As construction's very busy and eventful year nears its close and the sector awaits many more ups and downs in 2024, ENR offers a look back at the Top 20 news stories that most caught readers' attention across a broad market spectrum—from the construction start of the long-awaited $16 billion New York-New Jersey rail tunnel rebuild and winners shortlisted for the first $7 billion in U.S. government funds for developing clean-energy hydrogen hubs to the still unfolding legal battle over Las Vegas Sphere project complexities and why a Texas jury awarded $860 million in a fatal Texas crane collapse verdict.

Major project advances also drew big attention, including a $2-billion contract to rebuild U.S. Navy dry docks in Honolulu; a $7.7-billion effort to extend the Second Avenue Subway in dense Manhattan and the heroic push by a Philadelphia construction team to replace a fire-damaged bridge that reopened I-95—one of the country's most traveled highways. 

New construction approaches and next-generation technology also attracted readers—including  a report on an innovative fiber-reinforced, mineral composite building system that bears a strong resemblance to Legos once used by many project team members as children.  

Building global megaprojects in remote and terrain-challenged areas, as detailed through words and visually amazing photo and video images in ENR's Rugged Construction series, also appealed to web readers.

See below for the list of the Top 20 most-read ENR web stories in 2023, as measured by visits to ENR.com, with a brief focus on the list's leading five. 

No. 1 - Las Vegas Sphere Lawsuits Roll On in Nevada Courtrooms

Photo via Associated Press

The Las Vegas Sphere opened to great fanfare in September, but legal battles continue surrounding the massive music and entertainment arena's construction, with millions of dollars in damages pending against its developer. ENR Deputy Editor Richard Korman followed the legal filing trail to provide details.

No. 2 - Cliffhanger: $451M Upgrade for Treacherous Stretch of Highway 1 in British Columbia

Photo courtesy KHCC

Widening the Trans-Canada Highway crossing through British Columbia presented challenges that included harsh winters and precarious terrain, particularly the final stretch through Kicking Horse Canyon. The detailed project profile by ENR Transportation Editor Aileen Cho was part of the magazine's "Rugged Construction" series.

No. 3 - West Virginia Wild: Crews Carve Out Corridor H Through the Appalachian Mountains

Photo courtesy MBI

When completed, Corridor H will be the only limited-access highway through West Virginia’s Appalachian Highlands region to Interstate 81 in Virginia, with Aileen Cho offering a detailed look at how the project team overcame terrain obstacles and addressed environmental concerns to build the critical roadway.

No. 4 - Buffalo Bills Stadium Contractors Release Bid Packages for $1.4B Project

Rendering courtesy Buffalo Bills

More investment in construction of major sporting venues attracted ENR readers in 2023, including the start of work on the $1.4-billion stadium for the National Football League Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. ENR Online News Editor James Leggate provided details on firms that won key project contracts and project progress as of March.

No. 5 - Colosseo Plans Makeover for Shuttered Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City

Rendering courtesy of the Colosseo Atlantic City

Renovation of a neglected former Atlantic City, N.J., casino-hotel site took off in April with owner Colosseo Development Group envisioning two hotel towers, one with seven residential condominiums, restaurants, a retail mall and more. ENR Correspondent Stephanie Loder penned the report on the revitalization effort.

See below the Top 20 most read 2023 stories on ENR.com, listed in rank order and with date appearing. See the list of top stories from 2022 here and from 2021 here.