VW Trust Takes Effect, Starts Process for States to Begin Using $3B in Project Funding
After months of court filings to finish a major legal settlement by automaker Volkswagen over charges of violating the Clean Air Act, a countdown has begun for states to tap into a nearly $3 billion mitigation projects fund VW has established for the transportation sector. States and tribes can use funds the trust set aside for them over 10 years to pay for a range of projects aimed at reducing their transportation emissions, such as replacing older-model trucks or fleet vehicles, acquiring z...
Reports: Trump Tells Senators Tax Reform Can Pay for Infrastructure Plan
President Trump told members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee that lawmakers can find funds to pay for a major infrastructure investment program out of a pending tax overhaul, and could perhaps combine those measures, news reports said. That, along with reports that Trump also told lawmakers he is still pushing for an infrastructure plan while aides said they continue to develop an administration proposal, raised the issue's profile at a time that some observers felt a project fund...
Billion-Dollar Projects Fuel Spike in Private Sector Infrastructure Investment
Singapore: Multi-billion dollar projects are fueling stronger private sector investment in infrastructure projects in developing countries, which increased by 24 percent from 2016 levels, reflecting US$36.7 billion across 132 projects, says a new World Bank Group report. However, although the growth of larger-sized projects is contributing to improved figures for the first half of 2017, investment levels remain 15 percent lower than the half-year averages of the past five years, reports...
Governor McAuliffe Announces USDOT Approval of Federal Loan for I-66 Public-Private Partnership
RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) issued their approval to provide a $1.2 billion Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for the I-66 Outside the Beltway public-private partnership transportation project. The TIFIA loan represents 33 percent of the project’s total cost. The Commonwealth’s private partner on the I-66 Outside the Beltway Project, a consortium of Cintra, Meridiam, Ferrovi...
Fires Plague California as Latest Disaster Aid Package Moves in Congress
A new spate of natural disasters in the form of wildfires has left at least 31 people dead in northern California, disrupted transportation there and added to the nation's growing cost of infrastructure repairs. President Trump approved a disaster declaration for the state, clearing the way for federal aid to flow. Most of the fires were in California's wine-growing area, and in a series of state disaster declarations Gov. Jerry Brown said the damages included shutdowns of major roads....
Idaho Transportation Board Approves Additional $100 Million in Funding for I-84 Corridor
BOISE – The Idaho Transportation Board approved a resolution to allocate more than $100 million toward funding expansion in the Interstate 84 Caldwell to Nampa Corridor during the monthly meeting today (Thursday, Oct. 12) in Boise. “The Transportation Board recognizes the need to address congestion in this corridor and are focusing funds here to make greater gains toward improving the corridor,” said Transportation Board Chairman Jerry Whitehead. Funding sources include the Transportation...
Oregon Awarded U.S. Dept. of Transportation Grants to Enhance its Premier Road Usage Charge System
SALEM, Ore. – The U.S. Department of Transportation last week awarded Oregon a grant of $2,315,000 to enhance Oregon’s existing road usage charge program (OReGO), as well as a $2,590,000 grant to implement a joint project with California that will integrate the states’ road charging programs. Both grants will help expand the state’s understanding of the technology used in the OReGO program and its ability to support local, state, regional and even national transportation funding needs. “...
Idaho Receives Nearly $37 Million from Federal Airport Improvement Program
BOISE - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently awarded nearly $37 million in grants to Idaho airports from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Recipients received FAA-AIP grants to maintain and improve Idaho’s airport facilities. This is the culmination of a joint federal, state, and local airport process to address air transportation in Idaho. “Idaho’s quality airport system requires regular investment,” Idaho Division of Aeronautics Administrator Mike Pape said. “With that...
FHWA Awards Nearly $54M in Advanced Technologies Grants
The Federal Highway Administration said it awarded $53.68 million in grants to state departments of transportation and other agencies under its "Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment" program. The grants will help fund projects in 10 states to improve mobility and safety for drivers and enhance the performance of the nation's highway system, the announcement said. The FHWA said its program, which it established under the Fixing America's Surface Transpo...
State DOTs, Road-Building Groups Urge Congress to Fix Trust Fund in Tax Measure
State highway department CEOs joined with officials from two major road-building industry groups to urge Congress to make a permanent fix to the ailing Highway Trust Fund as lawmakers take up tax legislation. The 52-member board of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials voted Sept. 28, at its annual meeting in Phoenix, to endorse the policy position that was developed by a joint committee of AASHTO, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and th...
Stormwater Interview with Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB
Santa Barbara County North Branch Jail Expansion
February Issue 2026
