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June 20, 2015 • Vol. IXX • No. 13 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
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Inside
Massive Multi-Year IDOT Plan On Schedule By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT
Annual Topcon Roadshow Comes to Ohio...12
RPM Shows Customer Appreciation...16
The Rieth-Riley Construction Co. Inc. (RR) has already finished the first (the south side) of two highway reconstruction/upgrade projects to freeway status in Westfield for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and it will complete the northern section by December 2015. The southern section, which cost $63 million, covered 2.5 mi. (4 km) from 146th Street to 161st Street, had work start in March 2013 and end in June 2014. This included a new round-about interchange at 161st Street. The northern section, $59 million, covers 3.5 mi. (5.6 km) from 161st Street to state Road 38 and had crews begin the work in October 2013. This project also includes the construction of new interchanges at state Road 32 and 191st Street, and some work on SR 32. “As they finished the first contract,” The new U.S. 31 corridor north of I-465 will said Nathan Riggs, public information include 18 new interchanges or overpasses
SC&RA Sends DOTs Scathing Federal Review Strong Message on Could Cost ODOT $1.3B Bad Road Design see INDOT page 54
NIPSCO Project Approaches Deadline...18
Table of Contents ................4 Attachment & Parts Section ......................................45-49 Recycling Section ........55-70 Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................83-91 Auction Section..........96-101 Business Calendar ............99 Advertisers Index ............102
By Lucy May SPECIAL TO CEG
The Ohio Department of Transportation is at risk of losing more than $1.3 billion in federal funding used to pay for new roads, bridges and highway repairs throughout the state. That would be the worst possible outcome of a review that found ODOT has fallen short of federal regulations when it comes to awarding contracts to socalled "disadvantaged busi-
and two new flyover ramps at the I-465 interchange.
ness enterprises,” or DBEs, according to a previously unreported DBE Program Compliance Review of the Ohio Department of Transportation. DBEs are primarily companies owned by minorities and women. The scathing review found deficiencies in every area of the program that transportation officials reviewed, from staffing to bidding to following through to make sure work got completed as promised. “The feds came in in
December, and they found pretty much our entire DBE program was in noncompliance,” said Kim Watson, administrator of ODOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity. “That means our federal funding could very well be suspended if we do not enter into a conciliation agreement with Federal Highway." Watson stressed that she is confident it won’t come to that. State officials have until see ODOT page 98
The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) has issued a three-page white paper to address how “poorly designed intersections and interchanges have a direct impact on transport costs and adversely impact a private company’s ability to competitively produce and ship oversize/overweight [OS/OW] products by creating barriers for OS/OW carriers.” SC&RA is sending a copy of the white paper to all state departments of transportation, state freight advisory groups, state industry groups involved with the movement of OS/OW loads, federal officials and others who have a voice in the future design of intersections and interchanges. Roundabouts, Intersections & Interchanges — Barriers and Benefits to Specialized see SC&RA page 78