in Tennessee. The reactor is expected to cost about $4 billion and is projected to be finished by late 2015. "It's a major project that the country hasn't done in a long time, so we're reaching out and bringing in a lot of expertise from the industry, bringing some people out of retirement, to help us out with this experience," said Raymond Hruby, general manager of technical services at the reactor. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tenn.) (6/8)     

• Excavation work to start on $1.6B subway in San Francisco
  Crews from Barnard Impregilo Healy, the joint-venture contractor building the 1.6 mile tunnel for San Francisco's $1.6 billion Central Subway project, will begin work on Tuesday. Initial work includes excavation so the tunnel borers' launch box can be built. San Francisco Chronicle (6/11)     

• Fla. invests over $1B in port, rail upgrades for Panama Canal opening
  Florida is upgrading its port and rail infrastructure in preparation for the opening of the widened Panama Canal in early 2015. For instance, more than $1 billion of work is being done in the Port of Miami and Port Everglades, including on-dock rail facilities that will provide direct access to Florida East Coast Railway. FEC is also building a transload facility later this year near Miami International Airport. DC Velocity online (6/7)     

• Caltrans: Bay Bridge exceeds safety standards
  Caltrans is calling on the Sacramento Bee to retract a story that calls into question the safety of the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California. Caltrans says the newspaper's assertions are "completely inaccurate" and that the bridge exceeds "normal safety standards." Caltrans wrote to the Bee, pointing out what it said were flaws in the story. However, the paper's senior editor for investigations said Caltrans "misstate[d] what the story reported." The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (6/9)     

• Other News

• Tutor Perini works on $135M casino hotel in Ariz.
  American City Business Journals/Phoenix (6/6)     

• Highway 4 widening project in Calif. reaches major milestone
  Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.) (6/9)     

• $240M construction loan to advance 32-story residential tower project in NYC
  Crain's New York Business (6/8)     

• Nicaragua to unveil possible routes for potential $30B waterway
  OilPrice.com (U.K.) (6/7)     

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Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AGC SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• $656M VA hospital derails in Fla., hundreds laid off (Orlando Sentinel (Fla.))

• Contractors: Hiring quotas for disabled "unachievable, burdensome" (American City Business Journals)

• $6.4B Pa. airport-enhancement project to be overseen by CH2M Hill (Engineering News-Record)

• MassDOT needs to replace Big Dig's crumbling concrete ramps (WHDH-TV (Boston))

• Boston's Suffolk Downs: $1B project's vision to create 2,500 jobs (WBUR-FM (Boston))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Economic Update

• Analysis: Hopes for a robust U.S. recovery this year have died
  For a while it appeared that 2012 would be the year the U.S. economy picks up momentum, but those hopes are now all but dashed, and the outlook for the future is darkening, according to The Economist. Automatic spending cuts and tax increases equal to 5% of gross domestic product a year kick in at the end of 2012. "This all gives firms a powerful incentive to postpone hiring and investment until the resolution is known," the magazine notes. The Economist (6/9)     

• $1.3B Fla. SunRail commuter project could spur new projects
  Ceremonial ground breaking on Florida's $1.3 billion SunRail commuter line will be held today in DeBary, with Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in attendance. The project's economic impact on the area is expected to create even more opportunities for construction of higher-density housing and mixed-use projects with the completion of the commuter line in 2014. The Daytona Beach News-Journal (Fla.) (6/11)

Innovation & Green Building

• Poticrete works its way into Wash. city's spec for recycled aggregate
  When the Public Works Department of Bellingham, Wash., developed a specification that required the inclusion of recycled aggregate in concrete, they also wanted to reduce the amount of construction waste going into its nearby landfills. One way to accomplish both goals is to use crushed ceramic toilets. Now, the department plans to create a wider market base for its Poticrete. "This project and this use of toilets is an example of the strategic risks that public agencies need to take in this day and age to encourage local markets that support recycled materials and more sustainable road projects," said Anthony Freeman, P.E., project engineer for Bellingham. EquipmentWorld.com (6/7)     

• Want a down-and-dirty overview of LEED v4?
  This piece looks at the key revisions in LEED v4, formerly LEED 2012, that will apply to all of the LEED rating systems. Among the changes mentioned are the compliance paths in LEED BD+C and LEED ID+C and the splitting of the Neighborhood Development rating system into two paths. Green-Buildings.com (6/8)     

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Policy Watch

• Pessimism grows about chance for long-term transportation bill
  Pessimism is growing about the chances of getting a long-term surface transportation bill before the current short-term extension runs out at the end of this month. That means more politicians are making more pointed comments. "Congress needs to do their job. Job number one is job creation," said Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles mayor and U.S. Conference of Mayors' president. "We need to put people back to work," said Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy. "[States] are required to plan ahead. We need a federal surface transportation bill with a time horizon of more than one or three or six months." The Hill/Transportation blog (6/10)     

Association News

• ConsensusDocs Coalition releases 3 new contracts
  The new and only available of its kind ConsensusDocs 298 Joint Venture Agreement makes it easier for construction companies to combine expertise and share risks on projects. The new ConsensusDocs 246 Owner and Geotechnical Consultant Agreement provides a balanced contract for the unique nature of geotechnical services. The updated ConsensusDocs 421 Design-Builder’s Statement of Qualifications helps owners choose the best qualified design-build contractors at the best prices. Visit www.consensusdocs.org for more information.     

• AGC video news reports
  Check out AGC’s video reports, featuring the latest news direct from the experts. Watch them all on AGC’s YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/AGCofAmerica.     

SmartQuote

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second." --William James, American psychologist and philosopher