OLYMPIA, WASH. — Washington and Oregon are creating a new partnership and will develop a plan for managing passenger-rail service between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., as one continuous rail corridor rather than two separate state operations. Transportation officials for each state signed an agreement as another step toward offering faster, more frequent Amtrak Cascades service.  

FRESNO, CALIF. — The California High-Speed Rail Authority released a revised business plan to launch the nation’s first high-speed rail service — capable of traveling 220 miles-per-hour from Merced to the San Fernando Valley — within 10 years. The revised plan is expected to enhance local rail service immediately and, in the long term, cut total project costs by $30 billion.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On March 29, the co-chairs of the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) issued the following statement: "We commend the House of Representatives and Senate for passing legislation to ensure the continued operation of the federal highway and public transportation programs as the 2012 construction season begins cranking up. This action notwithstanding, extension after extension of these programs is no substitute for a multi-year reauthorization that could begin to address the nation's staggering infrastructure challenges.  

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — The T (the Fort Worth Transportation Authority) announced that its TEX Rail commuter rail project was approved by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to advance to preliminary engineering (PE). The approval to enter PE will allow The T to proceed with the engineering needed for construction.  

OAKLAND, CALIF — The Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee (TBPOC) released findings by the independent Seismic Safety Peer Review Panel confirming the integrity and seismic safety of the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. In response to media reports calling into question foundation testing results and the safety of the new East Span, particularly its signature element, the Self-Anchored Suspension (SAS) Bridge main tower, the TBPOC commissioned the Seismic Safety Peer Review Panel in November 2011 to review records and answer questions regarding the design, quality assurance, and safety of the tower foundation.  

PHOENIX, ARIZ. — Valley Transit Constructors (VTC), a Kiewit/Mass. Joint Venture, was selected as the team that will continue designing and building the 3.1-mile Central Mesa light rail extension. Parsons Transportation Group, also part of the team, will serve as lead designer. This decision comes following a nine-month procurement process that sought support from high quality contractor/design teams from across the country. The contract was unanimously approved by the METRO Board of Directors.  

ARLINGTON, VA. — At nearly 900 feet above the Colorado River and 1,900 feet long, the Hoover Dam Bypass helps to protect the security of the dam by removing through traffic from US 93, thus reducing the vulnerability to a terrorist attack and also helps to protect the most sustainable source of electricity and a scarce water supply for the entire Southwest. In recognition of the challenges to build such a structure in a difficult environment, the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge was honored with the American Society of Civil Engineer’s (ASCE) 2012 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) award.  

MIAMI — Florida East Coast Industries Inc. (FECI) is developing a privately owned, operated, and maintained passenger rail service to connect South Florida and Orlando, which will be operational in 2014. Called All Aboard Florida, the passenger rail project will connect South Florida to Orlando through a 240-mile route combining 200 miles of existing tracks between Miami and Cocoa and the creation of 40 miles of new track to complete the route to Orlando. Eventually the system could be expanded with connections to Tampa and Jacksonville.