News for Transportation
AGC supports Brightwater contractor in legal dispute with King County
AGC is supporting Brightwater tunnel contractors Vinci/Parsons RCI/Frontier Kemper JV (VPFK) in a legal dispute with King County. At issue is the long-standing principle that an “implied warranty” comes with an owner-issued plans and specifications, and how it allocates risk on Washington construction projects if following those plans and specifications does not produce the desired or intended result.
Posted on: 04/11/2016
Sound Transit unveils its $50 billion plan
Last week, Sound Transit released its draft Sound Transit 3 (ST3) plan, kicking off a public comment period that will likely conclude with the $50 billion plan on the November ballot in the Sound Transit counties.
Posted on: 03/28/2016
Grand opening for WSDOT's new SR-520 floating bridge
AGC of Washington is a proud sponsor of WSDOT's grand-opening "Go Long" celebration for the new SR-520 floating bridge.
Posted on: 03/28/2016
About $100 million more for highway maintenance and preservation
The State Legislature is currently developing a supplemental transportation budget and current drafts contain some good news.
Posted on: 02/29/2016
Cargo Preference Act applies to FHWA-funded projects
FHWA has interpreted recent changes in the federal Cargo Preference Act as applying to federal-aid highway contracts. The Act, which has been around since 1954, requires that “at least 50 percent of any equipment, materials or commodities” procured with federal funds, and which may be shipped by ocean vessel, must be transported on privately-owned United States-flagged commercial vessels.
Posted on: 02/16/2016
Senate removes Peterson; Gov. appoints Roger Millar as Acting WSDOT Secretary
The State Senate spent Friday, Feb. 8 debating the leadership of Lynn Peterson, the secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Posted on: 02/16/2016
Ram, Lakeside, Atkinson and PCL win WSDOT awards
Nearly 150 people attended the AGC/WSDOT annual meeting on Jan. 7. Attendees heard valuable information about upcoming WSDOT and Sound Transit projects, the workings of the various AGC/WSDOT committees, WSDOT’s project delivery method selection guidance, and the challenges of IMCO’s I-90 and Atkinson’s Puyallup River bridge projects.
Also, awards were announced for the Partnership for Excellence in Contract Administration Awards.
Posted on: 01/19/2016
Governor announces mandatory DBE goals for WSDOT contracts
Governor Jay Inslee is implementing mandatory subcontracting goals on WSDOT projects. Specifically, as of January 31, WSDOT will implement a combination of mandatory (18.7%) and aspirational (26%) contract goals for WSDOT construction and design contracts.
Posted on: 01/19/2016
WSDOT announces SR-520 grand-opening events
The SR-520 Floating Bridge and Landings project held a media event on Jan. 12 as a “save the date” announcement for the grand opening on April 2 and 3.
Posted on: 01/13/2016
WSDOT’s project-delivery selection guidance provides objective criteria
WSDOT’s new project-delivery method selection-guidance (PDMSG) process is now in effect. PDMSG is a process to evaluate projects and select the most appropriate project delivery method (PDM) based on each project’s attributes, opportunities and risks that result in the most cost-effective and best-value project delivery.
Posted on: 12/15/2015
Long-term federal highway bill finally signed into law
Washington State’s apportionment increases from $654 million in fy 2015 to an estimated $688 million in fy 2016. Click highway bill.
Posted on: 12/15/2015
U.S. House and Senate pass long-term highway bills
Contact your Congressmen and tell them to support a long-term bill! Send your message via AGC of America’s Hardhats for Highways website!
Posted on: 11/13/2015
AGCWA leaders visit Congress to urge passage of highway bill, pension reform
Act now! All members of the U.S. House of Representatives need to hear from their constituents that any further extensions are unacceptable.
Posted on: 10/13/2015
AGC of America comments on CMGC proposal
The MAP-21 transportation bill allows states to use the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC, also known as GCCM) contracting method for Federal-aid highway projects. The Federal Highway Administration has now proposed the regulations that will govern how this contracting method can be used.
Posted on: 09/28/2015
State Supreme Court rules that gas tax rebates to Tribes are constitutional
AGC and allies within the business community lost a legal battle recently when the State Supreme Court ruled that gas-tax rebates to tribes are constitutional.
Posted on: 09/28/2015
New SEPA exemptions for structurally deficient bridges
Planning is now underway for new SEPA exemptions for certain structurally deficient bridges.
Posted on: 08/25/2015
US Senate passes long-term highway bill; focus now on the House
The US Senate passed a six-year transportation reauthorization bill – the first time in years that an actual long-term bill was passed rather than a “kick the can down the road” short-term fix. Now it’s up to the House.
Posted on: 08/07/2015
Legislature: Double-overtime nearly over; no budget agreement yet
The State Legislature is in its second special session and so far no agreements have been reached on the operating and capital budgets nor on the comprehensive transportation funding package.
This special session is slated to end by June 30 but the more important deadline is July 1 – that’s when...
Posted on: 06/15/2015
What projects might Sound Transit 3 entail?
Sound Transit is hoping to move forward on its third phase with an up-to $15 billion package. It’s still a long way off with no certainty for its success as the Legislature still has to provide permission to Sound Transit to put the measure on the ballot and then it would have to be passed by vot...
Posted on: 06/11/2015
Current-law transportation budget funds 520, tunnel, preservation
It’s not the $15 billion comprehensive transportation funding package that AGC is pushing for but the Legislature recently passed the 2015-1017 “current law” budget which will fund a few projects insert some money into preservation and maintenance and prevent a shutdown of existing projects once ...
Posted on: 06/01/2015
Bertha: Contractor prevails on differing site-conditions issue – now what?
By John AhlersEarly this month the three-member Board appointed by WSDOT and Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) to assist in resolving contractual disputes on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project issued its latest recommendation. The question before the Board was narrow in scope: was an eight-i...
Posted on: 05/28/2015
U.S. Rep Suzan DelBene talks transportation, pension reform with AGC contractors
Discussing a wide range of topics including federal transportation funding multiemployer pension plan reform and project labor agreements U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene recently visited with AGC members and staff in Bothell including Paul Mayo (Flatiron) Geoff Owen (Kiewit) Jake Jacobson (Osbo...
Posted on: 05/28/2015
House committee passes transportation package
In another major step for a comprehensive transportation funding package the House Transportation Committee passed out funding bills that money-wise are similar to the package passed by the full state Senate. Thanks to the many AGC members who contacted committee members in the days before the vo...
Posted on: 04/17/2015
Petition urges passing of a comprehensive transportation package
Help Keep Washington Rolling -- join us in urging Governor Inslee and the Washington State Legislature to pass a comprehensive statewide transportation package this legislative session. Our economy can’t wait any longer. We have large infrastructure needs all around the state and making necessary...
Posted on: 04/15/2015
Paul Mayo, Bob Adams testify in support of transportation funding plan
AGC members Paul Mayo of Flatiron Constructors and Bob Adams of Guy F. Atkinson Construction joined AGC lobbyist Duke Schaub in testifying before the House Transportation Committee last week in support of a comprehensive transportation funding package.
(Photo L-R: Bob Adams Paul Mayo and Duke S...