Gulf Coast Oil Spill Forecast

NOAA nearshore surface oil forecast: Onshore (SE/SSE) winds are forecast to continue through Friday at 10 knots or less. Persistent southwesterly winds last week resulted in northward movement of the slick towards the Mississippi/Alabama barrier islands and westward movement along the Florida Panhandle. Models show alongshore currents becoming more westward over the next few days, [...]

On Tap at the Nation’s DOT

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood lays out what’s in store for the new year on his blog, http://fastlane.dot.gov/2009/12/bring-on-2010-this-dot-has-its-sleeves-rolled-up.html This is an excerpt: Here’s just a preview of what’s in the works: More recovery, more renewal: as more complex stimulus-funded projects get underway, we’ll see even more Recovery Act jobs than in 2009, and more upgraded infrastructure. [...]

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood blogs about the AP report on stimulus funding

In absolute terms, overall public construction rose by $8.3 billion in November 2009 from November a year ago. All of that (more than all of that) was accounted for by highways, streets, and other public transportation construction projects, which rose by $9.2 billion.

To read the entire article, go to: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/01/ap-misses-the-mark.html

Local and National News – 05/19/2009

Battle Creek I-94 bridge to partially open Friday “A stretch of eastbound I-94 that has been closed because of a bridge problem is expected to partially reopen by the end of the week. <!– document.write(““);document.getElementById(“img1″).src=”http://beacon.scorecardresearch.com/scripts/beacon.dll?C1=8&C2=2102&C3=16&C4=513006&C5=3069&C6=&C7=” + escape(window.location.href) + “&C8=” + escape(document.title) + “&C9=” + escape(document.referrer) + “&C10=” + escape(screen.width+’x’+screen.height) + “&C15=&C16=BAIU2%2cAMDF1%2cDOT30&rn=” + Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999); // –> [...]

Rising Rivers – 04/20/2009 – by InspectABridge.com

Major flooding across the U.S. has state departments of transportation scrambling to assess the damage to bridges and roadways and clean up the resulting debris.  According to WRKG, Alabama Governor Bob Riley is seeking Federal Disaster Relief for 20 counties that received damage from wind, rain and flooding in storms that rocked the state from [...]

Local and National News – 04/20/2009

“It’s lights on again for Bostons’ Zakim bridge” – “The decorative blue lights that have helped make the Zakim bridge a Boston landmark will again glow in the city’s skyline. The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority says it received enough private donations to switch the lights on after several nights of darkness. The authority has a $2.2 [...]

Local and National News – 03/16/2009

“There’s still time to get your piece of stimulus” – “So the government passes this massive $787 billion spending bill officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. You’re a business owner toiling away in tough times, trying to make payroll, all the while scrounging for new business.  “I wonder how I get a [...]

Get Your Slice of the Stimulus Pie – 03/16/2009 – by InspectABridge.com

With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, state governments are scrambling to have projects ready to bid, and contractors are eagerly watching for ways to become involved in the rebuilding and renewal of America’s infrastructure. It can be difficult to sort through the rhetoric and determine what this means for the highway [...]

Bridge inspectors’ pacts OK’d by county

“Bridge Inspectors’ Pacts OK’d by county” – “Monmouth County has renewed contracts with engineering firms necessary to continue a pilot program in which Monmouth remains the only New Jersey county to administer its own federally funded biennial bridge inspections. The biennial National Bridge Inspection Standards inspections will cover the 205 county bridges that exceed 20 [...]

Roadways In The Air: Getting From Here To There

“Roadways In The Air: Getting From Here to There” – “Light and strong, suspension bridges are ancient technology. But they are still the most economical and elegant way to cover a large distance. Take San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge; it covers a bay nearly a mile wide.”