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Gallery: $484M Calif. airport connector project's completion on track for fall 2014

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The $484 million Oakland Airport Connector project in California is on track and on budget for completion in the fall of 2014, according to officials with Bay Area Rapid Transit. The 3.2-mile automated rail link will connect Oakland International Airport to the BART rail system in the San Francisco Bay area. The guideway is finished and sits atop concrete columns, and the wheelhouse is also complete. Some underground work remains, as does the installation of some cable and finishing touches on some stations. San Francisco Chronicle (free content) (12/24), USA Today (12/24)

Infrastructure Watch

Anadarko, Kinder Morgan reach pipeline deal for Texas
A deal to transport oil from the Eagle Ford Shale region to the Texas Coast has been signed by Anadarko Petroleum and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners. The pact includes a pump station, a 160,000-barrel storage facility and a 10-mile pipeline connection, all of which are expected to be built by early 2015. American City Business Journals/San Antonio/Eagle Ford Shale Insight blog (12/26)

Through the lens: Work resumes on paused Cincinnati streetcar project

(WKRC-TV)

A 3.6-mile streetcar project in Cincinnati would link several sections of the city, but the project was halted about a month ago while an audit of costs was completed. Opponents wanted the project killed. However, the City Council discovered it would cost as much to kill it as it would to complete it. Rail installation will resume today; rebar installation and work on wood forms and power and water lines will happen Saturday; and excavation for track work will resume on Jan. 2. American City Business Journals/Cincinnati (12/27), WKRC-TV (Cincinnati) (12/27)

NRC study favorable toward proposed Lee nuclear plant in S.C.
Duke Energy's proposed Lee nuclear plant in South Carolina has passed an environmental review conducted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which recommended the issuance of a construction and operating license. The company has not decided whether to proceed with the project. The Charlotte Observer (N.C.) (12/26)

Lawmakers in Colo. work on bills to fast-track rebuilding from floods
Colorado state lawmakers are considering filing measures aimed at speeding recovery from flooding that occurred in September. The bills could include a proposal to enable counties to tap into their general-fund money to fix roads and bridges. "We're going to learn more things as we go along. For some people, it's going to take years to recover," said Sen. Matt Jones. The Coloradoan (Fort Collins, Colo.) (tiered subscription model)/The Associated Press (12/25)

Trends & Technology

Qatar's planned Sharq Crossing features 3 bridges linked by subsea tunnels

(Building Design + Construction/YouTube/Santiago Calatrava)

Qatar has unveiled plans to build a set of three bridges dubbed Sharq Crossing, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, in preparation for the World Cup in 2022. Subsea tunnels that rise above and dip into Doha Bay will interconnect the bridges, which will span six miles. The structure will have "a beautiful sprawling elevated park" akin to the style of New York City's High Line park, made accessible via an elevated walkway. "Sharq Crossing is an engineering masterpiece of design," said public works chief Nasser Bin Ali Al-Mawlawi. Inhabitat (12/24), ArchDaily.com (12/24), Building Design + Construction (free registration) (12/24)

Sustainable Development

Deep energy retrofits grow easily on portfolio of buildings, campuses
Deep energy retrofits can grow exponentially when implemented on portfolios with several buildings, or on college campuses, writes Robert Hutchinson, a managing director for the research and consulting activities at the Rocky Mountain Institute. In this article, he mentions successful, deep energy retrofits at car dealerships, retailers and supermarkets. College campuses offer potential as test beds for energy retrofits, as well as promoting research for energy-efficiency, Hutchinson notes. GreenBiz.com (12/23)

Advancing the Profession

Leaders should be good listeners, says Commerce secretary
Good leadership is about being approachable and open to what others say, says Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Employees must feel empowered to dissent or share bad news, and leaders must be willing to understand and act upon what they hear, Pritzker explains. "Probably the biggest mistakes I've made were when I wasn't listening carefully enough," she says. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (12/21)

News from ASCE

Pumping systems design seminar set for Las Vegas
Come to Las Vegas next month not to gamble, but to invest in your career. ASCE's seminar, Pumping Systems Design for Civil Engineers, will help you understand the basics of pumping systems as well as their application in municipal water and wastewater systems. "I wish I had attended this earlier so that I could have applied all this knowledge in my previous projects! Definitely worth the time," one previous attendee wrote. Taking the course will earn you 1.4 CEUs. The two-day face-to-face seminar will be held Jan. 9 and 10. Register at the course page.

Civil Engineering online exclusive: Bay Bridge Demolition Begins in Calif.
Using building information modeling and a rich historical record, a demolition team is dismantling the east span in the reverse order from which it was built. Explore the down-to-the-knuckle work, then delve into many other fascinating articles at asce.org/cemagazine.
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