Published Nationally ®
Southeast Edition
April 22 2020
$3.00
Vol. XXXII • No. 9
“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
S.T. Wooten Off to Good Start on I-95 Widening From Raleigh to Fayetteville By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT
JCB Makes Ventilators to Combat Shor tage...18
OceanaGold Gold Mine Par tner s W ith Linder...34
Ma ck Tr ucks VP Makes Elit e List ... 56
Table of Contents ..............4 Recycling Section ................. ....................................39-49 Attachments Section ............ .....................................51-55 Truck & Trailer Section ....... ....................................56-58 Business Calendar ............62 Auction Section ................68 Advertisers Index ............70
The Feb. 9 closure of the Long Branch Road bridge (Exit 71) over Interstate 95, north of Fayetteville (Harnett County), marked the first stage of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) $404 million project to widen 18 miles of the interstate under a design-build contract awarded to S.T. Wooten Corporation last July. The existing two-lane bridge will be replaced with a taller and longer bridge that will have three lanes and wider paved shoulders. In addition, all four ramps will be realigned and elevated to match the higher bridge, and the ramps will be extended for drivers merging onto the highway. Service roads now connected to the ramps will be separated and tie directly to Long Branch Road to improve safety. “The changes will enhance the safety of the interchange and create room to double the highway’s travel lanes to eight,” said Andrew Barksdale, NCDOT public relations officer. “The new bridge and upgraded interchange will open in about one year. Initially after the bridge closes, I-95 drivers will continue to be allowed to take the Exit 71 and turn right, but not left. Eventually, all of the ramps will be closed, requiring people to detour to Exit 70 instead. “After a rebuilt Exit 71 is reopened, the Bud Hawkins Road bridge [Exit 70] will close for the same kind of reconstruction for about one year,” Barksdale added. “In preparation of closing the Exit 71 bridge, crews in January added temporary pavement and concrete barriers to maintain four lanes on I-95 for the duration of construction.”
S.T. Wooten crews are using 110ton Link Belt cranes; Cat and John Deere excavators; Cat D6Ns and D5Ks and John Deere 700s dozers; various Cat pavers and rollers.
see I-95 page 24
Construction Industry Steps Up During Crisis By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
As the world struggles to make sense of the devastating effects of the coronavirus, countless individuals in the construction industry are doing what they can to ease the burdens associated with COVID-19. “This has been unprecedented for us since, for builders, working with a beginning and an end is a huge part of our cultural DNA,” said
Jimmy Greene, CEO/president, Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) Greater Michigan chapter. “The biggest challenge, of course, is not the cure for COVID -19, since we aren’t medical, but keeping every employee safe and healthy and planning without a date to work toward. “We also are finding a number of opportunities to volunteer our services to first responders and we’re donating essential equipment to support them, as well. Almost all of our contractors
have donated masks and equipment to the medical centers in our area.” For Greene, providing hope has been key. “The rewards are that we’re able to test preparedness, and I would suggest even improve upon deliverables of service, working remotely and exploring more technologies that provide even more efficiency. We are working with every member company and their employees on making sure that they have every resource necsee HELPING page 20