News & Views: July 12, 2012

Obama Signs Highway Bill
President Obama signed a $105 billion transportation bill last Friday, bringing to an end a three-year fight over road and transit spending.  “[T]his bill will keep thousands of construction workers on the job rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure," Obama said. 
READ MORE >>>

New Ferries, Animal Crossings and 'Carmageddon' Earn Western Region America's Transportation Awards
Projects that revamped a marine highway, kept bighorn sheep off a busy highway to keep drivers and the animals safe, and changed perception of a weekend highway closure from "Carmageddon" to "Carmaheaven" were all recipients of top honors in the regional America's Transportation Awards competition.

Now in its fifth year, the America's Transportation Awards competition - sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - recognizes the very best of America's transportation projects in three main categories: Ahead of Schedule, Under Budget, and Best Use of Innovation.  Winners in the other regions will be announced at their own regional meetings, held throughout the summer. 
READ MORE >>>

Dubai RTA to Open Trade Center Bridges Project in 2013
The project involves construction of 22 precast concrete bridges, stretching 4,236m in length and 15m wide, as well as the building of a concrete bridge, which measures 120m in length, to assist the traffic heading towards the Al Maktoum Bridge. 
READ MORE >>>

German Bridge Project Hopes to Help Invigorate Town
What if we actually built our cities out of Legos? A bridge in Wuppertal, Germany, a city of 350,000 to the northeast of Cologne, offers one vision of what that city might look like. Street artist Martin Heuwold created the grand illusion last fall when he painted a dingy concrete span in the bright hues of every architect’s favorite toys. 
READ MORE >>>