PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Jeff Manning and Anna Marum - ASSOCIATED PRESS - Tue August 01, 2017

Portland Building Boom Continues, So Does Worker Shortage

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) John Killin pressed the panic button in February amid a multibillion-dollar tsunami of real estate development. The building frenzy that lit up the Portland-area economy and changed the city irrevocably has depleted the pool of skilled construction workers....

Tue August 01, 2017

Full Closure of Washington's SR 532 Begins in August

Travelers have a few weeks to plan ahead for an approximate two-week closure of State Route 532 near Stanwood. Highway users will be detoured onto county roads starting 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, while crews replace a culvert under the highway....

Tue August 01, 2017

Busy Fire Season Closes South-Central Idaho Roads

It's been a busy few weeks; fire season is officially here. It started as soon as a human-caused fire closed Interstate 84 near Glenns Ferry on June 5. As soon as winter snows melted and spring floods subsided, summer dryness hit the lowlands....

Tue August 01, 2017

Oregon House Passes Major Transportation Bill Package

SALEM, Ore. (AP) The Oregon House passed a transportation bill with new taxes and fees that would raise $3.8 billion over seven years for repairs to the state's roads and bridges. House Bill 2017 now heads to the Oregon Senate, where it's expected to pass, The Register Guard reported....

Lori Tobias - Tue August 01, 2017

Idaho's Sequoia Tree Has Storied Past, Moves to New Home

Bystanders in Boise were recently treated to a sight they're not likely to witness soon, if ever again — the relocation of a 98-ft.-tall, 800,000-lb. sequoia tree planted in its original spot at St....

Mon July 03, 2017

USDOT Provides $99.6M TIFIA Loan for BelRed Street Network Project

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced that the Department of Transportation's Build America Bureau will provide a $99.6 million TIFIA infrastructure loan to the city of Bellevue, Wash., near Seattle and Redmond, to finance completion of its BelRed Street Network Project....

Mon July 03, 2017

Pair of I-84 Projects in Idaho's Jerome County Will Slow Traffic This Summer

Drivers can expect drive times along Interstate 84 through eastern Jerome County to be slow for the remainder of the summer due to two projects to rehabilitate and extend the life of the driving surface....

Mon July 03, 2017

Amtrak to Replace Seattle Locomotive Facility for $28M

Amtrak said it will build a $28 million locomotive service facility in Seattle, its latest major investment in a facility that supports its two long-distance trains — the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight — plus the Amtrak Cascades state-supported corridor service, and maintenance for Sound Transit's Sounder trains....

Mon July 03, 2017

ITD Plans to Halt Work During Solar Eclipse in August

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to visit eastern Idaho for the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, and that could have a significant impact on the state's highway system....

Spencer Cole - Mon July 03, 2017

Port of Coos Bay Attempts to Gain Support for $400M Dredging Project

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) The Port of Coos Bay has stepped up its public outreach efforts in recent weeks to promote its proposed $400 million channel modification project. “This city, this bay was built on shipping....