Published Nationally
$3.00
®
Midwest Edition
February 23 2019 Vol. XX • No. 4
4
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
I-74 Bridge Links Illinois-Iowa ‘Quad Cities’ © 2019 Iowa DOT
Medal of Honor Recipient Addresses CAM…10
World of Asphalt Breaks Attendance Records…22
Tales of Excavators’ Exploits…58
Work continues through the winter to complete the westbound bridge between Moline, Ill., and Davenport, Iowa.
By Brenda Ruggiero CEG CORRESPONDENT
A $1.2 billion bridge replacement is currently under way in a cooperative effort between the Iowa and Illinois Departments of Transportation. The I-74 Mississippi River Bridge project is part of an overall plan to improve the I-74 corridor from Moline, Ill., to Davenport, Iowa. Construction is
taking place between Avenue of the Cities in Moline and Middle Road in Bettendorf. The project includes the replacement of the I-74 bridges over the Mississippi River as well as interchange ramp reconfigurations and local roadway improvements. Danielle Alvarez, I-74 project manager for the Iowa DOT, explained that the see BRIDGE page 54
© 2019 Iowa DOT
Cranes are used in the construction of the arch pier and crossbeam.
Neb. Governor Speeds Up Beltway Construction
Table of Contents ..........4 Paving Section ........37-49 Excavator Section ..55-94 Business Calendar........98 Auction Section ....99-111 Advertisers Index ......110
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, along with state Sens. Curt Friesen, Suzanne Geist and Mike Hilgers; Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler; and Nebraska Department of Transportation Director Kyle Schneweis, announced Feb. 11 an expedited construction schedule that will allow the Lincoln South Beltway to be open to traffic by the end of 2022. The Lincoln South Beltway will improve regional connectivity by creating an 11-mi., east-towest, four-lane freeway south of
Lincoln, linking Highway 77 and Nebraska Highway 2. It is designed to reduce conflicts between local and thru traffic, including heavy truck traffic. “Today, we are excited to announce that the long-awaited Lincoln South Beltway project will be constructed ahead of schedule,” said Ricketts. “This is another example of using innovation to make the state’s operations more efficient, so we can grow Nebraska and keep Lincoln moving.” “This project has been a prior-
ity for Lincoln and Lancaster County for years,” said Hilgers. “Today’s announcement is a big step forward to making the South Beltway a reality. I’m happy to be part of the solution to bring it to Nebraskans by the end of 2022.” “This project provides the necessary capacity to the area to allow regional travelers an alternative route around Lincoln, reducing traffic through the city,” said Schneweis. “The Lincoln South Beltway has been a project that has been well designed, dis-
cussed, and desired for many years. We are happy to be able to finally bring it to Nebraskans.” Previously, construction was expected to take up to eight years to complete. With this new approach, the NDOT will begin construction in 2020 and traffic will be under way on the Lincoln South Beltway by the end of 2022. A state highway bypass around Lincoln could get finished ahead years ahead of schedule due to a new construction timeline.