A proof-of-concept for a sea-based Floating City unveiled at the ASCE 2019 Convention is one of five Future World Vision concepts developed by the organization. The concepts are based on six long-term trends and envision "a convergence of some significantly disruptive trends occurring that, in combination, will probably cause more change to the engineering profession and to built infrastructure in the next 50 to 100 years than we've seen in over a thousand years," said Gerald Buckwalter, ASCE's chief operating and strategy officer.

The price tag for addressing Hawaii's aging infrastructure and protecting against rising seas as well as funding retirement obligations may top $88 billion over the next three decades. That's according to a report by local executives that offers no solutions but calls on leaders across the state to come together to formulate a budget plan.

Louisiana's Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee project to protect against flooding is now a "fundable project" after the Army Corps of Engineers helped pare the cost from $10.3 billion to $3.2 billion, says New Orleans Deputy District Engineer Mark Wingate. He noted that the District is committed to playing a role in construction and that it needs to "get out of the permitting game."

California's PG&E chose the least awful of two alternatives by switching off power to more than 2 million people amid dry and windy conditions, write Remington Tonar and Ellis Talton. The massive disruption exemplifies the vulnerability of the nation's aging power infrastructure, which needs new and innovative solutions, possibly including the introduction of microgrids, they write.

Georgia Tech is leading a team effort to develop digital twins for urban infrastructure systems that use real-time data to help optimize a city's actual systems. The effort builds on several cities' current use of digital twins, such as Atlanta's North Avenue Smart Corridor, which draws on data from sensors and cameras to smooth traffic flow.

Men dominate the engineering professions, especially in the UK, but experts say addressing that imbalance and encouraging girls to consider the field must also include active support from their mothers. "Engineers can go into schools to win children over but if mothers are not convinced, it won't work," said Nick Baveystock, director general of the UK's Institution of Civil Engineers.

The Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance task forces will consider environmental impacts in their report on the proposed development of three toll roads in Florida. The task forces are charged with filing a report to the governor by Oct. 1, 2020, with construction to begin at the end of 2022 and end eight years later.

Traffic delays are the unfortunate downside that result from the two-year, $27 million redecking of the Bay Bridge in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, writes Wes Guckert, head of The Traffic Group. To help ease congestion, the Maryland Transportation Authority has switched to cashless tolling, will stop construction during the Thanksgiving holiday and plan add a third lane from Memorial Day through Labor Day in 2020.

The West Virginia Parkways Authority will consider whether CDM Smith should be considered to prepare data for the next bond sale after the consulting firm's initial projections for tolling impacts on the West Virginia Turnpike were off base. When turnpike tolls were doubled in early 2019, CDM Smith projected a 19.6% decrease in truck traffic, but it actually jumped around 1%.

The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority is searching for an executive director since Earl "Buddy" Croft III will retire at the end of January. In 13 years as executive director, Croft helped institute Open Road Tolling, electronic tolling and E-ZPass.