Today's Construction Pulse
Poland pushes ahead with $50B nuclear plant EPC talks
Poland is working to secure an engineering, procurement and construction contract with Westinghouse and Bechtel for its first nuclear power plant, a $50 billion, 3.6 GW project. Negotiations have slipped past the original mid‑2025 target as parties discuss construction‑risk allocation.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Dalmia Bharat acquires JAL cement assets for $350M
The CITB Levy Explained: Rates, Returns, Grants & Everything Construction Employers Need to Know (2025–2026)
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) levy continues at 0.35% of PAYE payroll and 1.25% of net CIS sub‑contractor payments, funding industry‑wide training, apprenticeships and research. For 2025‑26 the exemption threshold rises to £150,000 and the full‑levy band starts at £500,000, leaving the rates unchanged. A typical roofing firm with £600,000 payroll and £150,000 CIS spend would owe about $5,050 annually. While CITB disbursed roughly $165 million in grants last year, only about one‑fifth of the 75,000 registered employers actually claim them.
CTA Kicks Off 2026 Construction Season
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen launched the 2026 construction season, expanding the Refresh & Renew program. The initiative will spend $6.5 million on upgrades at 28 rail stations, adding child‑sized benches, new landscaping, and seasonal power‑washing crews. Crews...
Construction M&A Activity Continues in 2026
Construction M&A surged at the end of 2025 and has accelerated into 2026, as both traditional builders and construction‑technology firms pursue acquisitions to broaden digital capabilities. Procore bought AI firm Datagrid, Autodesk added data‑visibility startup Rhumbix, and Trimble snapped up...
How We Priced a 10-Plot New Build Development (And What It Cost)
RapidQS was hired to price Plot 6 of a ten‑unit, 3‑bedroom detached new‑build scheme in the South East of England. The detailed cost plan breaks down preliminaries, substructure, superstructure, internal fit‑out, M&E and external works, arriving at a total of £130,500–£169,000 (≈$163,000–$211,000)...
What’s Stalling Data Center Projects? Public Opposition and Power Access Lead Delays.
Data center construction, once a bright spot in a sluggish building market, is now hitting roadblocks as developers chase gigawatt‑scale facilities. Projects have ballooned from 100 MW builds to over 1,000 MW, straining power grids and inflating equipment costs. Public opposition and...
KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension to Open for Passenger Service May 18
Kansas City’s Streetcar Authority will launch the $62 million Riverfront Extension on May 18, adding a 0.7‑mile spur that links the existing 5.7‑mile line to the city’s riverfront. The extension features new overhead catenary poles, a traction power sub‑station, and over 8,300 feet...
USDOT to Invest $4.7 Billion Into Northeast Corridor Improvement Projects
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $4.7 billion infusion into Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, focusing on station upgrades, service streamlining, and bridge reconstruction. The funding targets high‑traffic hubs such as New York Penn Station and Washington Union Station under the Intercity Passenger...
Industry Special: ConstructConnect Announces Takeoff Boost, Built on Google Cloud, to Bring AI-Powered Efficiency to the Construction Industry
ConstructConnect unveiled Takeoff Boost, an AI‑driven, computer‑vision takeoff service built natively on Google Cloud. The platform automatically classifies, measures and quantifies materials from digital plans, delivering results in seconds. Early adopters in interior trades and general contracting report faster plan...
Housing Supply Stabilizes While Demand Remains Tough
The supply trends in the housing market (both new and resale) have stabilized a lot this year even as demand continues to be challenging.
OpenAI Stargate's Milam, Texas, 'Freebird' Data Center to Span 548,950 Sq Ft in First Phase
OpenAI announced the first phase of its "Freebird" Stargate data center in Milam County, Texas, a single‑story facility covering 548,950 square feet with four data halls. The project, built by SoftBank’s SB Energy, is budgeted at roughly $470 million and targets a...
One of London’s Most Historic Train Stations Is Being Rebuilt with Bold New Features
Lea Bridge station, a 186‑year‑old stop on the Greater Anglia line, is set to undergo a major rebuild starting summer 2024, with work slated to finish in 2027. The upgrade adds a full‑size ticket office, larger main‑road entrance, automatic gates,...
CIM Group JV to Bring Virgin Hotel to Downtown Atlanta
CIM Group, Centennial Yards Company and The Drew Company announced a joint venture to develop the Virgin Hotel Atlanta at Centennial Yards, a 261‑room property slated to open in 2027. The hotel will anchor the Entertainment District of the $5 billion,...
Fraport AG Inaugurates Landmark Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport
Fraport AG opened Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport, a €4 billion (≈$4.4 billion) project that finished on schedule and within budget. The new terminal adds an initial 19 million passenger capacity, with a future expansion to 25 million once Pier K is completed. Starting 23 April, 57...
New Cedars-Sinai Research Facility Rise at 8730 Alden Drive
Cedars‑Sinai is constructing a new 10‑story research tower at 8730 W. Alden Drive, slated after a January 2026 permit. The 300,000 sq ft high‑rise will house laboratories, a vivarium, conference spaces, a cafe, and office areas, featuring a contemporary glass façade designed by CO...
The Importance of Access for Retail Tenants and Developers
Access is the linchpin of retail site success, dictating whether convenience‑driven tenants like c‑stores, gas stations, and QSRs can attract pass‑by traffic. Developers must evaluate vehicle movement, curb cuts, and cross‑access potential before committing to a parcel, often collaborating with...
Noveria Energy Secures Grid Deal with TenneT Germany for 250MW Battery Storage Project
Noveria Energy has signed a grid‑construction agreement with transmission system operator TenneT Germany to connect a 250 MW battery energy storage system in Niedersachsen by early 2028. The deal marks a key milestone for Noveria’s portfolio, which exceeds 3 GW of planned...
First Speakers Announced for BTS 2026 Conference
The BTS 2026 Conference in London announced its first wave of speakers, featuring HS2 Construction Delivery Director Alan Morris and i3P’s Joshua Thomas as keynote presenters. Topics will span competence frameworks, large‑scale underground testing, fibre‑optic monitoring from the Brenner Base...
Homebuilders Cut Spec Inventory, Boosting Margins
Homebuilders like $DHI and $TMHC reporting sharp, swift declines in unsold finished homes during earnings so far is good news for the sector. Excess spec inventory has been one of the biggest drags on margins in recent years.
Alaska LNG Project Clearing Hurdles, Inching Toward Reality
Glenfarne Group LLC is pushing the Alaska LNG project closer to construction, with early pipeline work slated to begin soon. The company has secured all necessary federal permits, clearing a major regulatory hurdle. Tentative sales agreements have been signed for...
Chattanooga Selects Churches to Build up to 400 Affordable Homes
Chattanooga’s city government announced the first eight churches selected for its Faith‑Based Development Initiative, a program that lets houses of worship use or lease underused land for housing. The partnership with Enterprise Community Partners will provide training, technical assistance and...
DTEK Will Build $1.4-Billion, 650-MW Wind Farm in Ukraine
Ukrainian energy giant DTEK announced a €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) investment to build the 650‑MW Poltavska on‑shore wind farm, slated to host up to 100 turbines in central Ukraine. The project, one of Europe’s largest private wind installations, follows DTEK’s wartime spending...
American Airlines Unveils Transformed Terminal 8 at New York JFK
American Airlines officially opened its transformed Terminal 8 at JFK, its primary international gateway in New York. The renovation adds more than 60 new dining, retail and experiential concepts, including roughly 20 New York‑based brands and first‑to‑airport venues such as Eataly and Momofuku’s...
Keyton Launches Australia’s First Passive House Retirement Home
"One of the country’s largest retirement living developers, Keyton, has unveiled what it says is Australia’s first Passive House built within a retirement village, drawing industry attention after previewing the concept last year" #passivhaus #passivehouse https://t.co/MxFWA82cXY https://t.co/5AOoVlyEiM
Strong Micro-Market Demand Set to Absorb New Self Storage Assets Across London
Savills warns that while London’s self‑storage pipeline is expanding rapidly, supply remains uneven across the city. Strong micro‑market demand—particularly in outer boroughs such as Croydon, Stratford and Hounslow—is expected to absorb the influx of new assets. Vacancy rates have slipped...
Adaptive Reuse Cuts Waste, Emissions, Preserves Local Character
"This adaptive reuse strategy significantly reduces demolition waste and embodied emissions, while contributing to the retention of local architectural character." #passivhaus #passivehouse https://t.co/9JwR3Lnbsz https://t.co/FTkTlQ6jGE
Australia’s Tallest Build‑to‑Rent Timber Tower Gets Passivhaus Certification
"$330m Deal Clears Way for Australia’s Tallest Build-to-Rent Timber Tower - adaptive reuse, combining mass timber at scale with Passivhaus certification for the first time in Australia." #passivhaus #passivehouse https://t.co/LWTGVGpiC4 https://t.co/pIJyWjH0vc
Targeting Risk, Tracking Results: A New Approach to Safety
In an interview for National Work Zone Awareness Week, Scott Marion, president of infrastructure at Lindsay, advocated moving away from blanket safety mandates toward risk‑based decisions that factor traffic speed, worker exposure, and roadway geometry. He highlighted the high‑risk nature...
Romania: Construction Work to Begin on Bus Station at Henri Coandă Airport
Bucharest National Airports Company has broken ground on a new bus station at Henri Coandă Airport, following a tender that secured feasibility studies for the project. The 4,300‑square‑metre facility, located beside the departures terminal, will accommodate at least six coaches,...
Relaxed Environmental Study Rules?
The Council on Environmental Quality issued a memorandum on April 9 outlining new categorical exclusions that could waive NEPA environmental reviews for certain federal projects. The guidance lets agencies skip studies when a prior review covered the site, when similar past...
EnBW and Noveria Advance Construction on 1- and 4-Hour BESS Projects in Germany
EnBW announced that its portfolio of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Germany will total 1.8 GWh, highlighted by a 400 MW/800 MWh lithium‑ion project at Philippsburg Energy Park slated for 2027 commissioning. The company also envisions pairing short‑term battery storage with hydrogen‑capable...
Scenic I‑26 Drive Sparks Question on Hendersonville Intermodal Hub
Driving on I-26 N towards Hendersonville and Asheville yesterday - Such a pretty drive but steep in areas. Has there been any consideration to an intermodal hub around Hendersonville? or is there one already?
CO: Letters: What Are the Front Range Passenger Rail Numbers?
A letter to the Loveland Reporter‑Herald questions the Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) project’s cost, timeline, and ridership assumptions. The author notes that the rail’s projected expense mirrors the $2 billion highway and $2 billion transit budgets previously discussed for I‑25 expansion,...
An Old Factory in Welland, Ont., Sat Derelict for Years — Until Someone Discovered It Could Be Worth Billions
Steve Charest bought a derelict Welland, Ontario factory for a nominal fee and uncovered a landfill containing 340,000 tonnes of high‑grade synthetic graphite. At up to US$20,000 per tonne, the stockpile could be worth roughly US$6.8 billion, offering a domestic source...
EIB Signs €266m Loan to Support București Tramway Upgrade
The European Investment Bank approved a €265.6 million (≈$289 million) loan to modernise Bucharest’s tram system, targeting speed, reliability, comfort and accessibility. The city will refurbish roughly 50 km of track, acquire 63 new trams and upgrade the Colentina depot, with work slated...
Costain Uses Robots to Print 90 Concrete Bases for Teesside Captured CO2 Pipeline
Costain, A E Yates and Hyperion Robotics are 3‑D printing 90 high‑strength concrete bases for a 1.3 km carbon‑capture pipeline across Teesside. The robotic process eliminates formwork, reduces concrete and steel use by 40% and cuts emissions up to 50%, while delivering bases...
Commercial Real Estate Market at Turning Point as Vacancies Drop: Report
Canada’s commercial real‑estate market shows its first simultaneous drop in office and industrial vacancy rates since the pandemic, according to Colliers International. Office vacancy fell to 13.6% in Q1 2026, a one‑point year‑over‑year improvement, while industrial vacancy slipped to 3.5%, the...
Parsons Q3 2025 Earnings Show 14% Revenue Rise on Engineering-Consulting Demand and New Federal Wins
Parsons Corp. reported a 14% year‑over‑year revenue increase to $6.4‑$6.5 billion for Q3 2025, powered by an 18% jump in critical‑infrastructure revenue and four new contracts exceeding $100 million. The firm trimmed its total‑revenue outlook to a 4% decline when a confidential...
TBMs Launch on Ontario Line Downtown Drive in Toronto
Two tunnel boring machines, Libby and Corkie, have begun a 6‑kilometre twin‑bore drive beneath downtown Toronto for the Ontario Line, the first new subway tunnelling in the city centre in more than six decades. The machines will carve tunnels at...
Philippine Billionaire Jaime Zobel De Ayala’s Firm Halts Luxury Tower Construction, to Refund Buyers
Ayala Land, the real‑estate arm of the Ayala family, has halted construction and sales of the 67‑story Laurean Residences in Makati after generating more than PHP 10 billion (≈$170 million) in pre‑sales. The pause stems from soaring construction costs and timeline uncertainty linked...
The Japanese Composites Research Centre Joins the European Rebar Council
The Innovative Composite Materials Research and Development Center (ICC) in Japan has joined the European Rebar Council (ERC) as a partner organization, extending the council’s network into the Asia‑Pacific region. The partnership underscores the growing global acceptance of glass‑fibre‑reinforced polymer...
D.R. Horton Q2 2026 Earnings Beat Sends Stock 7.7% Higher
D.R. Horton reported fiscal Q2 2026 earnings of $2.24 per share, topping consensus, and net sales orders jumped 11% YoY to 24,992 homes worth $9.2 billion. The results sparked a 7.7% surge in the stock, underscoring the builder’s scale and pricing...
EMCOR Posts Record $4.5 B Q4 Revenue, Fuels Growth in Data‑center and Solar Construction
EMCOR Group posted a record $4.5 billion quarterly revenue, up 19.7% year‑over‑year, and announced over $1 billion in acquisitions, including Miller Electric. The results underscore accelerating demand for data‑center, solar and fire‑life safety projects across the United States.
Massive Flamborough Interchange Project Nearing Start Date
Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation is poised to break ground on the long‑delayed Flamborough interchange, linking Highway 5 and Highway 6 near Hamilton, with work expected to start in late summer 2026. The $1 billion CAD (≈$740 million USD) project will feature a new overpass,...
Framework Providers Agree 10-Year Strategic Partnership
Pagabo has entered a 10‑year strategic delivery partnership with YPO to create public‑sector construction and infrastructure frameworks. YPO will serve as the central procurement authority while Pagabo handles design, delivery and ongoing management. The first framework agreements are set to...
Los Angeles Is Finally Going Underground
Los Angeles Metro is launching a four‑mile D Line subway extension along Wilshire Boulevard, adding three new stations that cut the current hour‑long drive to a 25‑minute ride. The project required an earth‑pressure‑balance tunnel‑boring machine to safely navigate methane‑laden soil,...
Controversial Hotel and Housing Complex Approved in West Hollywood
West Hollywood’s City Council approved the Bond Hotel & Residences, a mixed‑use development at 7811 Santa Monica Boulevard that will house a 45‑room hotel and a four‑story apartment building with 126 units, including 20 affordable units. The vote came after...
Florida’s Ron DeSantis Signs Bill to State-Fund Vertiport Developments
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1093 on April 20, designating vertiports as eligible airport infrastructure and allowing the Florida Department of Transportation to fund their development. The law permits FDOT to cover up to 100 percent of project costs when...
Mercer Mass Timber’s BuildSpec Is Free for Specifers — New Tool for CLT Design
Mercer Mass Timber has launched BuildSpec, a free browser‑based feasibility tool that lets architects, engineers, and developers model cross‑laminated timber (CLT) and cold‑formed steel (CFS) schemes at the schematic design stage. The platform generates live cost, embodied‑carbon, and quantity take‑offs...
EU Finds Chinese Bidder for Lisbon Subway Line Benefited From subsidies...Beijing Targets RMB 100 TN in Services Sector push...China Claims...
The European Commission concluded that a Chinese state‑owned CRRC unit received unfair subsidies in the Lisbon Violet Line bid, forcing the consortium to replace it with Poland’s PESA. Beijing announced a push to lift its services sector to roughly $14.7 trillion...
Graham Lands £74m Didcot Bypass Job
Graham has secured a £74 million (≈$95 million) contract to build the Clifton Hampden Bypass in Oxfordshire. The new single‑carriageway will reroute A415 traffic around the village, adding segregated walking and cycling routes and a roundabout serving Culham Science Centre. Funding comes...