According to a press release from the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will fund passenger rail projects in 23 states with a $5.3 billion investment package. The funds will help close more than 30 grade crossings and will see the upgrade of over 1,000 others with new infrastructure and technology, as well as $2.2 billion for Amtrak equipment purchases. The FRA received 103 eligible applications from 78 entities requesting $11.7 billion. Contractors will get to work on “high-risk” crossings for...

Construction input costs were up 0.1 percent month over month in July and 7.4 percent annually, as contractors continue to face input price jumps and will for the foreseeable future as fuel prices and uncertainty forge ahead. The data, which was released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and analyzed by the Associated Builders and Contractors, showed that the increases were relatively insulated as lower energy costs, crude petroleum, and other unprocessed energy materials in particular offset costs. “Construction input prices were...

August has been a busy month for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which invested nearly $1.5 billion in new and upgraded airport infrastructure including runways, terminals, towers, and passenger areas. The agency awarded a new round of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants to airports in 42 states and two territories with a total of $615 million going to 238 grants, while earlier this month it awarded $870 million in Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) funding. This marks the sixth AIP award since March and to date, the agency...