divenewsletter.com

Construction Dive’s Feb.

2026-02-17 · 16:19 UTC ·Construction Dive ·6 min read

Brief

Construction Dive’s newsletter is a broad industry roundup rather than a single deep-dive, but it contains a few notable infrastructure signals. The lead item is Gateway’s receipt of $30 million in federal funding for the New York–New Jersey tunnel project, paired with Trump’s statement that the federal government would not absorb overruns—an important reminder that megaproject funding remains politically contingent even after awards are announced. On the demand side, Granite said the next highway bill could exceed the IIJA and highlighted about $40 billion in accelerated border-infrastructure spending, suggesting contractors still see a robust public-works pipeline. The newsletter also reiterates the scale of AI-related physical buildout via Meta’s $10 billion Indiana data center, including $120 million in associated public road and water infrastructure. Other items are more sector-specific, including improved worker health metrics and outpatient medical-office conversions costing $412 per square foot.

Why it matters

Construction Dive’s Feb. 17, 2026 Daily Dive highlights several U.S. construction and infrastructure datapoints, with the most relevant items centered on transit funding, federal highway spending, and large data-center builds.

Key details

  • The Gateway tunnel project between New York and New Jersey received $30 million in federal funds, while President Trump said on social media that no federal dollars would cover any future cost overruns on the project.
  • Construction-industry deaths from drug overdoses fell 28.8% year over year in 2024, while deaths by suicide declined 1.7%, according to the latest NABTU and CPWR data.
  • Granite’s CEO said the pending highway bill is expected to be “significantly higher” than the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and also pointed to roughly $40 billion of accelerated federal border-infrastructure spending; the company is also looking for acquisitions.
  • Construction Dive flagged Mortenson and Turner’s previously reported $10 billion Meta data center project in Indiana, which includes $45 million in public road improvements and $75 million in public water infrastructure spending.
  • CBRE and JLL said demand for outpatient medical buildings is rising, with average conversion fit-out costs of $412 per square foot before any structural upgrades are included.
Cleaned source text

title: Feb. 17 - Trump reacts to Gateway funds release | Suicide, overdose rates down

author: Construction Dive

content_type: newsletter

publication: divenewsletter.com

published: 2026-02-17T11:19:07-05:00

source_url: gmail://19c6c66224d06673

word_count: 1254

Daily Dive

Feb. ​ 17,​ 2026 | Today’s news and insights for construction leaders

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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR If you're a subscriber to our Weekender edition you may have noticed something was off over the long weekend. Due to a glitch on our end that newsletter edition didn't go out with all the stories it should have. We apologize for any confusion and for failing to give you the latest industry news and insights to read over the long weekend. If you're looking to catch up on the biggest stories from last week you can check out this piece on Mortenson and Turner winning a $10 billion Meta data center in Indiana and this one on AECOM’s earnings. We're back to business as usual today.

Thank you, as always, for reading.

Zachary Phillips

Editor, Construction Dive

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Gateway receives $30M in federal funds, Trump lashes out

The president pledged in a social media post that no federal dollars would be used to cover any cost overruns on the embattled tunnel project between New York and New Jersey.

Construction fatal overdose, suicide rates dropped in 2024

Drug-related overdose deaths and deaths by suicide declined 28.8% and 1.7% year over year, respectively, according to the most recent data from NABTU and CPWR.

Suffolk superintendent to women in construction: ‘Be confident and trust yourself’

Kerri Riggio, who has worked on major New York City projects, has witnessed a shift in inclusion over her career.

5 ways to turn AI from a buzzword into real-world success in 2026

The construction tech shake-up is officially here. Is your company ready for what’s next?

Demand for outpatient medical buildings growing, say CBRE, JLL

The average fit-out cost to turn space into a medical office building is $412 per square foot, not counting structural upgrades, according to an analysis.

Earnings

Pending highway bill ‘significantly higher’ than IIJA: Granite CEO

The California-based contractor also noted an acceleration of about $40 billion in federal border infrastructure spending and said it was looking to buy more companies.

Protecting company safety with integrated risk management

Outdated risk management systems can compromise safety, leading to financial and reputational problems. Learn about how an integrated approach can protect construction companies in this infographic

PROJECT WINS

Mortenson, Turner win $10B Meta data center in Indiana

The 11-figure budget earmarks $45 million in public road improvements and another $75 million in public water infrastructure projects, according to the tech giant.

Building Out Your Construction Tech Stack

Adding new tools can create tech sprawl, leading to extra work and poor visibility across projects. This webinar shows how consolidating tech stacks helps construction teams work more effectively.

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