The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach are separate facilities that were founded about 100 years ago in San Pedro Bay, California. Terminal Island, which is in the centre of the bay, was originally a mudflat that was expanded when shipping channels were dredged in the bay. Today, about 70% of the container terminals for the Port of Los Angeles and about 30% of the container terminals for the Port of Long Beach are located on the island. As well as container terminals there are passenger terminals, automobile terminals, dry and liquid bulk terminals and so on. Oil fields and refineries in the area mean that there are also oil terminals at the ports. More than 40% of all the shipping containers that move through the United States go through these ports, making them the two busiest ports in the United States.

Construction of the main towers is under way on the Second Geo-Geum Grand Bridge which will be part of the fixed connection of the Geo-Geum Island to the South Korean mainland. The two lane highway bridge with its total length of 2,028m is the second stage of this fixed-link project and will connect Sorok Island to Geo-Geum Island passing Dae Hwa Island. Erection of the superstructure and cables is intended to start in 2008 with completion of the whole link currently scheduled for 2010.

About 30km upstream of the busy Forth Road Bridge in Scotland, the Kincardine Bridge also struggles with rising congestion. But relief is already on the way for this ageing road bridge, and motorists on the old bridge can now see the leading edge of the incrementally-launched deck creeping slowly out across the estuary. The design and build contract for the new bridge is being carried out by Morgan Vinci, a joint venture of Morgan Est and Vinci Construction Grands Projets with consultant Benaim responsible for the detailed bridge design.

Its location on the flood plain of the Neva River means that St Petersburg has been plagued by floods since the city was founded in 1703. It is particularly prone to tidal storm surge floods originating in the Gulf of Finland. In order to protect the city, a flood protection barrier which is more than 25km long is currently being built across the estuary. But the barrier will also incorporate a major highway, which requires several bridges across the navigation channels and sluices.