Megaprojects in the U.S. Here is a list of the leading U.S. megaprojects that are planned, in progress or close to completion. The first five were reported in an article by Ryan Holeywell and Daniel Lippman that appeared in the April 12, 2014 issue of the Governing the States and Localities newsletter. Since that writing, other major projects have come on line. All costs associated with the projects are estimates that were based on data available when the report was published. We can only guess as to how those numbers have changed. 1. The Dulles Transit Extension, linking downtown Washington, D.C. with Dulles International Airport 20 mi (32 km) away in Virginia. Cost: $6.2 billion. 2. OTAY Mesa East, the third port of entry to the U.S. from Mexico, located near San Diego, calling for a highway, bridges and rail links. Cost: $1 billion, and growing. 3. O’Hare Airport Modernization, to upgrade and expand one of the world’s busiest airports. Cost: $8.8 billion. 4. Crescent Corridor Expansion, a freight railway project going through 13 eastern states linking New Orleans to New Jersey. Cost: $2.5 billion. 5. Alaska Way Viaduct Replacement, the tunnel project discussed earlier. Cost: $3.1 billion with huge cost overruns — not unlike the mass of Mt. Rainier that can sometimes be seen from the grade level of the construction site… Others worth noting are: The Columbia River Crossing, a bridge and highway project between Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore. Cost: $1.25 billion in Federal Funds, plus major additional funds to be provided by Washington and Oregon. This project is currently on indefinite hold while a good bit of political and funding “stick-handling” is going on. Denver FasTracks, a commuter light rail as well as an elaborate bus-based rapid transit system in Denver, Colo. Cost: originally estimated at $4.7 billion, already up to $7.8 billion. California High Speed Rail, a highly-publicized and politically contentious statewide program. Cost: $98 billion. New York City’s Second Avenue Subway, an update and upgrade of the original subway system built in 1927 being constructed through the heart of New York City. Cost: $410 billion. There are no doubt more of these kinds of projects, but this gives you an idea of what is happening at this time, and only in the U.S. Other highly-visible, recent and relatively successful international projects include Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel through the Swiss Alps, the Panama Canal Expansion and the Toronto Subway Extension. While the doubts about the viability of megaprojects continue to loom large, the appetite for these kinds of undertakings, particularly those that are infrastructure related, goes on unabated. While no major construction project has ever wound up costing even close to its original estimates, and while those providing funding may be wringing their hands and cringing in the budget office, they are a fact of mega-life. 120 • DEEP FOUNDATIONS • NOV/DEC 2016
