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July 19, 2014 • Vol. IXX • No. 15 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
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Inside
Artifact to Play Symbolic Role in Minn. State Fair By Dick Rohland CEG CORRESPONDENT
IDOT Names Bridge for Vietnam Veteran...14
Bale C elebr ates Grand Opening...18
A fortuitous discovery of an artifact from past Minnesota State fairs will play a significant and symbolic part in the reconstruction of the fair’s original Heritage Square exhibit and in the construction of a new transit hub. While roaming a heavily wooded area on the far reaches of state fair property, a mosquito control worker stumbled across a galvanized steel arch estimated to weigh 1 ton (.9 t). Partially hidden by thick undergrowth, the arch for nearly 50 years, served as a gateway into the fairgrounds at the old, Como Avenue streetcar entrance. The arch was removed in 1980 to make room for a new exhibit and indefinitely stored in this remote, wooded area of the fairgrounds until its discovery. With construction to start the following year, State Fair officials promptly decided to bring it back as part of the new gate into the fairgrounds at see HUB page 50
TRIP Releases Rural Connections Report Rubblemaster Hosts Three-Day Event…32
Table of Contents ............4 Attachment & Parts Section ......................33-35 Truck & Trailer Section ...... ..................................51-61 Recycling Section ....65-80 Auction Section ........85-93 Business Calendar ........88 Advertisers Index ..........94
America’s rural heartland is home to nearly 50 million people, and its natural resources provide the energy, food and fiber that support the nation’s economy and way of life. But, a new report finds that the nation’s rural transportation system, which is critical to the nation’s booming agriculture, energy and tourism sectors, is in need of modernization to address deficient roads and bridges, high crash rates and inadequate connectivity and capacity. The report, “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,” was released July 10 by TRIP, a national non-profit transportation research group
based in Washington, D.C. It defines Rural America as counties that lack an urban area of at least 50,000 in population or lack a large commuting flow to an urban county. The TRIP report finds that traffic crashes and fatalities on rural roads are disproportionately high, occurring at a rate nearly three times higher than all other roads. In 2012, non-interstate rural roads had a traffic fatality rate of 2.21 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles of travel, compared to a fatality rate on all other roads of 0.78 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles of travel. Rural traffic fatality rates remain stubbornly high, despite a see TRIP page 92
Workers on a Lull JLG lift and a Genie boom place roofing material on one of the two restaurants that will have a place in the West End Market exhibit for the Minnesota State Fair.
Officials Report Industry Adds 6,000 Positions in June Construction employers added 6,000 workers to payrolls in June as the industry’s unemployment rate dropped to 8.2 percent, its lowest June level in six years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned, however, that recent employment gains could be undermined when the federal government begins scaling back transportation investments in August. “The construction industry continues to expand gradually and unevenly,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Despite recent job growth,
construction employment is still more than 1.7 million jobs or 22 percent below its 2006 peak.” Construction employment totaled 6.015 million in June, the highest total since June 2009 and an increase of 186,000 or 3.2 percent from a year earlier, Simonson noted. Residential construction employers added 6,600 jobs in June and 106,300 (4.9 percent) over 12 months. Nonresidential construction employment was unchanged since May, but up by 80,000 (2.2 percent) since June 2013. see JOBS page 91