Published Nationally ®
Northeast Edition
July 31 2024 Vol. LXVI • No. 16
“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
Project Designers Get Creative On I-81 The job of adding the lanes to I-81 near Bristol will last until 2025.
N.Y. Announces Major Bridge Project...8
H.O. Penn Machinery Talks Cat Rebuilds at Subway Series...12
By Chuck MacDonald CEG CORRESPONDENT
Alex Lyon & Son Hosts Barbecue, Hay Camp, Large Auction...98
When the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) began studying the numbers on I-81 in the Bristol area, the conclusion seemed obvious. With more than 50,000 vehicles traveling between exits 7 and 10, traffic
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Paving Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37-53 Backhoes & Attachments Section . . . . . . . . . . .57-63 Business Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Auction Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96-108 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
was backing up. Congestion relief was needed. Adding a third southbound lane was the obvious solution. As VDOT’s design team dug into the information, they found that adding a third southbound lane would help alleviate that congestion and improve safety. As designers sketched out the project, they came to a happy discovery. By carv-
ing the new lane out of the median, the construction team also could add a third northbound lane for one mile at a reduced cost. Gene Holley is the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program (CIP) coordinator of VDOT’s Bristol District and Dave Covington is the VDOT I-81 program delivery director. see LANES page 70
Powering Domestic EV Production Energy Department Funding Will Bring Manufacturing Plants Online By Lucy Perry CEG CORRESPONDENT
In July, the Biden administration announced it would fund $1.7 billion for electric vehicle component production at 11 manufacturing plants across the country. In doing so, the fed made progress toward both ending the nation’s dependence on China for batteries and meeting its 2030 goal of making 50 percent of all new U.S. vehicle sales electric or hybrid models. Eight plants currently shuttered or at-risk of closing are located in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. see BATTERY page 80
Adobe Stock photo
One goal of funding manufacturing plants in eight states was to break America’s dependence on China for batteries.