Sacramento Airport Garage Construction Progresses
By Lori Tobias CEG CORRESPONDENT
A six-story, $390-million building is about to stake its place on the Sacramento skyline.
That’s good news for travelers through the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) who might be pleased to know the new Terminal B garage will come with 5,500 parking spots and numerous other amenities that should make flying the friendly skies that much friendlier.
The $229 million design-build contract was awarded to locally owned Otto Construction, which also built Terminal A. It is “a significant milestone as the first design-build project in Sacramento County’s history,” said Scott Johnston, SMF senior public relations officer.
“The garage will be built on the same footprint as our former hourly lot which had approximately 700 spots,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be a major upgrade.”
The Terminal B garage is part of an ongoing effort to meet the record-breaking number of passengers the airport has seen in recent years.
“We are growing by leaps and bounds, setting monthly passenger records throughout the year,” Johnston said, noting the airport served a record 13,634,838 passengers in 2024. The 13.6 million passengers represent an increase of 5.1 percent from 2023.
Terminal B is one of seven projects in the $1.3 billion SMForward program, which includes a $140 million pedestrian walkway under construction.
Crews broke ground in October 2024 and recently finished foundation work. Crane operators are expected to begin work in late spring, said TJ Chen, deputy director of SMF planning and development.
“The public will see the project start coming off the ground in the coming month when the weather is nice,” Chen said. “The garage has several key amenities. We are going to add a parking guidance system. Essentially, when you enter the garage, you have a red light/green light system to help the customer identify where the occupied stalls are
located. Plans also include EV [electric vehicle] chargers on every floor, and we’re going to make the garage infrastructure solar panel ready for the installation of solar panels on the roof, hopefully in the near future.”
The garage also will offer close-in, covered parking and even reserved parking, Johnston said.
“You’ll be able to go on the website, reserve a specific spot and you’ll know exactly where you are going and what you will pay,” he said.
Tribe Celebrates Milestone in $1B Expansion of Casino
The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria celebrated on March 26, 2025, with a topping-off ceremony for the $1 billion expansion of Graton Resort and Casino victory Wednesday, according to pressdemocrat.com.
A crowd watched as a 300-ft. cable dangling from a crane lifted a metal beam, carried it across a road and lowered it onto the skeletal frame of a future gaming floor next to the current casino in Rohnert Park, Calif.
The project’s architect is Bergman Walls & Associates, according to asianjournal.com, while the developer is ECL Development LLC and the general contractor is SMC Contracting Inc.
Plans call for approximately 180,000 sq. ft. of new indoor space, including 2,000 or more slot machines, more than 200 hotel rooms, a 3,500-seat concert theater, retail shops, a 28,000-sq.-ft. rooftop restaurant with seating for 480 guests and an expanded pool area, according to pressdemocrat.com.
The expansion will roughly double the size of the $825 million casino-resort that opened in 2013.
In August 2024, a five-story parking structure that is part of the expansion opened, pressdemocrat.com reported.
Tribal chair Greg Sarris said at the topping-off ceremony that the tribe will break ground on the hotel in June. The new casino is expected to open in a year.
Sonoma County has two tribal gaming facilities; the other is River Rock Casino in Geyserville. Pressdemocrat.com reported that Graton Resort and Casino is the largest in the Bay Area and the second-largest private employer in Sonoma County. Sarris told the publications that the casino will be the county’s largest private-sector employer when construction is
complete.
Graton Rancheria makes annual payments of $13.3 million to the city of Rohnert Park, $14.5 million to Sonoma County and 3.7 million to support the county’s network of regional parks and open space preserves, according to pressdemocrat.com.
Graton Rancheria also is opposing a rival casino proposed by the Koi National on land near Windsor. It sued the federal Department of the Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs for the January approval of that project. It claims the Koi Nation of “reservation shopping” and that the federal agencies are ignoring environmental law, pressdemocrat.com reported.
(All photos courtesy of Graton Resort & Casino.)
California Invests $1B in Tech Upgrades, Storm Resiliency, Safety
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) on March 24, 2025, allocated $1 billion for projects across the state that will improve safety and enhance the state’s vast network of streets and highways, including bicycle lanes, sidewalks and transit facilities.
Guided by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Build More, Faster — For All infrastructure agenda, these improvements will make California communities safer, cleaner and healthier.
Approximately one-third of the investment, nearly $311 million, comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and another $301 million is from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
Among the investments are more than $138 million to address safety upgrades and repairs to drainage infrastructure designed to
increase resiliency and protect the state’s roads during storms.
“As California continues adapting to evolving transportation realities, it is important that we invest in emergent technologies to enhance system-wide safety for the public,” said Tony Tavares, Caltrans director.
“Today’s action dedicates vital funding for upgrades that will protect our infrastructure now and well into the future.”
Included in the approved projects are:
$40.9 million for State Route 99 in Tehama County near the Los Molinos Creek Bridge to improve drainage systems and safety.
$27.8 million to build an integrated system that will include real-time traveler information along the Interstate 710 corridor in Los Angeles County between State Routes 91 and 60.
$19.8 million to improve drainage systems and improve safety along more than 80 mi. of U.S. Highway 101 in Humboldt County.
The latest CTC-approved projects also include:
Meadow Farms ADA Project: The CTC allocated $1.76 million in supplemental funding for the construction phase of this project, which will construct a Complete Streets-compliant 10-ft. shared-use path along U.S. 395 from Barlow Lane to See Vee Lane in Bishop, a new crosswalk and pedestrian-activated hybrid beacon, a wider bridge over Bishop Creek, a bus pullout, and parking for local businesses. The supplemental funding is split between IIJA — $1,559,000 — and SB 1 — $202,000. Construction is anticipated to begin in June.
IIJA is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure to improve the
sustainability and resiliency of our country’s energy, water, broadband and transportation systems.
California has received nearly $62 billion in federal infrastructure funding since its passage. This includes investments to upgrade the state’s roads, bridges, rail, public transit, airports, ports, waterways and the electric vehicle charging network. The funding alone has already created more than 170,000 jobs in California.
Senate Bill 1 has invested approximately $5 billion annually toward transportation projects since 2017. It provides funding split between the state and local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based on the availability of funds, including projects partially funded by SB 1.
For details, visit build.ca.gov.
A rendering of the expansion of the Graton Resort and Casino upon completion.
The new 1,600-spot parking structure is complete.
Next Issue Closes June 4th
AGC of California Announces Constructor Award Winners
The Associated General Contractors of California (AGC of California) hosted its 2025 Installation & Awards Gala, a black-tie event held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2025.
The event celebrated the achievements within California’s construction industry over the past year and marked the installation of AGC of California’s incoming leadership team.
“Every project in construction brings challenges and complications, but it’s through teamwork, ingenuity and perseverance that we rise to overcome them,” said Pat Kelly, 2025 AGC of California president, who is vice president of operational excellence of Granite Construction Co.
“This is why AGC of California proudly takes a moment each year to celebrate the extraordinary work that unites our communities and defines our remarkable industry.”
The Constructor Awards program recognizes the achievements of AGC of California members, celebrating their expertise and ability to overcome the most daunting challenges and unique projects. Finalists for each category are selected through a preliminary judging process by the awards committee.
Winners across the 13 categories are then selected by a final judging panel consisting of awards committee members, AGC of California division representatives, a specialty contractor representative and an expert from the public or private sector appointed by the committee.
The Achievement Awards celebrate individuals who made significant contributions
to the construction industry. Construction Education Friend Award is presented to an individual who demonstrates a high degree of dedication to advancing construction education and fostering the next generation of industry professionals.
AGC of California also presented the Owner of the Year Award, recognizing an organization for outstanding collaboration and partnership with contractors, exemplifying notable teamwork and achievement.
“At AGC of California, we take pride in celebrating the construction industry every day. This industry is vital to the success of California, and we are honored to serve and support its professionals who push boundaries and achieve excellence,” said Peter Tateishi, CEO of AGC of California.
“Congratulations to all of our award winners and honorees; your dedication to sustaining and advancing our way of life is deeply appreciated.”
Constructor Award Winners:
Community Service
• Yerba Buena Engineering and Construction Inc
SOMA Street Tree Nursery Site
Improvements
Specialty Under $10 Million
• Royal Electric Co.
UC Davis Health Shared Services Center
Project
Specialty $10 Million & Over
• Royal Electric Co.
Taxiway D&T Reconstruction Project
Heavy Civil Under $10 Million
• Hal Hays Construction, Inc.
Denker Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Improvements Project
Heavy Civil $10 Million to $25 Million
• Teichert Construction
Hallwood Side Channel & Floodplain
Restoration
Heavy Civil $25 Million to $50 Million
• Granite Construction Co.
BNSF Needles Third Main Track Project
Heavy Civil $50 Million to $150 Million
• Manson Construction Co.
P-443 Pier 6 Replacement at Naval Base
San Diego
Heavy Civil $150 Million to $250
Million
• Myers-Rados, JV
I-15/SR-91 Express Lane Connector
Design-Build
Builder Under $20 Million
• Otto Construction
Fairytale Town Story Center & Welcome
Center
Builder $20 Million to $100 Million
• Turner Construction Co.
Placer County Health & Human Services
Center
Builder $100 Million to $200 Million
• Swinerton
Behring Pavilion: Home of the UCSF – John Muir Health Jean & Ken Hofmann Cancer Center
Megaprojects
• Hensel Phelps
Delta Sky Way Program at Los Angeles International Airport Excellence in Partnering
• Manson Construction Co.
P-443 Pier 6 Replacement at Naval Base San Diego
Achievement Award Recipients:
Harry Eckstein Safety Professional of the Year Award in Partnership with HammerTech
Mario Noriega, safety manager, ISEC Inc.
S.I.R. (Skill, Integrity, Responsibility) Achievement Award
Anne Mayer, executive director (retired), Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC)
Construction Education Friend Award
Sharla Sullivan, outreach and partnerships manager, Webcor
Associate Achievement Award
Elizabeth Torrez, regional director, Tenna Contractor Achievement Award
Bill Dutra, executive chairman, The Dutra Group
Owner of the Year:
San Francisco International Airport
For more information, visit agc-ca.org.
Skanska Reports Completion of Two $20M California Projects
Construction on the project began in August 2024. The roadway was fully open to the public as of Feb. 8, 2025.
“The delivery of this project will significantly enhance regional safety and efficiency by improving traffic flow, reducing congestion and providing a safer driving experience for all road users,” said Bill Hearn, project manager, Skanska USA Civil West Coast. “To better enhance safety outcomes, we collaborated closely in tandem with the county to implement Skanska’s value engineering proposition, eliminating the safety hazards between motorists and the construction team, and further reducing construction costs that can then be shared back with the county.”
(All photos courtesy of Skanska.) An overview of the completed Gilman Springs Road project.
SKANSKA from page 4
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