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Midwest Edition
October 16 2010
Vol. XVII • No. 21
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Six-Year Highway Bill Awaits Debate Up on Capitol Hill
Inside
By Pete Sigmund
CEG EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
MEGA Utility Expo Draws Crowds...14
Work on three roundabouts in Ann Harbor, Mich., is expected to help relieve congestion in an area that sees heavy traffic due to three colleges and two hospitals. About 100,000 cu. yds. (76,455 cu m) of soil were moved on a 15-acre area, creating tight working conditions. Equipment on Display at Minn. State Fair...24
Roundabouts on U.S. 23 in Mich. Relieve Congestion By Dorinda Anderson CEG CORRESPONDENT
UAA Hold Sale for Kares Construction...70
Table of Contents ............4 Crushing, Screening & Recycling Section ....27-35 Truck & Trailer Section .... ..................................43-49 Parts Section ................63 Business Calendar ........68 Auction Section ......68-79 Advertisers Index ..........78
Construction of three roundabouts in Ann Harbor, Mich., is expected to relieve congestion and improve geometrics on Interstate 23 that runs north and south in an area that sees heavy traffic due to adjacent colleges and hospitals. The city of Ann Harbor is home to about 114,000, of which almost 37,000 are college students. The $5.3 million improvement project is being facilitated by the Michigan Department of Transportation with the assistance of prime contractor Fonson Inc., of
A new six-year highway and surface transportation bill, which may be enacted within the next six months, would have to increase infrastructure spending to almost half a trillion dollars to meet critical needs of roads, bridges, mass transit and other vital sectors. The previous “SAFETEA-LU” act, which expired Sept. 30, 2009, authorized $286 billion. Funding a large increase in a fragile and politically contentious climate will be a huge issue. “The numbers which are circulating on Capitol Hill are between $450 billion and $500 billion for the life of the next multi-year bill,” said Jeff Solsby, director of public affairs of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) in Washington, D.C. “It’s not outside the realm of possibility that a bill will be passed before the end of 2010 but, more realistically, it could be passed in a period of time between now and next spring.” Rep. James Oberstar (D- Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, had proposed a $450 billion bill last year, but it was bypassed in the urgent focus on health care reform. “Mr. Oberstar’s bill comes pretty close to what the federal share should be to meet highway maintenance needs, said Dr. William Buechner, ARTBA’s vice president of economics and research. “We’re falling short by $30 billion to $40 billion a year from what we should be doing.” Whether a large amount will be authorized is a big
see RONDABOUTS page 26
see BILL page 39
ARTBAReport Discusses Transportation Projects The importance of President Obama’s Labor Day call for congressional action soon on a front-loaded, six-year reauthorization of the federal highway and transit improvement programs is underscored by new research that shows the programs’ importance to the U.S. economy,
according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The report said money invested this year in transportation construction industry employment and purchases will generate more than $380 billion in U.S. economic activity — near-
ly three percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That’s larger than the annual GDP of 160 nations ranked by the International Monetary Fund, including oil-rich Saudi Arabia ($370 billion) and Kuwait ($111 billion). see PROJECTS page 22