Infrastructure

At a time when states and municipalities face more than $2 trillion of unfunded pension fund liabilities, states are increasingly turning to private infrastructure investments to help close those funding gaps, experts said told treasurers meeting here this week.

Fitch Ratings announced Wednesday that uncertainties in federal transportation funding led to downgrades of GARVEES. The agency also warned against further weakening possible along the current trajectory.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport continues its record refunding year next week with a $269 million issue that coincides with a terminal remodeling program and the bankruptcy of its major tenant.

A new report from Loop Capital Markets concludes that airports that rely heavily on cargo shipping have been less resilient during the recession and subsequent recovery than more passenger-oriented facilities.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport's board of directors approved a settlement ending its four-year royalty dispute with Chesapeake Energy Corp. over the price paid on natural gas extracted from airport property.

Airports Council International-North America released a manifesto Monday, calling for the U.S. government to eliminate the alternative minimum tax on private activity bonds and provide airports with reliable funding mechanisms.

Arkansas will begin work soon on highway projects financed with proceeds from Tuesday's competitive sale of $225 million of Garvee bonds. It is the first tranche from a $575 million Garvee program authorized by voters in 2011.

Rep. Bill Shuster looks like the most likely candidate to follow in his father's footsteps as the next Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, but several dark horse candidates are also in the mix, transportation lobbyists say.

Three groups have filed complaints stating that federal approval for the $2.6 billion Ohio River Bridges Project should be thrown out because laws were violated.

After plunging during the financial crisis, the issuance of municipal bonds subject to the alternative minimum tax is slowly rebounding, with airports leading the way.