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February 15, 2017 • Vol. XXX • No. 4 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
AGC: 32 States Add Construction Positions in 2016
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is overseeing the rehabilitation of two bridges along Interstate 64 in the Lexington, Va., area. The bridges, which carry eastbound and westbound traffic over the Maury River and Kerrs Creek in Rockbridge County, were designed in 1969 and built in 1976. The bridges have a steel frame support and are called delta frame bridges because of the shape of the structural steel support frame, which is an inverted triangle or Greek letter delta. Each bridge is 845-ft. (257.6 m) long and 43-ft. (13.1 m) wide, and the roadway width is a total of 39 ft. (11.9 m).
Thirty-two states added construction jobs in 2016 as a dearth of experienced workers kept contractors in many states from hiring as many employees as they would have preferred, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released and the association’s own survey. Association officials said the new Trump administration could help by including workforce development measures as part of its promised new infrastructure program. “Although the number of states reporting construction employment increases has dwindled, contractors are more upbeat than ever about the construction market and intend to hire more workers this year,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist of the association. “However, the shortage of workers is their top concern and nearly three-quarters of contractors say they are having a hard time filling positions.” The economist said the number of states with construction job gains declined to 32 in 2016 from 44 in 2015, yet a survey the association released earlier in January found that 73 percent of respondents expect to add to their headcount in 2017. Respondents had a positive view, on balance, of the dollar volume of projects this year across all 13 project types included in the survey. However, 55 percent listed worker shortages among the biggest concerns for them and their business, while 73 percent said they were having a hard time filling salaried or hourly craft jobs. Florida added the most construction jobs (22,300 jobs, 5.1 percent) during the past year. Other states adding a high
see VDOT page 48
see AGC page 90
Blackjack Paving ‘Doubles Down’ With Purchase…8
PER Inc. photo
The bridges, which carry eastbound and westbound traffic over the Maury River and Kerrs Creek in Rockbridge County, were designed in 1969 and built in 1976.
Ascendum Tailors Services for Its Customers…14
Virginia Bridge Project Extends Life by 50 Years By Brenda Ruggiero CEG CORRESPONDENT
Alex Lyon & Son Kicks Off Florida Auctions…96
Table of Contents............ 4
USDOT: Backlog Reaches $926B
Paving Section........ 32-44 Parts Section............ 45-46 Excavators & Attachments Section...................... 55-88 Auction Section...... 94-99 Business Calendar........ 97 Advertisers Index........ 102
The U.S. Department of Transportation in a new “conditions and performance” report estimates that the backlog of needed highway and transit infrastructure projects has reached $926 billion.
The U.S. Department of Transportation in a new “conditions and performance” report estimates that the backlog of needed highway and transit infrastructure projects has reached $926 billion, and that many billions more will be needed in the next 20 years to keep up with demand. The congressionally mandated biennial report “identifies an $836 billion backlog of unmet capital investment needs for highways and bridges,” the USDOT said, and $90 billion more for transit
systems. The Trump administration has described a plan to generate an estimated $1 trillion in overall infrastructure investment over the next decade, much of it by incentivizing much more private spending on projects. However, that total was for varied types of infrastructure and the USDOT report indicates that the backlog for highway and transit projects see USDOT page 90