Economy

Honolulu’s plans to build a 20-mile elevated rail system appear to be clearing funding hurdles despite staunch opposition from mayoral candidate and former governor Ben Cayetano.

The Alaska Railroad faces a big budget cut from the U.S. Senate that could potentially put railroad bonds in jeopardy, news reports say.

Alaska’s Knik Arm bridge project has run into hurdles in the Legislature over $150 million of early funding for the controversial public-private toll crossing.

The Lafayette Metropolitan Expressway Commission will study whether tolls on a six-mile stretch of Interstate 49 will support construction of the portion of the highway in Lafayette.

Completing Interstate 49 through a public-private partnership is one of the five state goals that were outlined last week by Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy.

CHICAGO — The Mayo Clinic took retail orders Tuesday on $200 million of revenue bonds and will open the sale to institutional buyers Wednesday as it finances various capital projects, including a new proton beam therapy center at its flagship campus in Rochester, Minn.

DALLAS — A $500 million general obligation bond package going to Dallas voters this fall will do little to whittle down the city's $4.4 billion of needed street repairs and reconstruction.

Moody’s Investors Service raised its rating to Baa1 from Baa2 on Wheaton Franciscan Services in recognition of several years of improved operations at the Wisconsin hospital and the strong results expected this year.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley is seeking transportation proposals that will be funded with the first round of financing from $600 million to $650 million of grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds the state intends to sell.

CHICAGO — Bids to buy the assets of an upscale continuing-care retirement community in downtown Chicago are due by April 10, with holders of its $229 million of debt hoping for a competitive auction that results in a better recovery rate than the pennies on the dollar offered by an initial bidder.

LOS ANGELES — After six years laying groundwork, a project to construct a new $715 million Otay Mesa Port of Entry and a connecting highway at the Mexican border in San Diego appears to be moving forward.

DALLAS — Arkansas will study a proposal to turn the Interstate highway from Little Rock to Memphis into a toll road after the General Assembly failed to repeal a sales tax exemption on large trucks and trailers.

WASHINGTON — Transportation, water and energy infrastructure projects are most attractive for investment by public-private partnerships in the United States, according to a survey of construction company and engineering firm executives.

WASHINGTON — House Transportation Committee chairman John Mica on Thursday introduced a bill that would extend the current temporary highway and transit bill by three months, in an effort to buy time for more debate on a multi-year reauthorization.

CHICAGO — The Ohio Department of Transportation announced that it has formed a new division dedicated to ramping up the state's privatization efforts in an effort to lower costs and find new funding sources.

WASHINGTON — House Transportation Committee chairman Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., will introduce a three-month extension of temporary law reauthorizing highway and transit programs — the ninth such extension — before the end of the month.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is aggressively going after uncollected toll revenue, filing 14 civil suits on Tuesday against what it calls the most egregious toll violators.

Moody’s Investors Service on Monday downgraded to B3 from Ba3 the long-term rating assigned to Weirton Medical Center in West Virginia.

With public ire over the former mayor's flawed $1.15 billion lease of Chicago's parking meter system still clouding the local political landscape for public private partnerships, the city is turning to a next-generation model as it eyes private dollars to fund infrastructure and lower the cost of some city services.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday released the final environmental impact report for the nine-mile Westside Subway extension project estimated to cost between $5.6 billion and $6.2 billion.