Texas 9, April 23, 2023

Whiting-Turner Digs Into Delivery of Dallas Hospital

new

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, in partnership with Source Building Group, began construction of a new $295 million psychiatric hospital in Dallas — the Texas Behavioral Health Center at UT Southwestern — on Dec. 5, 2022, a project that is part of the state’s comprehensive plan to expand inpatient psychiatric beds. The initiative is the result of a partnership between the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and UT Southwestern Medical Center, along with substantial support from Children’s Health.

By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT

“Texas is making an unprecedented investment in helping people with serious mental illness,” said HHS Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin

page 12

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, in partnership with Source Building Group, began construction of a

$295 million psychiatric hospital in Dallas — the Texas Behavioral Health Center at UT Southwestern.

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Vermeer Texas-Louisiana Wins Seven Awards at Banquet

Vermeer Texas-Louisiana, the authorized dealer for Vermeer construction equipment in Texas and southern Louisiana, earned seven sales performance awards at Vermeer Corporation’s annual Founder’s Banquet held during the 2023 CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 14, 2023.

As a dealership, Vermeer Texas-Louisiana received the Borestore Sales Champion award for selling more Vermeer horizontal direction drill (HDD) tooling and accessories than any other dealership in the global Vermeer industrial network. Individual members from the sales team also garnered several awards. The night began with a win for Sealtiel “Junior” Avalos, HDD tooling specialist of Vermeer Irving, who received the Borestore Individual Sales Champion award. Vermeer Round Rock Service Manager Brandon Ferguson accepted the Service Manager of the Year award for his contributions in 2022. Troy Betchan, sales representative of Vermeer Irving, and Terry Hall, sales representative of Vermeer Round Rock, earned positions as number two and three, respectively, in Vermeer’s coveted Global Top 10 Sales award category. Additionally, Betchan earned both the Vacuum Excavator Product Champion and Trenchless Sales Champion awards. Several other sales representatives and service technicians received recognition for their efforts in 2023:

•Pipeline Product Champion — Troy Betchan, Vermeer Irving and Walter Mika, Vermeer Alamo

•Utility Products Product Champion — Terry Hall, Vermeer Round Rock

•Trenchless Sales Champion — Michael Staten, Vermeer Baton Rouge

•Corporate Accounts Champion — Chris Giblin, Vermeer Irving

“At Vemeer Texas-Louisiana, we believe if you take care of the customer, the business will fall into place,” said Whit Perryman, chief executive officer of Vermeer Texas-Louisiana. “In keeping this focus on the people of our operations — the customers, our team and their families, we have been consistently rewarded for more than four decades. We area extremely grateful for this prestigious recognition from Vermeer Corporation and look forward to doing even better in the future.”

About Vermeer Texas-Louisiana

Vermeer Texas-Louisiana is the authorized dealer for Vermeer equipment in Texas and south Louisiana with 12 locations across the region. Vermeer Texas – Louisiana provides dedicated sales, rentals, parts and service support for customers in the tree care, landscaping, wood waste recycling, and underground construction industries. For more information on Vermeer Texas - Louisiana log on to www.VermeerTexas.com. 

(All photos courtesy of Vermeer Texas-Louisiana.)

The Vermeer Texas-Louisiana corporate executives and sales, parts and service team across 12 dealerships. (L-R): Johnny Matthews, Whit Perryman, Junior Avalos, Champ Cox, Ray Miller, Troy Betchan, Chris Giblin, Terry Hall, Brady Urbanek, Brandon Ferguson, Darren Tallman, Jason Nix and Jeff Rethmeier.

Junior Avalos (R) took home two awards as both the Borestore sales and volume champion.

Brandon Ferguson (R) took home the honor of Service Manager of the Year.

Troy Betchan (L) was honored as the second top salesman in the category of Global Top 10 Sales.

Troy Betchan (L) also won in the category of Trenchless Sales champion.

Troy Betchan (L) won a third award as the Vacuum Excavator Product champion.

Terry Hall (R) was the third leading salesman in the category of Global Top 10 Sales.

Contractors Will Be Busy in Tyler With Numerous Projects

A wide variety of construction projects are under way in Tyler Couty. Several different contracting crews are performing upgrades, reconstruction and brand new construction. Projects currently being worked on include:

Anderson County

U.S. 175 Widening Project

Contractor: Big Creek Construction LTD

Cost: $55.5 million

Anticipated Completion Date: spring 2026

Limits: From 0.4 mi. SE of SH 155, SE to Cuney

The contractor is scheduled to work on the new eastbound bridge and roadway elements. The speed limit is reduced throughout the project limits. Project consists of expansion to a four-lane roadway with new bridges across the Neches River.

SH 155 Overlay Project

Contractor: Madden Contracting Company

LLC

Cost: $14.6 million

Anticipated Completion Date: summer 2023

Limits: From 0.14 mi. S of FM 19 (End of Curb and Gutter) to S of FM 315

The contractor is scheduled to work on the guardrail. It consists of one course surface treatment (OCST), permeable friction course (PFC) surface, shoulder texturing, edge treatment and pavement markings.

Cherokee County

U.S. 84 Widening

Contractor: Madden Contracting Company

LLC

replace three bridges and incorporate safety upgrades.

SH 21 Resurfacing Project

Contractor: A.L. Helmcamp

Cost: $6.0 million

Anticipated Completion Date: summer 2023

Limits: Houston County Line east to U.S. 69 in Alto

The contractor is scheduled to continue widening and perform base repairs as weather allows. Lane closures are anticipated. The project consists of pavement resurfacing.

SH 135 Bridge Replacements

Contractor: Highway 19 Construction LLC

Cost: $4.2 million

Anticipated Completion Date: spring 2023

Limits: Mud Creek Bridge and Mud Creek Relief Bridge

The contractor is scheduled to continue construction of the pavement structure on the Mud Creek and Mud Creek Relief bridges. The road is closed to through traffic. Barricades and signage for the detour are in place.

Gregg County

SLP 28L: Sidewalk Installation

Contractor: Cross Plus Construction

Cost: $2.5 million

Anticipated Completion Date: March 2023

This project consists of installing sidewalks on both sides of the road. There will be shoulder closures as well as some lane closures as needed.

SH 135: Kilgore Traffic Circle

Cost: $7.9 million

Anticipated Completion Date: spring 2023

Limits: From 0.43 mi. east of SH 110 in Rusk, northeast to the Rusk County line in Reklaw

The contractor will continue placing embankment, mailboxes and signs. The contractor also is scheduled to install final striping and rumble strips. Lane closures will be in place. The project will widen and resurface the roadway, along with adding safety upgrades.

FM 22 Safety Widening, Bridge Replacement Project

Contractor: Stateline Construction LLC

Cost: $5.5 million

Anticipated Completion Date: summer 2023

Limits: From CR 1512 west of Gallatin, east to SH 110

The contractor is scheduled to place mailboxes and signs throughout the project. Intermittent lane closures are anticipated. The project will widen the existing roadway,

Contractor: East Texas Bridge

Cost: $8.37 million

Anticipated Completion Date: March 2024

Limits: Traffic circle in Kilgore to Rusk County line

This project consists of completely rebuilding the traffic circle and full width of roadway to the Rusk County line. It will consist of removing existing concrete paving, reconstructing subgrade, constructing concrete paving, storm sewer installation, lighting and striping. The traffic will be reduced to one lane in the southbound direction for the duration of the project. A detour will be set up for northbound traffic to follow SH 42. This will allow the contractor to build half of the roadway. Traffic will be switched to the newly constructed lanes later to allow completion of the other half of the highway.

FM 2206/Harrison Road

Contractor: East Texas Bridge Inc.

Cost: $14.15 million

Anticipated Completion Date: May 2023

Limits: Fisher Rd. to SH 42

This project consists of widening a two-lane road to four lanes with a center turn lane. This includes drainage structures, new bridge, flexible base, hot mix and pavement markings. Contractor will be extending culverts and constructing detours.

FM 2206/Harrison Road

Contractor: East Texas Bridge Inc.

Cost: $15.16 million

Anticipated Completion Date: October 2023

Limits: From Loop 281 to Fisher Rd.

Contractor will be switching traffic to the completed half of the road (north side). This project consists of widening a two-lane road to four lanes with a center turn lane. This includes drainage structures, flexible base, curb and gutter, sidewalks, hot mix and pavement markings. Contractor will be extending culverts and constructing detours.

High St. Bridge Over UP Railroad

Contractor: Ragle Construction

Cost: $9.3 million

Anticipated Completion Date: January 2025

Limits: Nelson Street to Marion Drive. The project consists of replacing the High Street bridge structure over the UP railroad. High Street will be reduced to two lanes — one NB lane and one SB lane. One half of the bridge will be constructed at a time.

Henderson County

SH 198 Bridge Project

Contractor: Copasa Inc.

Cost: $30.4 million

Anticipated Completion Date: spring 2024

Limits: At the Clear Creek Bridge 1 mi. north of FM 3054 to 0.1 mi. north of CR 2830

The contractor is scheduled to work on the new northbound bridge and roadway elements. The project consists of the construction of replacing bridges, approaches, grading, structures, asphalt concrete pavement (ACP) base, ACP surface, retaining walls, curb & gutter, metal beam guard fence (MBGF) and pavement markings. The speed limit has been reduced to 50 mph throughout the project.

Smith County

SH 155 Resurfacing Project

Contractor: Madden Contracting Company LLC

Cost: $17 million

Anticipated Completion Date: summer 2023

Limits: From Loop 323 in Tyler, southwest to the Anderson County line

The contractor is scheduled to sweep lanes

out. Lane closures are anticipated. Work will be done during the day. Expect delays on this corridor when construction is in progress. The project will resurface the roadway, upgrade drainage structures and repair bridge joints.

U.S. 271 Rehab, Turn Lanes, Pavement Overlay

Contractor: Madden Contracting Company LLC

Cost: $12.4 million

Anticipated Completion Date: May 2023

Limits: From FM 16 going southwest to I20

Paving operations will commence once a luminaire electrical junction box is relocated. The southbound outside lane will be closed indefinitely while rehab work is ongoing and will be managed by sign channelizing devices. No northbound lane closures are anticipated. The PFC surface operations have been winterized until Spring 2023 when the weather is conducive for PFC. The project consists of paving, structures, MBGF and pavement markings from I-20 N to the Gregg County Line. The portion from IH 20 to FM 16 also includes turn lanes and pavement rehabilitation.

Van Zandt County

SH 19 Super Two Widening, Overlay (South of Canton)

Contractor: Big Creek Construction LTD.

Cost: $12.1 million

Anticipated Completion Date: December 2023

Limits: SH 243 (Canton) S 13 mi. to Henderson County line

This project was winterized until spring 2023 when the weather is conducive for PFC surface operations. No lane closures are anticipated. The project consists of super two work, including grading, base repair, treated subgrade, flex base, OCST, PFC surface, structures, signs and pavement markings.

SH 19 Super Two Widening, Overlay (North of U.S. 80)

Contractor: A.L. Helmcamp Inc.

Cost: $8.8 million

Anticipated Completion Date: December 2023

Limits: U.S. 80 N 6 mi. to Rains County Line

Crews will perform pavement widening operations for the northbound super two passing lane. Crews are working to install embankment inside the shoulder closure area. The project consists of super two work including grading, base repair, treated subgrade, flex base, OCST, PFC surface, structures, signs and pavement markings. 

Officials Break Ground On I-35 Capital Express North Project

The Texas Department of Transportation was joined by Texas Transportation Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, Jr., Commissioner Robert Vaughn and other officials to break ground on the I-35 Capital Express North project.

The contractor for the project is Pulice Construction Inc. Construction is anticipated to be complete in late 2028, weather permitting.

This is the second of three projects in the I-35 Capital

Express Program to begin construction.

“Today is an important day to reduce traffic congestion along the I-35 corridor in the Austin area, which is one of the most congested segments of roadway in Texas.” said Chairman Bugg. “The improvements we’re making are a part of Governor Abbott’s vision to clear traffic logjams and get Texans moving quickly again.”

This $606 million Texas Clear Lanes project will construct one high-occupancy-vehicle managed lane in each direction along I-35 from SH 45 North to U.S. 290 East. The project also will reconstruct six bridges, add a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) at Wells Branch Parkway, reconstruct entrance/exit ramps, add intersection bypass lanes and construct shared-use paths throughout the corridor.

“The I-35 Capital Express North project represents an essential transportation route for local commuters,” said TxDOT Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson. “Today, we celebrate a project that offers enhanced safety and improved mobility, as well as reliable transit options and better bike and pedestrian paths.”

Necessary Improvement

I-35 through Austin is one of the most congested highways in Texas. It serves as the backbone of the local, regional and national transportation network. Lack of mobility on I35 threatens the economic livelihood of the city and state. Improvements to this area are needed due to population and employment growth, which have caused increased congestion in the area.

About Capital Express North

The I-35 Capital Express North project proposes to add one nontolled high-occupancy vehicle managed lane in each direction along I-35 from SH 45 North to U.S. 290 East. Managed lanes are proposed in high-congestion areas where right of way is limited. These lanes are designed to provide a less congested route than adjacent general-purpose lanes during peak periods for qualifying vehicles. Managed lanes control access by placing restrictions on use.

Community Input, Anticipated Timeline*

The development process will incorporate public input from a series of public involvement opportunities, including open house meetings.

● Environmental study and schematic design: 2019-2021;

● Open house: Fall 2019;

● Public Hearing: spring 2021;

● Final design: 2019-2022

● Construction: 2023

*Timeline is subject to change.

Program Overview

The I-35 Capital Express Program comprises three projects (North, Central and South). The Central project proposes to add two managed lanes in each direction along I-35 from U.S. 290 East to SH 71/Ben White Boulevard. The South project proposes to add two managed lanes in each direction along I-35 from SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to SH 45 Southeast. 

(All photos courtesy of My35.)

My35 photo Officials broke ground on the project in the final week of March.

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TxDOT Asks Public Input On Connecting Texas 2050 Planning

The Texas Department of Transportation is planning for the future and public input is crucial as the agency looks to meet the transportation needs for the future. TxDOT is hosting a statewide virtual public meeting with in-person open houses this spring for Connecting Texas 2050, the latest update to TxDOT’s statewide long-range transportation plan. With unprecedented population growth, increasing demands on TxDOT’s transportation system and technological innovations reimagining how Texans move, TxDOT wants to hear from the traveling public as the agency looks toward 2050.

No matter where you work, live or how you get around, this plan impacts everyone in Texas. That’s why TxDOT wants to hear from all Texans to help establish the vision, objectives, performance measures and strategic recommendations for the state’s transportation system through 2050 for all modes.

During the statewide virtual public meeting and regional in-person open houses, TxDOT will explain the process of the statewide long-range transportation plan. Participants also will have the opportunity to share their vision and provide input on transportation goals and needs to help TxDOT plan for 2050.

The statewide virtual public meeting will be available online through May 31, 2023. TxDOT also will host in-person open houses in various locations. For a full schedule, visit TxDOT online. The same information will be available at the virtual public meeting and in-person open houses.

Comments can be submitted online, by e-mail to ConnectingTexas2050@txdot.gov, or by mail to: TxDOT TPP Connecting Texas 2050, Statewide Planning Branch Manager, P.O. Box 149217, Austin, Texas, 78714-9217. Comments also can be submitted via comment forms provided at the in-person open houses. Comments must be postmarked or received by Wed., May 31, 2023, to be included in the public involvement summary.

The virtual public meeting and in-person open houses will be conducted in English, with Spanish materials available online and in-person. If you need special accommodations, please call 512/271-2025 at least three working days prior to the in-person open house you wish to attend.

For media inquiries, contact TxDOT Media Relations at 512/463-8700 and mediarelations@txdot.gov. 

(Photo courtesy of TxDOT.)

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Crews Create 700,000-Sq.-Ft. Footprint for New Building

Young. “Throughout the state, we are expanding, renovating and rebuilding our state psychiatric hospital system from the ground up. When complete, this much-needed hospital will offer hope, healing and recovery for the most vulnerable Texans living in the surrounding Metroplex.”

HHSC and UT Southwestern Medical Center are responsible for the design and construction of the new facility, which bring the expertise of both organizations, along with community stakeholders, to create a new mental health system for the region.

Construction is estimated to be complete by 2025.

The four story, rectangular-shaped building has a 177,000sq.-ft. footprint and will have 505,000 sq. ft. of interior space, including a future pediatric expansion. It also features a terrace at the northern end, designed by HKS Inc., and will consist of 296 beds, with 200 for adults and up to 96 reserved for pediatric patients. The area fronting the building will have an access road and a few parking spots.

Contractor at Work

The construction site at 4801 Harry Hines Blvd. is at the southwest corner of the UT Southwestern Medical Center. There are no traffic impacts to deal with.

So far, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company/Source Building Group partnership has started work on the earthwork, foundations and soil retention scopes of work. Over the next 12 months, efforts will focus on utilities, concrete structure, exterior skin, roofing, mechanical and electrical work.

There are no major soil, water and utility issues. The area of Dallas where the project is located has highly plastic soils and deep bearing stratum depths, well below ground water

elevation. The drilled shaft piers, averaging more than 80-ft. deep, are all cased.

The project site has minimal storage for a lay-down area, but solid planning has found ways to get around the issue. The project team and leadership are highly collaborative and issues/questions are resolved in a timely manner.

The site had four existing buildings — three steel and one concrete — that were demolished in fall 2022. This operation was completed in 2.5 months, with minimal amounts of

asbestos. The debris was sorted off-site at recycling centers. The earth work and excavation has proceeded as planned. The site has a significant slope from north to south and east to west and a large soil retention wall aids in dealing with the grade change from the upper to lower levels of the building. No rock was encountered during the earthwork. The foundation work is still under way and is scheduled for a total fivemonth duration.

see DALLAS page 16

The site has a significant slope from north to south and east to west and a large soil retention wall aids in dealing with the grade change from the upper to lower levels of the building.

The construction site at 4801 Harry Hines Blvd. is at the southwest corner of the UT Southwestern Medical Center. There are no traffic impacts to deal with for the contractor.

DALLAS from page 1

Contractor Demolishes Four Facilities to Clear New Land

The structural slab-at-grade will be roughly 3-ft. thick. The concrete varies from 3,500 to 5,000 psi.

Underground utility installation has not yet begun, but the plan includes water, storm, sanitary sewer and electrical duct bank. This work will take several months, with some installation taking place prior to the slab being poured.

Crews are drilling 486 piers to support the building and soil retention walls. The drilling depths are very close to what had been anticipated.

Equipment Fleet

The current work has operators manning a Cat 745 articulated off-road dump truck, two Cat 336 excavators and a Cat D6 dozer, as well as a Link-Belt LS 248 crawler crane with pneumatic hammer, an IMT 150 drill rig, two Cat 3200 drill rigs and a Tadano Mantis 20010 hydraulic crawler crane.

This is a concrete structure with only miscellaneous steel scope.

The exterior wall, although it will utilize a cast-in-place concrete system in a few spots, will mainly consist of prefabricated concrete framing panels that shall be delivered and rapidly placed by three tower cranes. One crane will be set up in June, with other two to be placed in July. The cranes will remain in place for the completion of the building envelope and glazing systems.

The sheer volume of materials for a facility this size is the primary challenge, particularly considering the site has little to no lay down space. Off-site facilities will be utilized to store materials for on-time delivery to site.

A fully adhered single ply TPO roof will be installed. There is approximately 105,000 sq. ft. of exterior curtain wall and storefront systems. Given the accessibility of the upper floors, the glazing systems will be installed utilizing boom lifts.

The interior work for the hospital should start in the late fourth quarter of this year, which should be completed in 18

months.

Work on the front section of the structure, including the pouring of the concrete for the parking spaces and the access lanes, should occur in summer 2024.

The management team consists of UT Southwestern Medical Center, HHSC, HKS, Whiting-Turner and Source Building Group.

The team is highly collaborative and that the crews are efficient, hard working and professionals in their craft.

Peak days so far have 65 construction management and subcontractor employees on-site. The subcontractors include Lithko and Keller for drilled piers, RPMx for earthwork, Keller for soil retention systems, and GDA for waterproofing.

Excavation operations should generate 47,000 tons of earth and rock, which can be reused on other projects.

New materials will include 37,000 cu. yds. of concrete for the building and 470 tons of miscellaneous steel. Pipe quantity is not yet known as 100 percent design won’t be complete until May 1.

The subcontractors are repairing their own equipment, which is purchased and rented from local and regional dealerships.

When typical equipment breakdowns occur, they are usually repaired within 24 to 48 hours. Mechanics are dispatched when needed. Equipment on-site is either owned/maintained by subcontractors or rented to subcontractors.

Project Information

“UT Southwestern is pleased to partner with HHSC and the State of Texas to address important unmet needs in our region and state for inpatient treatment as part of the continuum of care for those suffering from serious mental illness,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, president of UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“[Our] physicians and other caregivers will bring to this new hospital our commitment to provide the very best care possible today for patients. This new hospital also provides opportunities to develop innovative models of behavioral health care, train a holistic behavioral health care workforce, and advance research that can lead to more effective treatment and prevention.”

Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature approved $282.5 million in funding for the construction and design and construction of the new hospital. Additionally, Children’s Health donated $200 million to support a pediatric wing where UT Southwestern pediatricians will exclusively treat children and adolescent patients.

“We have been working on many fronts in Texas to address the growing need for mental health services,” said State Sen. Jane Nelson. “Securing funds for this hospital was a wise investment that will have a major positive impact on our ability to care for Texans in need of treatment.”

“The new Texas Behavioral Health Center ... is an exciting and long overdue addition to our region's ability to address mental health challenges,” said State Rep. Toni Rose. “The full range of patient services offered by the new hospital combined with UT Southwestern’s world-class research truly marks a new day for mental healthcare in North Texas.”

The expected lifespan of the building is 80 years. While not a LEED structure, it will follow a variety of sustainable design strategies comparable to LEED objectives.

“All materials and products are reviewed strictly with patient safety in mind to mitigate damage and ability for selfharm or harm to others,” said HKS. “The project delivery includes fast-track procedures with multiple early-release design drawing packages for the contractor to continue construction while the building design continues through refinement.”

The state is expanding its hospital capacity.

“Since 2017, the Texas Legislature and Governor. Abbott have appropriated more than $1.2 billion in funding for the replacement, renovation or expansion of state hospitals in Austin, Kerrville, Rusk, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas,” states the project press release.

Construction was completed earlier this year on the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center in Houston, the newest facility in the state hospital system. Combined, the construction projects will add at least approximately 670 new inpatient psychiatric beds in Texas within the next four years.

(All photos courtesy of Texas Health and Human Services Commission.)

DALLAS from page 12

Crews are drilling 486 piers to support the building and soil retention walls.

Construction of the facility began on Dec. 5, 2022. It is expected to be completed in 2025.

Government Announces $29M Investment in DFW Airport

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) The federal government is spending more money on improvements at Dallas-Fort Worth International and other airports that officials said will increase safety by reducing the number of times that planes on the ground must taxi across active runways.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stood before a bulldozer and mountain of dirt as he announced that DFW, the nation’s second busiest airport behind Atlanta, will get $29 million more for a new “end-around taxiway.”

DFW officials said that when work is completed in 2025, it will eliminate the need for planes to taxi across two of the airport's main runways.

“Every time a plane has to cross an active runway to get to where it’s going, that’s a source of risk,” Buttigieg told reporters.

Buttigieg said the most serious runway incursions —when planes or ground vehicles are too close together — are happening twice a month now instead of once a month.

“We want to get that to zero and so there is also a paradigm shift of treating the close calls with the same level of seriousness that we treat actual incidents,” he said — declining to even utter the word “accidents.”

Plans for the new taxiway were in the works before the recent spate of close calls between planes at airports around the country. And it won’t prevent incidents like the one in January at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, when an American Airlines crew took two wrong turns and crossed a runway in front of a departing Delta Air Lines jet.

But Buttigieg and the Federal Aviation Administration are eager to show the public they are responding to increasing concern about air safety.

The FAA’s acting administrator, Billy Nolen, held a “safety summit” of airline- industry groups weeks ago and called for more data about the recent close calls. Nolen followed that with an alert to pilots and everyone else in aviation — in effect, telling them to pay more attention to safety procedures.

At DFW Airport, the FAA has promised to provide $180 million for a recently completed taxiway on the north side of the terminals and the new one on the south side. Officials said they will reduce the amount of time passengers must spend in planes taxiing between gates and runways.

DFW is one of four airports Buttigieg is touring to tout infrastructure projects supported by the Biden administration. The others are Charlotte, N.C., where a similar endaround taxiway is being built; Little Rock, Ark.; and Oklahoma City.

(All photos courtesy of Twitter/Secretary Pete Buttigieg.)

DFW officials said that when work is completed in 2025, it will eliminate the need for planes to taxi across two of the airport's main runways.

DFW, the nation’s second busiest airport behind Atlanta, will get $29 million more for a new “endaround taxiway.”

Entergy Texas, Monarch Energy Advance Renewable Options

Entergy Texas and Monarch Energy, a company known for its green hydrogen and electro-fuels projects, have signed a memorandum of understanding to help advance the energy infrastructure in Southeast Texas. As part of the agreement, Entergy Texas will work with Monarch Energy to leverage existing transmission infrastructure and/or construct new generation resources to supply long-term renewable power to Monarch’s 500-megawatt green hydrogen electrolyzer project near Beaumont, Texas.

“Southeast Texas is growing at a rapid pace, and it’s essential we make investments that help power that growth and support a resilient electric system,” said Eliecer Viamontes, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. “This partnership with Monarch Energy allows us to diversify our generation portfolio while also strengthening the region’s economic development.”

Monarch Energy’s hydrogen electrolyzer project represents a potential $500 million investment in the Beaumont region, creating more than 500 temporary construction jobs and more than 30 permanent operational jobs. Monarch Energy began development of the

facility in 2021 and expects to commence commercial operations in 2026.

“Monarch is excited to be working with a best-in-class partner in Entergy Texas,” said Ben Alingh, co-founder and CEO of Monarch Energy. “Securing a reliable supply of clean power is critical to the success of our green hydrogen project in Beaumont.”

About Entergy Texas

Entergy Texas Inc. provides electricity to 499,000 customers in 27 counties. Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

About Monarch Energy

Monarch Energy develops green hydrogen and electro-fuels projects with a specialization in hydrogen electrolysis and clean energy. The company was founded in 2021 with a mission to transform today’s hydrogen supply chain by utilizing clean molecules derived from water and zero carbon electricity. 

Duke Energy’s Plant in Navarro Marks Its Largest Solar Project

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions (DESS), a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy, is now operating its largest solar power plant ever — the 250-megawatt (MW) Pisgah Ridge Solar project in Navarro County, Texas.

“We’re excited to continue to grow our Texas solar portfolio,” said Chris Fallon, president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. “This project demonstrates how we can continue to expand our renewable energy resources while providing unique sustainability solutions for commercial customers.”

Charles River Laboratories International Inc., a leading provider of critical research tools and integrated support services that enable innovative and efficient drug discovery and development, has a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 102 MW of the project over the next 15 years.

This commitment will address the entirety of the company’s North American electric power load with clean, renewable energy by 2023.

“Charles River has committed to sourcing 100 percent of our global electricity needs through renewable sources by 2030,” said Gregg Belardo, executive director of EHS & sustainability at Charles River. “Our VPPA with DESS provides coverage for our North American facilities and moves us significantly closer to that global goal. We are proud to partner with Duke Energy and are excited that Pisgah Ridge is now online.”

Midwest retailer Meijer signed a separate 15-year VPPA agreement for 83 MW of solar energy generated by the Pisgah Ridge Solar project. One other company has a third 15-year VPPA agreement. Together, the three agreements account for more than 90 percent of the facility’s output.

All three VPPAs associated with the site will settle on an as-generated basis tied to the project’s real-time energy output.

“Lessening our impact on the environment through a continued commitment in reducing carbon emissions is an issue that is important to us and our customers,” said Erik Petrovskis, director of environmental compliance and sustainability at Meijer. “We’ve made significant progress over the years, but this project with Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions puts us on the right path to making an even bigger impact.”

The engineering and construction for the project was performed by Moss, while Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions will own and operate the project.

Currently, the company operates nearly 1,500 MW of wind, 750 MW of solar and a 36-MW battery storage facility in Texas.

The project employed around 300 workers at peak construction. Along with indirect economic benefits that accompany solar project development, such as increased local spending in the service and construction industries, the Pisgah Ridge Solar facility will also have a positive economic impact on the local community by providing significant tax revenues for the Corsicana Independent School District.

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