MIAMI — The Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) Center in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Florida International University is presenting a free webinar, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern, on Full-Depth Prefabricated Bridge Deck Options for Durability and Cost. The featured speaker is Bruce Johnson, P.E., Oregon DOT Bridge Engineer and chair, AASHTO Technical Committee for Bridge Preservation.

  DETROIT — The people have spoken, casting more than 100,000 votes in the fourth annual America's Transportation Awards competition. Holding tight onto an early lead, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) claimed the People's Choice Award for its Operation I-5 Partnership Project. A panel of transportation experts also weighed in on its favorite project in America, selecting the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) as the Grand Prize winner for its Interstate 10/Interstate 95 interchange rebuild known as "The Big I" project. 

 WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — The Cone & Graham/WGI Team that was recently awarded the $32 million design-build, Big John Monahan Bridge Replacement project in Martin County has developed a solution to meet the requirements of the contract while simultaneously accomplishing the public’s mandate for safety and fiscal accountability. By reducing the bridge length from the 1,951 feet contemplated in the Concept Plans to 953 feet, 8 inches, the team was able to reduce the overall project cost by approximately $10 million.

 WEST NYACK, N.Y. — McLaren Engineering is part of a team named in R&D Magazine’s “Top 100 Innovations” for its work in developing the world’s first high-load all thermoplastic composite bridge to support heavy vehicular traffic. The team of McLaren, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Rutgers University (Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering), and Axion International worked together to create an all thermoplastic composite (ATC) bridge design which would be cost-competitive with wood or other bridge materials and support the required DOT regulations for vehicular traffic.

  AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Texas Transportation Commission approved distribution of $3 billion in Proposition 12 bond funding that will address congested highways, rehabilitate bridges, and improve connectivity between the state’s metropolitan areas.