Infrastructure

DALLAS — An Austin bond committee that has recommended $575 million for the November ballot is providing an alternative that will leave room for an urban rail project long championed by re-elected Mayor Lee Leffingwell.

A report requested by lawmakers on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority supports its financial projections for the Metrorail extension to Dulles Airport, but raises concerns about MWAA's transparency, conflicts of interest and contracting practices.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Georgia has restarted the Northwest Corridor congestion-reliever project in the Atlanta metropolitan region using a traditional approach to its construction and funding, as opposed to a public-private partnership.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder last Thursday met with top Canadian officials to talk about a proposed $4 billion, publicly funded trade bridge spanning the Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, according to local reports.

Chicago announced an agreement Monday with Aeroterm LLC to begin construction on a new, $200 million cargo center at O’Hare International Airport.

State transportation officials, engineers, construction firms and transportation advocacy groups are urging lawmakers working on a final highway bill to support the use of new tax-credit bonds to finance transportation projects.

DALLAS — When financial markets were collapsing in 2008, the North Texas Tollway Authority faced the challenge of raising $3.2 billion to pay for its most ambitious project, the State Highway 121 toll road connecting the far northern Dallas suburbs to the NTTA's existing system.

A recent poll found a slim majority of Arkansas voters oppose a plan to raise the sales tax rate to finance a $1.8 billion highway construction program.

New Hampshire will return to the market with Garvee bonds for the second time in two years as work to widen Interstate 93 continues.

The nation's governors are urging House and Senate conferees working on a final highway bill to avoid doing anything that would restrict flexibility for tax-exempt financing or have a chilling effect on public-private partnerships.