The Ohio River Bridges Project, between Kentucky and Indiana, has ended and tolling started July 21 for the Abraham Lincoln, East End and Kennedy bridges. The all-electronic RiverLink tolling system will allow drivers to use either local or E-ZPass transponders.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission voted Wednesday to award Dragados USA a design-build contract in excess of $755 million to construct a second tunnel between Virginia Beach, Va., and the Eastern Shore. Construction could begin in fall 2017 for the project, which will be paid for with a federal loan, toll revenues and bonds.

Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. will soon start work on the new headquarters and practice facility for the Minnesota Vikings football team in Eagan. The project, to be designed by Crawford Architects, will include a 6,000-seat stadium, offices, and indoor and outdoor practice spaces.

Wisconsin's Legislative Fiscal Bureau says the state faces a $939 million budget shortfall for road funding over the next two years, and a Republican legislator is imploring Gov. Scott Walker do something. However, Walker adamantly opposes usage fees or gas-tax increases unless they can be offset by spending cuts elsewhere.

The Federal Transit Administration wants Congress to approve $900 million for Maryland's Purple Line light-rail project. Congress has 30 days to review the request, which would fund about half of the estimated $2 billion cost.

A report from Moody's Investors Service indicates a bright future for the infrastructure public-private partnership market in the US, but surety bond expert Vic Lance says that could hinge on the response from regulators. "In many states, the greater opportunities for such partnerships come together with stricter rules on ensuring deliverability and preventing noncompletion," he writes in this commentary.

Kevin DeGood, the director of infrastructure policy at the Center for American Progress, looks at public-private partnerships in this piece -- specifically at risk transfer and noncompete clauses.

Social media can help speakers connect before, during and after important public speaking opportunities, but you need to give an incentive, Jim Anderson writes. "The #1 thing that I think that you have to offer to them is going to be access to yourself," he writes.

Looking ahead to taking the P.E. Civil, P.E. Environmental, or S.E. exam this fall? It'll be here sooner than you think. Same for ASCE's live exam review courses, which begin Monday, Aug. 1. The courses' director, J.P. Mohsen, explains how to pick the right one in a special video and shares exam study tips in ASCE's Civil Engineering magazine. Face your exam with confidence -- sign up today.

Purdue University in Indiana is testing how effective "freeform classrooms" are in improving second-year engineering students' performance. Consider the encouraging results in ASCE's Civil Engineering online. For a trove of features on unusual projects and current issues in the profession, bookmark Civil Engineering online.

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