- Florida's Turnpike Will Assume Control Of Financially Troubled Toll Bridge
- Transportation Commissioner Remained On TxDOT Payroll Five Years After Resigning
- Environmentalists End Court Challenge To North Carolina Toll Bridge Project
- Gordie Howe Bridge Superstructure Starts To Take Shape
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Florida's Turnpike Will Assume Control Of Financially Troubled Toll Bridge
WUWF reports on recent legislation formally authorizing Florida DOT’s takeover of the Garcon Point Bridge in the state’s panhandle from a defunct county agency. The law allows FDOT to convey control of the span to Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. The article notes, “The Santa Rosa County bridge was the subject of a long-running legal fight between bondholders and the state because the bridge did not generate enough toll revenue. [FDOT agreed last June] to pay $134 million to take control of the bridge and to end the litigation.”
Florida Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) Santa Rosa County FLTransportation Commissioner Remained On TxDOT Payroll Five Years After Resigning
KVUE and MySA report, Victor Vandergriff retained the status and compensation of a Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) member for approximately five years even though he had submitted a resignation and stopped attending commission meetings in early 2018. According to the articles, the wording of a state constitutional provision on officers’ terms and Governor Greg Abbott’s failure to nominate a commission replacement until March 2023 resulted in Vandergriff receiving over $90,000 in compensation — and retaining employment benefits — without performing duties. A TxDOT spokesperson told KVUE, “As directed by the governor, TxDOT leadership is reviewing the department’s procedures for the payment of compensation to commissioners and will continue to ensure the payments are made in compliance with applicable state law.” A follow-up question regarding the five-year delay in appointment of Vandergriff’s successor went unanswered.
How Abbott makes TTC member appointments, and the qualifications of his nominees, were topics of one installment in KXAN’s recent investigative series on TxTag system problems.
Appointments-Promotions-Retirements Issues of Law Texas Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)Environmentalists End Court Challenge To North Carolina Toll Bridge Project
The Outer Banks Voice reports, “After several years of wending its way through the courts, the lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) challenging the construction of the Mid-Currituck Bridge appears to have run its course.” An SELC attorney said it will not appeal to the US Supreme Court a federal appellate court’s February ruling that North Carolina DOT and FHWA complied with National Environmental Policy Act requirements in their review of the toll span proposal. The article notes that the project is moving forward, but “because of the delays caused by COVID and the lawsuit, the start date for construction and a completion date are listed on the Mid Currituck Bridge website as TBD—To Be Determined.”
Environmental Protection Policies Procedures And Initiatives Issues of Law North Carolina North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) North Carolina Turnpike Authority US Department of Transportation (USDOT)Gordie Howe Bridge Superstructure Starts To Take Shape
Windsor Star provides another detailed update on the progress of Gordie Howe Bridge construction. It notes, among other things, that the height of the two towers now exceed 190 metres (625 feet) each, and both are on track for completion this fall. Since workers have started rigging the 216 stay cables that will support the road deck, “the outline of the finished [span] is beginning to emerge. . . . Also noticeable is the significant recent progress in construction of the bridge deck on the back span over land on the Windsor side linking the crossing to the customs plaza.” As to final completion, the bridge authority and its contracting team are still shooting for the contracted date, late 2024, but a spokesperson acknowledges, “Given the scope of the project and long duration of construction, any number of challenges may be encountered that may impact the schedule. The pandemic is one example of a challenge and it, among other issues, may lead to adjustments in schedule.”
Aecon Canada Dragados Fluor Corporation Gordie Howe Int'l Bridge Grupo ACS Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Michigan Ontario P3 & Privatization Windsor-Detroit Bridge AuthorityThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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