Published Nationally
$3.00
®
Midwest Edition
December 1 2018 Vol. XX • No. 24
4
“The Nation’s Nation’sBest BestRead ReadConstruction Construction Newspaper… Founded Newspaper… Founded 1957.”1957.”
470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
Expansion of U.S 69 Aims at Student Safety By Irwin Rapoport
Project plans call for the building or rehabilitation of several bridges.
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Cat Unveils Array of New Products…10
Komatsu Shows Off Its Lineup at Demo Days…14
Trailers Rely More on Strength Than Tech…60
Table of Contents ................4 Trailers Section ............59-73
Work began on March 13, 2017 on the $20.4 million Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) project expanding a 6-mi. section of U.S. 69 to a four-lane upgradable expressway in Bourbon County, as well as rebuilding or refurbishing several bridges. The work, funded under the TWorks transportation program, was awarded to Koss Construction Co. Inc. The closest cities to the project are Garland and Fort Scott. U.S. 69 is scheduled to reopen to unrestricted traffic Dec. 21, with permanent striping and seeding items to be installed by April 12. “The contractor has submitted a request to extend these dates,” said Darrin Petrowsky, KDOT Iola area engineer. “KDOT is still in the process of reviewing this request.” The expansion begins at the Crawford-Bourbon county line and extends north to the divided fourlane pavement south of Fort Scott. Two lanes are being added to the existing U.S. 69 alignment, and atgrade intersections are being constructed at Arrowhead, Birch,
Cavalry, Deer, and Fern roads. “Under the previous two transportation programs passed by the Kansas Legislature, KDOT had been able to complete the expansion of U.S. 69 from two lanes to a four-lane corridor from Kansas City to just north of Fort Scott,” Petrowsky said. “These expansion
projects were built to freeway design standards. Prior to the passage of the T-Works program, KDOT held public meetings to get feedback from our citizens and local partners. When the Southeast Kansas meeting was held, a wellorganized contingent of local citizens provided strong support for
the KDOT to continue the expansion of the U.S. 69 corridor further south, with an ultimate goal of tying into I-44. “A second group of citizens brought forth the fact that Pittsburg State University is the only state college that currently does not have see KOSS page 54
Voters Re-elect Supporters of Gas Tax Hikes Voters in 12 states re-elected 93 percent of
Including 2018, voters have re-elected 92 per-
a gas tax increase between 2013 and 2018 and
Snow & Ice Section ......77-81 530 state lawmakers who supported a gas tax cent of nearly 1,900 state lawmakers who voted ran for re-election, 92 percent were also given Paving Section..............87-99 Business Calendar ..........101 Auction Section ......103-111 Advertisers Index ............110
increase between 2015 and 2018 and ran for reelection in 2018. Winning state lawmakers in Nov. 6 races included 92 percent of Republicans, and 94 percent of Democrats, according to a new analysis from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Investment Advocacy Center (ARTBA-TIAC). The results are consistent with those from the last five years that show support for a gas tax increase does not hurt political careers.
in favor of a gas tax increase since 2013. This support for lawmakers who approve a gas tax increase persists across party lines as well — more than 90 percent of Democrats and 94 percent of Republicans were re-elected. Ninety percent of 211 state legislators who voted against a gas tax increase and ran for reelection in 2018 won their races, including 88 percent of Republicans and 96 percent of Democrats. Of the 923 elected officials who voted against
another term. A comprehensive report and an interactive map showing the state-by-state results can be found at www.transportationinvestment.org. TIAC operations are supported by ARTBA’s “Transportation Makes America Work” program. For more information, visit www.artba.org. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s website at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.)