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January 5, 2013 • Vol. IXX • No. 1 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
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Inside
AGC Report...
Material Costs Decline in November
Dawes Crane Operators Receive Honors...10
al approaches to reduce congestion and improve the efficiency of freight delivery, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation. As designated by Congress, the purpose of the National I69 project is not simply to link two locations on the U.S. borders (Laredo, Texas, and Port Huron, Mich.), it is to link major commercial and population centers in eight states with one another, as well as with trading partners in Canada and Mexico. One of the core goals is to improve international as well as interstate trade. The I-69 Evansville-to-Indianapolis Project is only a small portion of the entire I-69 project.
Construction materials costs dropped in November, aided by a plunge in diesel prices along with smaller decreases in a variety of other inputs, according to an analysis of new federal figures released Dec. 13 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that some of the price declines may be related to the fact that the threat of the fiscal cliff is already having an impact on demand for construction and related materials. “The recent price decreases are very welcome after years of price spikes that contractors could not pass on in a weak construction market,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist of the construction trade association. “These price declines may be yet another sign that the threat of the fiscal cliff has already taken a toll on demand.” For the 12 months ending in November, the producer price index for all construction inputs rose 1.0 percent, closely matching the increase in prices contractors
see CORRIDOR page 46
see COSTS page 79
Construction of Section 1 is complete and work on Sections 2 and 3 is under way.
Murphy Tractor Demonstrat es Eqpt...16
I-69: Corridor of the Future By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
Vul can Welco me s Chi nese Del egates ... 54
Table of Contents ........4 Attachment Section ...... ............................27-29
In the 1970s, a group dreamt of a “Southwest Indiana Highway” connecting Evansville to Bloomington, but it wasn’t until 1991 when Congress proposed a “New National Highway System” that the dream took shape as part of a new Interstate 69 corridor. Designated as one of six “Corridors of the Future,” I-69 will eventually extend from Mexico to Canada, making it the primary north-south route in the United States. The purpose of the Corridors of the Future program is to develop innovative national and region-
Recycling Section 31-43
ARTBA Unveils Funding Forecast for 2013
Business Calendar…..64
By Pete Sigmund
Truck & Trailer ....65-73 Auction Section ....78-85 Advertisers Index ......86
CEG EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
(A growing, vibrant highway and bridge program is one of the keys to economic recovery. The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) addressed important topics and questions pertaining to the infrastructure construction market in a
recent “Webinar” forecast for Wall Street analysts and construction industry executives. Following are highlights of this presentation by David Bauer, ARTBA’s senior vice president, government affairs, and Dr. Alison Premo Black, ARTBA’s chief economist.) A recent “Webinar” by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) in Washington, D.C., addressed a
“status quo” stalemate in highway and bridge funding and highlighted the urgent need for shoring up Highway Trust Fund (HTF) revenues to stimulate activity, and spotlighted a broad range of infrastructure activity and needs. The ARTBA officials pointed out that MAP21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st see FUNDING page 30