Published Nationally Northeast Edition
® August 21 2019 Vol. LVI • No. 17
“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
Crews Prep for Virginia’s New $756M Tunnel By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
Rep. Elise Stefanik Visits Tracey Road Equipment...18
Potential Rule Changes Would Relax Hours of Service...55
Terex Evoquip Event Draws From All Over North America...65
Table of Contents ....................4 Truck & Trailer Section ....55-61
bored tunnel from the CBBT’s southernmost island (One Island) under Thimble Shoal Channel to Two Island. Crist said the Route 13 corridor is considered of statewide significance, with no viable alternate route. Per year, on average, the CBBT experiences 25 lane closures in the tunnels due to accidents/incidents; 450 for oversized escort loads; and 950 one-way lane closures for maintenance and contractor work. Unlike many construction efforts, work is moving along faster than originally planned. “This project was originally scheduled to begin in the 20202025 timeframe,” said Crist. “However, in August 2013, the CBBT Commission approved this project to begin at an earlier date, in order to take advantage of low interest rates and a good bidding environment.” The design-build team is a joint venture between Dragados and Schiavone CBBT photo USA Initial work on the project began in 2017, with an expected completion Construction Company LLC. date of 2023. The tunnel will consist of approximately 9,000 individual Crist said a great deal of sched-
Although boring won’t begin until early next year, construction crews in Cape Charles, Va., are making significant progress on the Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel (PTST) project. At a cost of $756 million, a new two-lane tunnel will be built under Thimble Shoal Channel. “This tunnel project will be Phase II of the Parallel Crossing project, providing dual lanes at Thimble Shoal Channel,” said Mike Crist, deputy executive director of infrastructure for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel (CBBT) District. “Phase III will be a parallel tunnel at Chesapeake Channel, and will complete the parallel crossing.” The Chesapeake Bay BridgeTunnel is a 17.6-mi. bridge and tunnel complex that spans the lower Chesapeake Bay and connects Virginia’s Eastern Shore with the mainland in Virginia Beach. The Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel project involves the construction of a two-lane concrete pieces.
see TUNNEL page 28
Gov. Hauls in New Excavator to Fix Roads
Recycling Section ............65-89 Attachment & Parts Section...... ........................................99-103 Business Calendar ..............104 Auction Section ............108-121 Advertisers Index ................122
Driving a flatbed tractor-trailer, Gov. Jim Justice personally hauled a brand new Gradall excavator to the Division of Highways’ District 6 Headquarters in Moundsville on July 24. The special delivery marked the first of many new Gradall machines that Gov. Justice announced will soon be coming to all corners of the state, as part of his commitment to provide more resources to fix West Virginia’s secondary road system. Office of Gov. Jim Justice photo “These roads didn’t get this way overnight,” Justice said. “I don’t The special delivery marked the first of 10 new Gradall machines that say this to beat up on anybody, but it’s fact; we neglected things for Gov. Justice announced will soon be coming to all corners of the state, as governorship after governorship and we got ourselves in one whale part of his commitment to provide more resources to fix West Virginia’s see EQUIPMENT page 116
secondary road system.