The US is set to increase infrastructure construction with the help of bipartisan infrastructure law, but the country already has many large projects underway given a strong construction industry.
In this article, we will discuss detailed information about the future and upcoming infrastructure mega projects in the United States that will shape the development status of the nation.
Top Upcoming Mega Projects in United States 2024
1. Gordie Howe International Bridge
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is currently under construction, a cable-stayed international bridge over the Detroit River. The crossing will connect Interstate 75 in Michigan to Highway 401 in Ontario (via the Rt. Honorable Herb Gray Parkway extension of Highway 401) and connect Detroit, US to Windsor, Canada.
Unlike the current arrangement of the nearby Ambassador Bridge, which connects to city streets on the Ontario side, the bridge will provide free road traffic. The bridge is named after Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe.
The new international bridge connecting the US and Canada will take about a year and will be completed by September 2025.
2. Brightline West High-Speed Rail
Brightline West is a privately operated high-speed rail route that will connect the Las Vegas Valley and Rancho Cucamonga. The line will connect to the Rancho Cucamonga station of Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line (a commuter rail line in Southern California).
The project aims to provide an alternative to travel by air or car between Southern California and Las Vegas, a popular tourist destination.
The US Department of Transportation gave Brightline West a $3 billion grant in December 2023 under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Construction was expected to begin in 2023 after the grant was announced but is now expected to begin in early 2024. The revenue service will be launched in 2027.
3. California High-Speed Rail
California’s major high-speed rail project is the nation’s first. The 800-mile California High-Speed Railway, which has 24 stations and a top speed of 220 mph, will take just 2 hours 40 minutes to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
The high-speed rail network will run only on renewable energy. It will help the state meet its climate goals, by reducing transportation emissions and becoming part of a sustainable transportation network.
The railways are estimated to reduce greenhouse emissions by 12.5 billion pounds (or 1 million cars) and reduce foreign oil use by 12.7 million barrels (or 1 million cars).
While the initial cost of the much larger project was estimated to be around $40 billion, it faced several challenges. Construction of the first 119-mile section did not begin until 2015, nearly three years later than expected.
Also, the budget of this huge project has increased in line with its increased schedule. When the project is completed at the end of 2030, its total cost could be up to $105 billion.
4. Madison Square Garden Sphere (Las Vegas, NV)
A large music and amusement park is currently being built at the Venice Resort in Las Vegas. This very ambitious construction project, which started in 2019, will be built like a sphere. The estimated value of the area is approximately two billion dollars.
The MSG field, when completed, is expected to be the world’s largest circular structure. This amazing new entertainment facility will be 516 feet wide and 336 feet high. In addition to 23 VIP suites, it can accommodate 20,000 people seated or 17,500 standing.
The area will measure a record 166,000 square feet of interior wrap-around LED displays and a record 580,000 square feet of exterior LED displays. Both displays will be fully programmable, visible from several miles away, and support high picture resolution.
Additionally, MSG Sphere is expected to provide visitors with an experience shown in immersive screens and environments. A special audio system of 1,64,000 speakers will be placed in the sphere.
Additional features include aerial sensing to 4D capabilities and connectivity for all visitors. There will be a cooling layer under one seat. The main construction material will be concrete, then steel will be installed and finally the domed roof will be built.
The most difficult aspect of the project will be the steel domed roof, which will require 13,000 tons of steel to build. MSG Entertainment said it would build several more locations around the world.
5. Sound Transit 3 (ST3) Construction Project
When the Sound Transit 3 plan is fully implemented, the region’s Link light rail system will expand by 116 miles (187 km), Sound Transit will build two new bus rapid transit lines, and Sounder Commuter Rail will be extended by two stations while adding additional cars. Will change into trains. By 2040, Sound Transit will serve 561,000 to 695,000 daily riders, with 69 percent of transit trips by rail.
Sound Transit 3 is a light rail, serving 37 stations over a distance of 62 miles (100 km) and extending the existing system to the suburban Seattle neighborhoods of Ballard and West Seattle. Light rail will run every 20 hours daily and every 3 to 6 minutes during rush hour; There is a need to purchase 226 new vehicles for operation on the new lines.
Sound Transit 3 builds two bus rapid transit lines: from Shoreline to Woodinville at State Route 522 and NE 145th Street; and Burien to Lynnwood on Interstate 405 and State Route 518. Part of the I-405 project is the station at Northeast 85th Street in Kirkland, which will cost up to $300 million due to extensive reconstruction of the existing interchange.
The plan also includes operating funds for the existing Sound Transit Express network, bus shoulder programs, bus reliability improvements, and three RapidRide lines in Seattle (C Line to West Seattle, D Line to Ballard, and Madison BRT to Madison Valley). and incorporate Route 1 along Pacific Avenue in Tacoma into Pierce Transit’s bus rapid transit project.
Sound Transit 3 Sounder commuter rail service will be extended from the Lakewood station to Tillicum (near Joint Base Lewis-McChord) and DuPont, beginning in 2036. Additional capacity improvements on the South Line (longer 10-car trains and potentially increased frequencies) and parking on the North Line are also planned.
6. Hudson Yards – New York
Hudson Yards is a real estate development located in the Chelsea and Hudson Yards neighborhoods of New York City.
The project has been described as New York’s largest urban development, after Rockefeller Center. When completed, 13 planned west-side structures will be installed on platforms built over a storage yard for Long Island Railway Road trains.
7. Second Avenue Subway
There is a New York City Subway line under Second Avenue in East Manhattan.
The New York City subway line that runs beneath Second Avenue in East Manhattan is called the Second Avenue Subway. The planned full line will be 8.5 miles long with 16 stations and serve 560,000 riders daily.
Building on the success of the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway, which opened on January 1, 2017, the second phase is now underway with teams advancing preliminary design and engineering.
The second phase of the Second Avenue Subway project will extend the Q Line to Harlem. It will provide better transportation to people in the neighborhood by building two new stations at Second Avenue and 125th Street.
8. Chicago airport expansion
In 2019, the idea was incorporated into O’Hare 21, a revolutionary plan to remake the airport for the 21st century.
Big-ticket items include an entirely new “Global” terminal, two new satellite concourses for Terminal 1, and a complete overhaul of the current Terminal 5, but there are about a hundred other projects in the plan, many of which are small but significant improvements., such as parking garages, new water mains, and electrical distribution systems.
Modernizing the terminals will transform the passenger experience at O’Hare, a major part of the investment.
This is a long-term plan; The work will not be completed until 2028, but like the runway modernization, it will be completed sequentially. Parts of the renovated Terminal 5 are already open to the public.
9. Hudson Tunnel Project (New York City, NY)
The long-awaited Hudson Tunnel Project is a network of construction projects with the common goal of repairing and replacing the centuries-old railway tunnels that run beneath the Hudson River. There were plans to repair the tunnel and increase capacity since 2009, but little action occurred until 2012 when Hurricane Sandy caused major flooding. Due to the damage workers cannot make repairs until new tunnels are built.
Recently the US Department of Transportation invested $292 million in the infrastructure project, but this is only part of the $16 billion construction cost. However, the Gateway Program estimates that the new and repaired tunnels will generate $19 billion of economic activity throughout construction and provide long-term resilience to extreme climate changes.
10. JFK Airport Expansion (New York City, NY)
JFK completely revamped New York Airport for $18 billion, building 23 new gates for several terminal projects. While the construction of Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 is expected to be completed soon and around 2030, Terminal 8 completed its modernization in 2022.
Terminal 1’s $9.5 billion project began last year, and the airport recently celebrated the start of its third and final phase. Also, the 1.2 million-square-foot Terminal 6 project, valued at $4.2 billion, is about to open with 10 new gates. Together, these terminal changes will help JFK Airport accommodate more airplanes and passengers, making travel faster and better.