LOS ANGELES — AECOM Technology Corporation was awarded a US$19 million contract by the Government of Alberta Ministry of Transportation for the design and project management of the Highway 2 Twinning project at Peace River in Alberta, Canada.

ORONO, MAINE — The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) awarded its 2011 Charles Pankow Award for Innovation to the Advanced Structures and Composites Center of the University of Maine for the Bridge-in-a-Backpack System, which is being commercialized by Advanced Infrastructure Technologies Inc. (AIT) and has been successfully implemented by MaineDOT.

KANSAS CITY, MO. — In its latest America THINKS survey, HNTB Corporation finds many people in America acknowledging that much of the nation’s infrastructure has surpassed its intended life span, is in need of repair and that the current gas tax isn’t enough to foot such hefty bills. In fact, most Americans are willing to support large-scale infrastructure projects through increased tolls or taxes as long as they can directly reap or be assured of the benefits.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — One in nine of the bridges and overpasses American drivers cross each day is rated in poor enough condition that they could become dangerous or be closed without near-term repair, according to a report released by Transportation for America. The report, “The Fix We’re In For: The State of the Nation’s Bridges,” ranks states in terms of the overall condition of the state’s bridges, with one being the worst, 51 being the best. Twenty-three states across the country have a higher percentage of deficient bridges than the national average of 11.5 percent.

NEW YORK — The 6th New York City Bridge Conference, sponsored by the Bridge Engineering Association, will be held on July 25-26, 2011, at the Marriott New York East Side.