Briefs

Maryland toll authority (MdTA) has completed planning and permitting for a replacement span for the US301 Nice Bridge, presently just two 11ft lanes with an approach grade of 3.75% and a 1940 thru-arch design. Carrying the rural arterial US301 it links Dahlgren VA and Newburg MD over the Potomac River 36 miles south of the Mall in Washington DC as the crow flies.

New chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be Mark Compton, 39, presently deputy secretary of administration at the state DOT, aka PennDOT. Compton was unanimously approved for the position at the recent meeting of the Turnpike Commissioners.

"Previously, government borrowing had been mainly for investments to secure or improve the future​—​expenditures appropriately shared with future generations….

Thousand Islands Capital Corridor Howard Kelly is retiring for health reasons. He says in his newsletter that after a "scuffle with cancer" four years ago some heart issues have arisen.

Aged 64 he is retiring to Florida.

MTA Bridges & Tunnels says the cost of repairing the damage done by Storm Sandy to the Brooklyn Battery and Queens Midtown tunnels could be around $750m.

In the tunnels the fear is most of the lighting and ceilings will have to be replaced because of corrosion from sea water inundation.

A spokesman said the tunnel repair costs are "early and preliminary figures" given to the governor’s office based on visual inspections 3-weeks post-Sandy.

She added: "They are not firm. The inspection process is continuing."

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick confirmed that they're moving to end cash toll collection in the state. He was commenting on a report today by the Boston Herald's transport reporter Hillary Chabot.

He said the Boston Herald "got a little ahead of our ability to talk about it in detail" but confirmed the thrust of her story.

In yet another negative story on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) operator of the Dulles Toll Road veteran board member from the District of Columbia HR Crawford as quoted in today's Washington Post as saying about a third of board members have gotten relatives jobs at the authority.

Recently the MWAA CEO Jack Potter said he didn't now how many relatives had been given jobs at the 4-governments (VA, DC, US, MD) authority.

A reader sent us this picture of workers doing EZ PASS ONLY lane markings at the southern approach to the toll express lanes after reports of a set of fender bender accidents from motorists reacting too abruptly to the new split between 4 general purpose and 2 toll express lanes.

Pavement striping was also redone to give drivers more warning of the split.

Location is immediately north of the Spingfield Interchange (I-95/I-395/I-495) on  slight curve of the highway which at this point is 2x6 lanes.

The Port Authority NYNJ under Contact Us on their website have a Media Relations Department and neatly provide the names of ten media relations officers. It also gives their address:

225 Park Avenue South - 18th Floor 
New York, NY 10003

Which means that you can stop by and make your inquiry in person if you happen to be in Midtown Manhattan. Or write them a letter.

As of December 1 the corporate brand Telvent is no more. Its activities are now under the brand of parent company Schneider Electric.

It is not so many years ago that we had Telvent Caseta after Telvent had bought Caseta. After a transition the Caseta disappeared. Now with Telvent.