- Parsons Selected To Provide Engineering And Design Services For I-5 Bridge Replacement
- Commentary: Tolling Could Be A Viable Option For Funding Indiana Roadways
- Georgia Becomes A "Model State" For Sustainable Transportation Development
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
This is a Subscribers-Only area. If you are a subscriber, please login. If not...
Become a Subscriber Today »
Parsons Selected To Provide Engineering And Design Services For I-5 Bridge Replacement
Arkansas DOT has selected Parsons Transportation Group to receive the contract to provide engineering and design services for its joint endeavor with Tennessee DOT to replace the I-55, “America’s River Crossing” bridge, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. The project received a $394 million grant this summer through the federal Bridge Investment Program, and each state has committed up to $250 million to round out the funding. Tolling is not part of the financing package. “As the contract with Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. is finalized, the next anticipated milestone will be selecting the firm to carry out the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) method of Alternative Delivery, which is used to streamline large, complex projects,” according to an ARDOT news release.
Arkansas Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) Parsons Tennessee Tennessee DOTCommentary: Tolling Could Be A Viable Option For Funding Indiana Roadways
“The Indiana economy thrives because of our ability to move goods, services, and people easily throughout the state,” writes Jeff Rea, president and CEO of the South Bend (Indiana) Regional Chamber of Commerce, in a post to his “Talking Business” blog. The post focuses on the funding conundrum Indiana faces as gas taxes continue to dwindle amid stark inflation in the construction industry. “From 2020-2022, construction materials increased by 36%, and labor costs increased by 16%,” Rea notes, in addition to providing figures on specific material costs that spiked by as much as 113 percent. With state purchasing power so drastically curtailed, and gas tax revenue shrinking, Rea stresses that state leaders need to prioritize identifying new sources of transportation funding. Among other options available to the state, he cites tolling of key arteries. Rea maintains it “could get a lot of consideration, especially given how much traffic just passes through the State, uses our roads, but doesn’t contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of those roads.”
Company and Agency Financial Issues And Reports Economic & Social Considerations Affecting Transportation ETC Systems Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Indiana Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)Georgia Becomes A "Model State" For Sustainable Transportation Development
In pointing to Georgia’s leadership in advancing sustainable transportation, Eco News spotlights The Ray organization and the 18-mile stretch of I-85 it uses as a testing ground for technologies such as photovoltaic roadways that can charge electric vehicles (EVs) and power street lights and traffic systems. It also reports on what the City of Peachtree Corners and its affiliated Curiosity Lab — already known for hosting the largest fast-charging site for EVs in the Atlanta region — are doing in Gwinnett County to test applications of solar road technology, including installing solar panels in bike and autonomous vehicle lanes. Peachtree Corners in partnership with The Ray is reportedly “ready to produce the first completely operational solar road in the U.S.” The article notes that Georgia is also “exploring the potential for a solar-powered mobility hub, which can serve micro-mobility vehicles,” such as electric scooters and bikes that provide clean energy transportation options.
Economic & Social Considerations Affecting Transportation Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Environmental Protection Policies Procedures And Initiatives Georgia Self-Driving Vehicles The Ray Transportation and Infrastructure Research & DevelopmentThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
If you’re not already a Daily News Briefs subscriber and you want a complete picture of today’s news, click here or call 717-991-2823 for subscription information. If you’re a newcomer to TollRoadsNews.com, click here.