Project labor agreements in Illinois did not have a statistically significant effect on projects’ construction costs, as the award amounts for winning bids were not higher on PLA projects compared to those without PLAs, after accounting for other factors. That’s according to a new report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute detailing the economic impact of PLAs on construction in Illinois. PLAs were associated with a higher share of construction work awarded to minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses. Specifically, these groups saw market shares increase between 1 to 2 percentage points in PLA-covered projects. “This increased opportunity facilitates broader access to public contracts for historically underrepresented groups — an important factor in promoting equity and diversity in the construction industry,” said co-principal author, Robert Anthony Bruno, director of the labor education program and a professor in the school of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/plas-illinois-construction-costs-bids/744596/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202025-04-21%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:72416%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

Shari DiDomenico wiped away tears on Monday morning as she recalled the tragic death last year of her 26-year-old son Andrew, a state Department of Transportation road maintenance worker who was struck by an alleged drunken driver on Interstate-91 in Wallingford. She stood on a dirt construction site before about 100 neon-vested and hard-hatted DOT workers, highlighting the theme for National Work Zone Awareness Week as nearby traffic whizzed by on I-91. The DiDomenicos have been joining advocates pushing the General Assembly for tougher penalties for motorists caught speeding through work zones or ignoring warning signs. Top state officials including Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto joined workers, law enforcement officials and a federal transportation representative in underscoring the importance of this year’s theme, which is “Respect the zone so we all get home.”

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/politics/article/ct-dot-worker-killed-safety-zone-20286218.php

A Pennsylvania-based development group has purchased 157 acres from the city of Waterbury for $2.5 million, setting the stage for construction of a roughly 3.2 million-square-foot logistics center. Waterbury and Naugatuck officials, on Monday, confirmed the sale of the site – which stretches over the city’s southern border and into Naugatuck – to Bluewater Property Group. The sale marks a key milestone in a years-long effort to get the massive Amazon warehouse built. Separately, an Amazon-affiliated limited liability company — Amazon.com Services LLC — paid $4.8 million in 2022 for a 55,349-square-foot, 1980-vintage industrial building on 8.5 acres at 191 Sheridan Drive in Naugatuck. The project is expected to support more than 300 construction jobs and, once operational, could create up to 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs with benefits.

3.2M-sq.-ft. Amazon facility to start construction at Waterbury-Naugatuck site after $2.5M land sale

Local opposition is growing against a proposed trash-to-energy plant that would process 1,800 tons of solid waste per day on an 81-acre parcel within a residential zone. In the letters, addressed to residents “near the intersection of Norwich Road and Black Hill Road,” Attorney Lee Hoffman of Pullman & Comley said his client Smart Technology Systems, LLC is in the process of submitting project applications to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Hoffman said the plant would produce roughly 45 megawatts of electric power each day by recycling refuse-derived fuel and “recycled commodities.” Hoffman said the project would include a “bulk waste handling facility for material separation, a gasification system, anaerobic digester, boiler system and steam turbine generator for electric generation.” According to a 2024 report from the DEEP, 40% of the state’s municipal solid waste is being shipped out of state for disposal, raising costs for consumers as the state’s aging infrastructure fails to keep pace with local needs.

https://theday.com/news/728262/plainfield-opposing-plans-for-a-trash-to-energy-plant-in-a-residential-zone/

Take Stonington and Old Lyme, for instance. On the surface, they are similarly wealthy towns with a rich maritime history. But when it comes to development, Old Lyme is much more restrictive and Stonington a bit more commercial. So perhaps it should be no surprise that one of the most extensive projects in the region just got underway off Route 2 in Pawcatuck, where Old Lyme developer Michael Lech is helping oversee a $50 million-plus plan to build about 500,000 square feet of apartments, retail, offices and commercial spaces expected to make a significant addition to Stonington’s tax base while providing a good amount of affordable housing in a village atmosphere. Lech’s company has combined forces with Trio Properties LLC of Glastonbury to complete Stonington Village, the first phase of which should be ready in a little over a year. They held a ribbon cutting last month with development partners Colliers Engineering & Design, KBE Building Corporation and Liberty Bank to celebrate the project’s beginning phase with dignitaries including U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

https://theday.com/news/728722/whats-going-on-big-project-underway-in-stonington/

Work is beginning on a project to replace an Interstate 95 bridge in West Haven, due to be completed by the end of 2027. In a parking lot beside the bridge at Exit 43, a 0.8-mile stretch of highway in West Haven that travels over 1st Avenue and Metro-North railroad tracks, a coalition of public officials welcomed the start of the $136.5 million construction project on Thursday. In addition to replacing the bridges, the project includes extending the southbound lane from Exit 44 to create a continuous travel lane, which will ultimately serve as an exit-only lane for Exit 43. There will also be drainage improvements, officials said. The improvements aim to reduce congestion, help traffic flow better and make the road safer, officials said. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said 90% of the project is from federal funding and the federal government must maintain its commitment.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/west-haven-i-95-bridge-replacement-project-begin-20281052.php

The Connecticut-born company Tilcon is organizing a clothing drive for veterans, accepting donations at a few of their different locations. “Throughout the state of Connecticut and also at Tilcon, we have a lot of veterans that work for us in the construction industry,” said Janet Scalise, office manager at Tilcon. “We always try to give back to the veterans.” When they came across the opportunity to collect professional clothes for veterans, they decided to work with others and be part of the drive.Scalise said although the drive ends April 21, if someone can’t make it in by that time, they could wait until April 25. On April 26, all donations will be gathered in one place and brought to a suit company in Manchester to be cleaned and then given. “Tilcon has over a 100 years in the state of Connecticut and we’re so big, I wanted to create partnerships with our community, be it the veterans, be it Klingberg Family Centers, be it Prudence Crandall Center, which is domestic violence,” Scalise said. “And create a presence in Connecticut, saying ‘all right, not only are we here taking up space and providing roadways and material for that, but we’re also an organization that wants to create partnerships and give back to the community.’”

https://www.bristolpress.com/news/tilcon-construction-industry-holding-clothing-drive-for-veterans/article_58b460d0-0c1f-4498-bbe9-9b6d0f56cd44.html

The replacement of a tiny, but critical, bridge on North Street has been delayed until next year, the Department of Public Works announced Friday. DPW was expecting to demolish the bridge — and trigger traffic jams — over the summer, but the state hasn’t yet given Greenwich the green light to move ahead with the project. “In a recent coordination meeting with representatives from the grant program, DPW gained greater clarity on the anticipated construction timeline and next steps,” the announcement read. “Based on the latest schedule, construction is projected to begin in Spring 2026.” Greenwich has secured more than $3 million in grant funding from the state Department of Transportation, but the town has not been cleared to start bidding on the project yet. The town has authorized $3.7 million to replace the North Street bridge, most of which will be reimbursed by the state. The delay means the bridge replacement work may overlap with another major road project in the vicinity.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/greenwich-north-street-bridge-20274596.php

Tweed New Haven Regional Airport’s governing body got a good look Tuesday at the latest version of plans for the proposed new 81,568-square-foot terminal the airport wants to build on the East Haven side of Tweed, but it took place in a closed-door meeting. “I’m told it will be a week or two” before the plans a ready to share, said Tweed Authority Vice Chairman John Picard, who presided over what a staff member said was a 60 percent design review. It took place entirely in an executive session. The project, the cost for which has been estimated at between $70 million and $100 million, is on about 40 acres that formerly was used for Tweed’s now decommissioned cross-wind runway. The federal government approved a $4 million grant toward design costs for the new terminal in November. Tweed officials said in September — when the City Plan Commission granted a 36-month extension on a 2021 variance to the city’s flood prevention ordinance to allow Tweed to continue using temporary trailers — that construction is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/new-haven-tweed-airport-plans-new-terminal-20277397.php

Within a decade, enrollment at the University of New Haven’s Pompea College of Business has roughly tripled from about 700 students to 2,000, according to Dean Brian Kench. This month, university officials announced a $10 million gift from alumnus Dennis Martin, chairman of the board of Federal Signal Corporation, to support the estimated $45 million cost to build a new 80,000 square-foot building for the Pompea College of Business on the university’s main campus in West Haven. The exact location of the building has yet to be decided, but Kench said it would be near the intersection of Campbell Avenue and Ruden Street. Although the university has plans for the new building on campus, it’s roughly a third of its three-year $150 million fundraising goal for campus construction, renovations and improvements. UNH President Jens Frederiksen said the university is also seeking capital to refurbish its acquisition at the current Railroad Salvage site across the street at 1131 Campbell Ave., into a research and development center for the campus.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/university-new-haven-expands-campbell-ave-campus-20270593.php