Plans for the Twin Cities' fourth bus rapid transit line are advancing with a $40 million commitment by the Ramsey County Board for the eastern Purple Line, a project estimated between $457 million and $474 million. Construction could begin in 2024 if the Federal Transit Administration comes through, as expected, with nearly half the cost.
Construction is expected to begin this month on a new $225.7 million sewer district for Long Island's Mastic peninsula, according to a Suffolk County, N.Y., legislator. The project, which is expected to take several years, will include a sewage treatment plant at Brookhaven Calabro Airport in Shirley with pipes extending to customers in Mastic.
As much as 13 inches of rain swamped parts of Alabama on Wednesday, causing extensive flooding and at least four deaths as a weather front stalled. More heavy rain is predicted as the front moves into Georgia, western South Carolina and the Florida Panhandle.
China is looking to strengthen its water security grid system and provide water to an arid region of the country via the world's largest, longest and costliest interbasin water diversion project. However, critics suggest the project could lead to significant domestic water and habitat loss.
Engineers with New York's Thruway Authority will work with the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance on a pilot project that will investigate the use of drones to assist highway bridge inspections. The project could lead to more extensive use of drones for tasks such as mapping and surveying, as well as tracking inventory and infrastructure.
Source Global is using solar-powered panels to extract drinking water from thin air in remote areas. The panels draw in ambient air and push it through a water-absorbing material that traps water vapor from the air.
Harsh winter conditions and daily wear from vehicles take a heavy toll on road striping, and a three-year test in Utah will determine which striping methods hold up best. One hundred samples are being tested along a 3-mile section of Interstate 84 to determine their flatness, durability and reflectivity.
Long-life pavement markings in North Carolina have been found to reduce serious lane-departure accidents by 13%. The thermoplastic markings laid down along 400 miles of rural, two-lane roads offer greater visibility with tiny embedded reflective glass beads.
SmartTake: In addition to increased visibility, the thermoplasticity of the synthetic resin also allows the hot-melt coating to dry quickly while acting as a strong adhesive to the road. The glass beads also improve the antiskid performance of the thermoplastic. --Evan
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is running a community day tomorrow to give locals an opportunity to cycle or walk along a 5-mile section of the Southern Beltway connecting Route 22 and Interstate 79. The 13-mile, $900 million project will officially open to vehicles Oct. 15.
The Border West Expressway in El Paso, Texas, opened two years ago and remains in a "toll deferral period," according to Raymond Telles, executive director of the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority. The decision on whether to implement tolls remains with the Texas Department of Transportation, with "no changes on the immediate horizon," Telles said.