Skip to main content

Trump's Top Infrastructure Projects potentially leaked?

The Kansas City Star & McClatchy News Bureau today published a story that Trump's team has compiled a list of 50 top infrastructure projects at a cost of at least $137.5 billion.  The projects would be private and public investments.  The article states that it is not known if the list is final or a draft.

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article128492614.html

The list includes:
  • Numerous lock & dam replacement/repair projects
  • The Atlantic Coast Pipeline (natural gas)
  • What seems to be the widening all of 95 in North Carolina
  • Replacement of 15 bridges along I-95 in Philadelphia
  • The I-71/75 Brent Spence Bridge
  • High Speed rail from Dallas to Houston
  • A few projects in Detroit
  • The Purple Light Rail Line in Metro DC
  • And more

The list of projects and some details can be found here:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3409546-Emergency-NatSec50Projects-121416-1-Reduced.html

Commentary:
First thought, hey a subject I can follow and regularly on the blog. For the most part, this is a very diverse and interesting list including transit, highway, water, air and electric.  The amount of projects devoted to locks and dams surprised me - but a number are close to a century old.

I'm going to be specific to the projects that I am that rather familiar with - Interstate 95 in North Carolina, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, and the Chaleroi, PA lock and dam.

I was actually surprised to see the improvements to I-95 in NC included on this list.  Although this is a much needed project, this would most likely be toll and we've been down that road before.  Nonetheless, sooner or later something is going to need to be done with I-95 and most likely it will be tolled.  If anything moves on this, we'll be on top of it.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline from the shale gas fields of West Virginia to Eastern NC and Tidewater Virginia.  I will be interesting to see if this will see protests similar to whats going on in the Dakotas.

The Lock and Dam project in Chaleroi, PA isn't far from where I grew up.  The Mon (Monongahela) River Locks are very old and are in need for replacement/upgrades.  I wonder if the project will include the removal of the Elizabeth Lock and Dam.

Comments

Doug said…
It looks like the Peace Bridge was mentioned in the article as well. I'd like to find out more about what the plans for the bridge are as more information is released.

Popular posts from this blog

Former California State Route 180 in Centerville

Centerville is one of the oldest communities in what is now Fresno County having been founded as Scottsburg in 1854.  The Centerville community has historically been tied to the history of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road and the Squaw Valley Road.  The Squaw Valley Road would later be known as Dunlap Road and became a component of California State Route 180 in August 1934.  By the 1940s the corridor was renamed Kings Canyon Road in reference to Kings Canyon National Park.  For the majority of the life of California State Route 180 in Centerville, it has not strayed far from Kings Canyon Road.  This changed in 2020 when California State Route 180 was relocated onto the Kings Canyon Expressway.  This blog serves as an overview of the history of California State Route 180 and general evolution of highways in Centerville.  California State Route 180 can be seen passing through Centerville and Minkler below on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Fresno Count...

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Thurmond

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is best known for whitewater rafting and other forms of adventure tourism.  Yet, found in the hollows and isolated valleys are quiet farms and former coal mining towns.  Well off the beaten path and isolated from much of its surroundings, Thurmond provides a unique view into Central West Virginia's industrial past. Thurmond began as a railroad town in the late 1800s.  Sparked by the arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and the local coal industry, Thurmond quickly grew into a sizeable transportation and coal center.  When it incorporated as a town in 1903, Thurmond was a full-fledged community - home to two banks, two hotels, and many other services and stores. A CSX freight train passes the old coaling tower in Thurmond.  It was here that many steam locomotives would refill and refuel. Thurmond was home to a C&O railyard which serviced the numerous steam engines passing through the narrow valley.  Thu...

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...