Federal Judge Permanently Bars DOT From Freezing Hudson Tunnel Funds
Judge Jeannette Vargas threw out DOT’s suspension of Hudson Tunnel funding and permanently barred the agency from blocking money over the project’s DBE program.
Column Buckling at 235 East 42nd Street Halts NYC’s Largest Office Conversion
Two steel columns buckled on the 21st floor of the former Pfizer HQ, forcing nine building evacuations and a partial stop-work order on a 1,600-unit office-to-residential conversion.
Dodge Momentum Index Slips 1.9% in June as Data Center Planning Cools
The Dodge Momentum Index fell 1.9% in June as data center planning eased from record levels. Strip out data centers and the rest of nonresidential planning grew.
Austin Breaks Ground on a $1.5B Walnut Creek Wastewater Upgrade
Austin Water started a $1.5B expansion of the Walnut Creek plant, its biggest wastewater investment yet, to add capacity and protect the Colorado River.
3D-Printed Neighborhoods Move From Demo Homes to Subdivisions
From Wolf Ranch near Austin to Cleora in Colorado, 3D-printed housing is scaling from one-off show homes to full subdivisions and load-bearing walls.
Airport Terminal Construction Is Having a Record Year in 2026
From O’Hare’s $8.5B Global Terminal to DFW Forward’s $12B, U.S. airports are running one of the biggest terminal build-out cycles on record in 2026.
Construction Material Costs Hit a Record as a July 24 Tariff Cliff Looms
The producer price index for construction inputs hit an all-time 354.9, and a July 24 tariff reset could scramble steel, copper and cement costs again.
BlackRock Adds $25M to a Skilled-Trades Funding Wave
The BlackRock Foundation’s $25M Future Builders RFP closes July 10, joining Google’s $50M and Meta’s $115M push to fund the skilled-trades pipeline.
Heat Inspections Are the Rule This Summer, Even Without a Heat Standard
OSHA renewed its heat enforcement program through 2031 and inspections have jumped 12x, so contractors face heat scrutiny this summer with no final rule in sight.
O’Hare 21 Awards Its $8.5B Global Terminal to a Clark–Clayco Team
Chicago picked a Clark Construction–Clayco joint venture to design-build the $8.5B O’Hare Global Terminal, with construction set to start in late 2026.
Construction Spending Flatlines at $2.21T as Hiring Grinds Higher
May construction spending held at a $2.21T annual rate, up just 0.1% as public work carried a soft private market and payrolls added 17,000 jobs.
DOT Spreads $1.73B Across 127 Projects in Latest BUILD Round
USDOT awarded $1.73B to 127 road, bridge, transit, port and rail projects across 52 states and territories, with $1.3B going to roads and bridges.
Martin Marietta Bets $13.5B on Lime With Lhoist North America Buy
Martin Marietta will pay $13.5B for Lhoist North America, pushing the aggregates giant into higher-margin lime as billion-dollar construction M&A returns.
Long Beach Approves a $1.05B Port Budget Heavy on Rail and Zero-Emission Work
The Port of Long Beach approved a $1.05B FY2026-27 budget weighted toward on-dock rail, terminal upgrades and zero-emission equipment as cargo volume holds.
OSHA’s 2026 Regulatory Agenda Sets Fall Hearings on Construction Rules
OSHA’s 2026 regulatory agenda sets August hearings on construction illumination, hazard color code and fixed-ladder rules, while the federal heat standard slips to 2027.
Built Robotics Teams With Penn Engineers to Make Autonomous Excavators ‘Provably Safe’
Built Robotics is working with Penn Engineering’s xLAB to make autonomous heavy equipment “provably safe,” the certification hurdle standing between robots and active jobsites.
ENR Names Its 2026 Regional Contractors of the Year
ENR named PC Construction, STO Building Group and O&G Industries its 2026 regional Contractors of the Year, rewarding builders who share project risk with owners early.
Ohio DOT Kicks Off a Record $3.4B Construction Season With 977 Projects
Ohio DOT is running a record $3.4B construction program of 977 projects in 2026, one of several state DOTs pushing big road and bridge slates this season.