Punch List: McCarthy tops out laser facility, Miami firm names first new CEO in 58 years | Dump Trucks Charlotte NC

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This week in construction news, Kiewit was “off-ramped” from Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild and the Chicago Transit Authority broke ground on a $5.7B rail extension project.

Read on for other recent construction stories that builders should know about.

McCarthy tops out state-of-the-art laser facility

One of the most advanced laser facilities in the country reached a major milestone in Colorado, Colorado State University announced Monday.

St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Cos., alongside the university, topped out a two-story, 77,626-square-foot structure known as the Advanced Technology Lasers for Applications and Science facility, according to an announcement from the university. The ATLAS facility is located at the school’s Foothills campus in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The $160 million ATLAS facility, when complete, will house three of the most powerful laser systems in the world and will accelerate research in fusion energy and advanced materials characterization, according to the announcement.

The milestone, reached April 23, followed what the university called a complex structural phase with 590 tons of steel installed across five sequences, per the news release. That came after pouring 7,355 cubic yards of concrete for the foundation

The ATLAS Facility is the result of a public-private partnership between Colorado State University and Marvel Fusion, a Germany-based fusion energy firm, per the announcement. Federal government agencies, including the departments of Energy and Defense, also collaborated on the facility.

—Matthew Thibault

Miami contractor gets new CEOs after 58 years

Miami-based Coastal Construction Group has made a leadership change for the first time in nearly six decades, according to an announcement shared with Construction Dive.

Thomas Murphy Jr., founder, chairman and CEO of the general contractor, will pass the baton after 58 years to his sons, Tom Murphy and Sean Murphy, to serve as co-CEOs. Thomas Murphy Jr. will remain on as chairman of the executive board. Both sons have served as co-presidents for the past 11 years.

With $1.35 billion in construction revenue for 2024, Coastal Construction ranked 89 on Engineering News-Record’s Top 400 Contractors for 2025. The previous year, the builder ranked 138. The firm has a three-year backlog of more than $17.5 billion, per the release.

Coastal Construction specializes in multifamily, hospitality and education projects, according to its website.

—Zachary Phillips

California water tunnel conveyance job advances

California Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated a win, at least on paper, in the state’s yearslong quest to build a 45-mile tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to transport water further south. 

The Delta Conveyance Project inched closer to reality on April 23 when the Delta Stewardship Council, which is charged with balancing water supply needs and environmental impacts in the region, found the project met key requirements of the area’s overarching Delta Plan, according to a news release from Newsom’s office. 

“With this project meeting this milestone, we are closer than ever to seeing this important piece of infrastructure completed and benefiting all Californians,” Newsom said in the release. “Let’s get this built.”

The project’s supporters needed the victory. The California Supreme Court earlier in April ruled against Newsom’s plan to issue bonds to build the tunnel, according to the Sacramento Bee. Projected cost estimates range from $20 billion to $60 billion.  

—Joe Bousquin

New York launches $30M upstate highway, bridge projects

Construction will start soon on more than $30 million in highway and bridge upgrades across upstate New York, with projects spanning Franklin, Niagara and Onondaga counties, according to a Sunday news release from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.

The columbus oh dump truck company will replace aging bridges and resurface key roadways along major travel corridors, the release said. The slate includes a $10 million project to replace three existing bridges along U.S. Route 11 in Franklin County, as well as a $8.92 million rehabilitation of Transit Road in Niagara County. The project also earmarks $11.2 million to resurface Interstate 81 near Syracuse.

—Sebastian Obando