Con Dig (06-Oct-26) — Major marine infrastructure, manufacturing expansion and new residential construction lead today’s US construction news. Construction Dig’s overnight sweep also found fresh state highway awards, progress on a major inland waterways project and new contractor safety technology.
Skanska wins $271m Coast Guard pier contract in Rhode Island
Skanska has been awarded a $271 million contract by NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic to replace Pier 1 at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island. The new roughly 80-ft-wide, 1,000-ft-long homeport pier will accommodate four US Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters and includes substations, utilities, dredging and related site work; completion is targeted for March 2030.
Why it matters: The award is a substantial federal marine-infrastructure project and adds another major US contract to Skanska’s third-quarter order book.
Gray and Southwire break ground on 380,000-sq-ft Mississippi expansion
Gray and Southwire have started a roughly 380,000-sq-ft expansion of Southwire’s Starkville manufacturing campus, including a six-story extrusion tower used in copper-wire production. Gray is delivering the project under a design-build model; construction is expected to peak at nearly 250 workers and the expanded facility is scheduled to reach full capacity in 2028.
Why it matters: The expansion forms part of Southwire’s more than $2 billion modernization program and is explicitly aimed at demand created by electrification and rapid data-center growth.
$140m Yonkers residential tower moves into construction
A joint venture of Saber-Hightower, Rafferty Real Estate and Eagle Realty Group has started construction of The Ibex at Ridge Hill, a 17-story, 282-unit rental development in Yonkers, New York. Bank OZK is providing construction financing for the $140 million project, which will include 28 affordable units and about 5,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail; first units are expected in late 2028.
Why it matters: The project represents a sizeable new multifamily start in the New York metro area at a time when financing remains a key constraint on residential development.
West Virginia awards 17 highway construction projects
The West Virginia Division of Highways has awarded 17 construction contracts, led by a $14.5 million West Virginia Paving job to repair and resurface roughly five miles of I-77 between Kenna and Fairplain. The package also includes bridge replacements, paving, ADA upgrades, signage and traffic improvements across the state.
Why it matters: The letting provides a fresh batch of public road and bridge work for regional contractors and adds near-term activity to West Virginia’s highway construction pipeline.
Kentucky Lock project passes 85% of concrete placement
Thalle Construction and the US Army Corps of Engineers have placed about 316,000 cubic yards of concrete at the Kentucky Lock Addition Project, representing roughly 85% of the contracted concrete work. The project is building a new 1,200-ft by 110-ft navigation lock chamber on the Tennessee River and has also passed 3 million labor hours without a lost-time accident.
Why it matters: The milestone shows substantial progress on a nationally important inland-waterways project designed to improve navigation reliability around the existing Kentucky Lock.
Gilbane starts $23m Sarasota school project
Gilbane Building and Highmark Development have broken ground on a $23 million middle school for Dreamers Academy in Sarasota, Florida. The 49,500-sq-ft project will provide space for around 600 students and include classrooms, a gymnasium, kitchen, athletic areas and associated parking and drop-off infrastructure.
Why it matters: The project adds another active K-12 job to Florida’s construction pipeline and expands Gilbane’s education workload in the state.
Construction safety tech shifts toward AI, wearables and connected jobsites
Associated Builders and Contractors’ latest construction technology report highlights growing contractor use of AI-powered risk detection, wearables, drones, environmental monitoring and connected-jobsite tools to improve worker safety. The report also points to digitized pre-task planning and incident-data analysis as increasingly important parts of contractor safety programs.
Why it matters: Safety technology is moving beyond pilot projects and becoming part of day-to-day contractor operations as firms seek to reduce risk while managing increasingly complex jobsites.
Construction Dig also reviewed the Department of War’s Oct. 5 contract awards. No newly announced construction, engineering or facilities award was significant enough to displace the projects above.
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