Energy Transfer may continue operating the Dakota Access oil pipeline after an appeals court struck down an earlier ruling, but an environmental review will still be required. The company's appeal continues but will next face a different panel of judges.

A $2 billion light-rail project in Minnesota could get a big boost from $929 million in federal grant money if Congress approves it. Work is underway on the 14.5-mile link between downtown Minneapolis and Eden Prairie on a project with a $350 million payroll that's expected to create 7,500 jobs.

A master plan in Mobile, Ala., to move commercial passenger service from Mobile Regional Airport to the Brookley Aeroplex downtown includes a new $160 million terminal. The plan is financed primarily by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The National Bridge Replacement and Improvement Act introduced in the House would address the nation's structurally deficient bridges with a federal grant program. The goal of the bill is to help the Transportation Department eliminate its bridge project backlog by 2032.

As matters stand with US shipping channels, bulk carriers must often lighten their loads to accommodate shallow depths. Simply deepening these channels could greatly increase the capacity of the nation's more than 360 ports and provide an important economic stimulus, writes The Heritage Foundation's Nicolas Loris.

Preparation for the third and final phase of deck repairs on the eastbound passing lane of the Newport Pell Bridge is scheduled to begin Tuesday, according to the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority. Phase 3 of the project is expected to continue through the end of November.

Boring Co. has secured approval from Clark County, Nev., officials to build two more tunnels between hotels and the Las Vegas Convention Center. By one estimate, work could begin this year.

Shawmut Design and Construction relied on cross-laminated timber to expedite work on a new student housing building at Brown University in Rhode Island. However, the material presented training challenges, while the pandemic complicated the project's supply chain.

The USDA is directing $462 million to 161 drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects in rural parts of the US through its Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. "Upgrading the infrastructure that delivers safe drinking water and modern wastewater management facilities will improve public health and drive economic development in our small towns and cities," USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand said.

Air Force installations around the country are also home to 123 endangered species, and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center is working with the Fish and Wildlife Service to bring them back. Projects addressing erosion and habitat preservation aim to boost populations in the service's installation areas, which often serve as "the last refuge for some of these species when surrounded by urban development," says Kevin Porteck, AFCEC's Natural Resources Program manager.

To improve soil surface drainage and irrigation for agriculture, land leveling is used to correct irregularities. For a new paper in ASCE's Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, researchers evaluated two land forming designs, one aimed at optimizing drainage and the other at optimizing surface irrigation. These findings will improve lowlands' agricultural productivity. Read them free for a limited time in the ASCE Library.

ASCE's Future World Vision initiative helps civil engineers anticipate and plan for uncertainty. Learn how FWV accounts for "disruptors" such as the pandemic in a free webinar hosted by ASCE Chief Operating and Strategy Officer Gerald Buckwalter, coming Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. EDT / 11 a.m. PDT. Get details and register.