Infrastructure

After years of delays, the $1.8 billion, 26-mile toll road known as the Wekiva Parkway is finally getting a jump-start.

DALLAS — The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, the first toll road agency of its kind in Texas, is looking for yield-hungry investors willing to take a risk on $374 million of revenue bonds at or below investment grade next week.

WASHINGTON — House Transportation Committee chairman John Mica wants to take the Northeast rail corridor away from Amtrak and privatize most of it to get true high-speed rail service — trains that can travel at 220 miles per hour.

Senate transportation committee leaders have agreed to fund the TIFIA program at $1 billion per year as part of a six-year highway and transit funding bill that they plan to introduce in two weeks.

The Illinois General Assembly recently passed legislation to establish a commission charged with recommending the best way to implement a public-private partnership to aid in financing, construction and operation of a high-speed rail system.

Oklahoma Lawmakers revived a bill authorizing a $70 million state road bond issue last week just 24 hours after the proposal was narrowly defeated.

The Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority within the next three weeks will receive bids from private operators on a concession agreement for the island’s busiest toll road.

New Jersey needs to create new revenue streams to help support the state’s transportation infrastructure needs, according to a report released last week by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire is looking for a new source of revenue to help pay for transportation projects.

WASHINGTON — Loudoun County, Va., is looking at the possible impact of withdrawing its funding for the Washington, D.C., Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport.