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Column: Obama seen as kindred spirit for rail proponents
Columnist Michael Dresser says Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., is excited about President-elect Barack Obama and his administration because of their common goal of boosting high-speed rail. "We think the United States shouldn't become a Third World country when it comes to high-speed service," Mica said. The Sun (Baltimore) (12/29)

Fontainebleau hotel opens after $1B makeover
Miami's iconic Fontainebleau hotel reopened last month after a $1 billion makeover. Some of the additions include three upscale restaurants and a beachfront spa. "There are probably only a handful of hotels as synonymous as this is with their location. As The Plaza is to New York, as the Ritz is to Paris, the Fontainebleau is to Miami Beach," said Howard C. Karawan, chief operating officer of Fontainebleau Resorts. Asbury Park Press (Neptune-Asbury Park, N.J.)/The Associated Press (12/28)

Renewable power projects face limited capacity in U.S., Europe
Renewable power projects in Europe could stall without grid upgrades because they will place too much stress on existing systems. Some U.S. organizations also are warning about the effect of limited capacity on America's grid. "We are already operating the system closer to the edge than in the past," said Rick Sergel, president of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. "We simply do not have the transmission capacity available to properly integrate new renewable resources." MIT Technology Review (1/1)

Earthquake recovery construction may boost China's economy
China has already transformed the location of this year's devastating earthquake into a construction site. The government is expected to spend 25% of a $580 billion economic recovery package on quake reconstruction, and it hopes the effort will help boost the country's ailing economy. The stimulus package includes roads, railways and 4.5 million homes. The New York Times/Reuters (12/29)

Other News

• AGC's Sandherr tells Obama team transportation infrastructure should get priority
  Associated Construction Publications (12/29)

• Toronto's Metrolinx faces lack of governance
  The Toronto Star (12/29)

Market Update

Report: Construction spending to decline sharply in New York in 2009
The New York area showed resilience in construction spending in 2008, but economic weakness is expected to send construction starts falling 19% next year, according to a new McGraw-Hill Construction report. The report predicted that nonresidential construction starts in 2009 will decline 21% to $11.6 billion. Meanwhile, non-building construction will fall 28% to $6.9 billion. Crain's New York Business (12/29)

Recession crimps Vegas casinos and construction
October gambling revenues in Clark County, Nev., plummeted 24.3% from last year, while area construction plunged 92% in October compared to the year before. The downturn has stalled development on several construction projects, including a $4.8 billion resort that is now on hold until 2010. MGM Mirage sold Treasure Island for $775 million to pump cash into finishing its $9.1 billion CityCenter, the largest private construction project in the U.S. TIME (12/29)

Product Innovation & Technology

Vacuum excavators take on new challenges
Construction workers are discovering new uses for vacuum excavators, including locating buried utility lines with less risk of accidental damage. The machines, designed for underground cleaning, employ water or air pressure to displace spoil. Vacuum excavators were originally used to clean septic tanks and car wash pits, among other tasks. Associated Construction Publications (12/29)

Innovative Iowa bridge uses advanced concrete
The Jakway Park Bridge in Iowa's Buchanan County is the first highway bridge in North America built with a new generation of Ultra-High Performance Concrete pi-girders. UHPC consists of fine sand, cement and silica fume for a denser concrete than conventional concrete. Developed in France in the 1990s, UHPC has rarely been used on U.S. bridges. The Jakway Park Bridge was recently nominated for the Iowa Quality Initiative Structures Award. Oelwein Daily Register (Iowa) (12/29)

News From Washington

Stimulus lobbying well under way
The new administration expects the stimulus package to cost between $675 billion and $775 billion, and the prospect of all that money has interest groups lining up to ask for a piece. Vice President-elect Joe Biden has promised to keep a close eye on what gets spent, saying: "We'll spend what we need to turn this economy around and no more." Yet groups representing everyone from shoe importers to the aviation industry are hoping to use the stimulus package as a means to get concessions they've been working toward for years. USA TODAY (12/29)

Other News

• International Monetary Fund endorses Obama stimulus plan
  The Wall Street Journal (12/30)

The Last Word

Top 5 in political comedy
The Daily Beast laughed its way through the election season and gathers its favorite videos here. Chris Rock takes a jab at Bill Clinton, the Daily Show skewers dumb voters and, of course, "Saturday Night Live" takes on Sarah Palin. The Daily Beast (12/28)

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