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August 20, 2014 • Vol. XXVI • No. 17 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
Glover Ins talls Topcon System s in Machinery…8
Hydroelectric Dam Project to Improve Area Traffic By Eric Olson CEG CORRESPONDENT
Flagler Hosts Trade Review Event…14
A & B Dirt Mo vers at Work on I -40 …2 0
Table of Contents ............4 Truck & Trailer Section ...... ..................................37-41 Recycling Section ....45-59
One of the Tennessee River’s major hydroelectric dams in eastern Tennessee is under construction that is designed to greatly improve highway traffic in the area. The Fort Loudoun Dam is located on the river at Lenoir City, southwest of Knoxville. Built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) during World War II, the dam has provided continuous electricity and flood control on the Tennessee since its completion in 1943. The 4,190-ft. (1,277.1 m) long, 122-ft. (37.2 m) high dam created Fort Loudoun Lake, from which the dam gets its power. Water from the nearby Tellico Reservoir also helps operate the dam. One Bridge to Be Demolished U.S. Highway 321/Tennessee Route 73 currently carries vehicle traffic over the dam via the J. Carmichael Greer Bridge. However, U.S. 321/Tenn. 73 is only two lanes wide over the 50-year-old bridge, as well as the
TDOT photo
According to the Tennessee DOT, the fact that the Greer Bridge was only designed for two lanes of vehicle traffic was not the only reason that it is being dismantled.
approaches to it and two other bridges nearby. The rest of the highway for miles in each direction is made up of four lanes. Therefore, as part of the entire project, the Greer Bridge is slated to be demolished. The highway will be diverted just south of the dam and across a new four-lane bridge over the river about 2,000 ft. (609.6) downstream of the dam. According to the Tennessee DOT, the fact
that the Greer Bridge was only designed for two lanes of vehicle traffic was not the only reason that it is being dismantled. “From at least the 1990s, TVA has wanted to remove bridges from on top of its dams to provide easier and safer access for workers to perform maintenance to the dams,” said Mark Nagi, community relations officer of TDOT’s see DAM page 70
Construction Industry Adds 22,000 Jobs in July
New government data Aug. 1 ture and construction programs is lic investment still threatens to from a year earlier. Residential Attachment & Parts show the uneven nature of the con- one reason for the uneven recovery. keep too many workers idle.” construction employers added Section ......................65-69 struction industry’s recovery, as the “Construction employment and Construction employment 13,000 jobs in July and 115,600 sector added 22,000 jobs in July,
spending are both rising at a mod-
totaled 6 million in July, the highest
in June, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that uncertainty about federal funding for a range of infrastruc-
have been some setbacks,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “While prospects for private construction remain largely favorable, inadequate pub-
industry’s unemployment rate of 7.5 percent was the lowest July number in seven years, Simonson noted. The sector’s employment rose by 211,000, or 3.6 percent,
(5.3 percent) over 12 months. construction employment increased by 9,100 for the month and 95,700 (2.6 percent) since July 2013. Simonson attributed the weaker growth in nonresi-
Auction Section ........74-81 but suffered a pullback in spending erate year-over-year clip, but there total since May 2009, while the Nonresidential Business Calendar ........80 Advertisers Index ..........82
see JOBS page 62