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May 24, 2017 • Vol. XXX • No. 11 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Sennebogen to Increase Operational Capacity…8
APWA Florida Chapter Hosts Show, Expo…12
The operator of this 800-ton Demag AC700 crane sets a beam on northbound I-85. The crane was rented from Southway Crane & Rigging.
Fire-Damaged I-85 Opens Ahead of Schedule To the long-suffering commuters of Atlanta, the crews working to replace a damaged section of I-85 in just two months must seem like superheroes. On March 30, a roaring blaze broke out during rush hour under an overpass of northbound I-85 at Piedmont Road, resulting in the collapse of the bridge around 7 p.m. In addition, the southbound overpass also was damaged beyond By Eric Olson
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Ring Power Holds Law Enforcement Event…24
Table of Contents................ 4 Truck & Trailer Section........ ...................................... 42-45
repair. In all, about 350 ft. of highway in each direction needed complete replacement. Investigators believe a homeless man started the fire, which then grew hot enough to cause a failure of the integrity of the northbound overpass due to construction materials stored under the bridge. The collapse happened along one of the South’s vital transportation arteries and, in a city already notorious for its traffic problems, the
disaster has meant road detours and closures, constant gridlock and driver headaches. Within two hours of the collapse, though, Georgia DOT officials chose the professionals at C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. in Marietta to fix the highway and get vehicles moving up and down I-85 again. The firm has deep roots in the Peach State and is responsible for many of Georgia’s roads, see OVERPASS page 66
S.C. Legislature Overrides Road-Funding Bill Veto
Recycling Section........ 49-59 By Seanna Adcox
Attachment & Parts Section ...................................... 75-80 Auction Section............ 83-89 Business Calendar............ 84 Advertisers Index.............. 90
ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A bill raising taxes and fees to repair South Carolina’s crumbling highways became law May 10 over Gov. Henry McMaster’s veto after House leaders blasted the Republican governor as failing to provide leadership on the state’s
top priority. The override votes — 95-18 in the House and 32-12 in the Senate — culminated a three-year legislative effort, backed by business and trucking groups, to find a reliable revenue stream for repairing South Carolina’s unsafe roadways and bridges. House Speaker Jay Lucas said McMaster, who replaced Nikki
Haley as governor in January and is seeking his first full term in 2018, put the advice of campaign consultants over South Carolinians. “The governor has chosen to place politics over policy. That doesn’t solve problems,’’ said Lucas, R-Hartsville. McMaster spokesman Brian Symmes said the governor “simply doesn’t believe that raising taxes is
the best way to address government’s inefficiencies.’’ The law will raise the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon over six years, to 28.75 cents, though a provision allows South Carolina drivers who itemize their taxes to recoup their extra costs during the phase-in. The first two-cent increment, taking effect July 1, will be the first gas tax see VETO page 32