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October 29, 2014 • Vol. XXVI • No. 22 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
I-10/I-110 Project to Sustain Economic Boom By Cindy Riley
Gulf Equipment Corp. photo
CEG CORRESPONDENT
N.C. Firm’s Love of Crushing Spans Generations…8
Good Hope at Work on I-22 in Jasper…12
D’Iberville, Miss., is getting a major boost due to the ongoing I-10/I-110 interchange modification project. The construction, currently 70 percent complete, includes the first split diamond interchange in Mississippi and the installation of the first soil nail wall in the state. “The City of D’Iberville has been experiencing an economic boom over the past few years with the addition of many retailers, restaurants and dealerships around the I-10/I-110 interchange,” said Michael Harter, Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) project engineer. “This area shows signs of continued economic growth and an increase in traffic on I10. The economically driven infrastructure project will increase safety and alleviate traffic congestion.” The work has been funded through MDOT. A total of $30 million comes from the Mississippi Development Authority, with $14 million from the Federal Highway Administration. “New access ramps will be built at multiple locations around the existing interchange on I-
D’Iberville, Miss., is getting a major boost, due to the ongoing I-10/I-110 interchange modification project.
see INTERCHANGE page 44
Cat Helps Move History in Oak Ridge, Tenn. …28
Industry Employers Add Clock Ticks Toward 16,000 Jobs in Sept. Yet Another Highway
Table of Contents ................4 Crawler Loaders, Dozers, Undercarriages & Parts Section ..........................45-54 Paving Section ..............56-67 Parts Section ......................68 Auction Section ............88-93 Business Calendar ............92 Advertisers Index ..............94
Construction employers added 16,000 jobs and the sector’s unemployment rate fell to 7 percent, the lowest rate for September in years, according to an analysis released Oct. 3 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the construction employment gains come as more firms report having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to fill available positions, citing the lack of local vocational training programs, especially at the secondary level. “While we are eager to see even more construction employment gains, there is no denying the fact that the industry has been in recovery mode for much of the past three years,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “But the industry won’t be able to keep filling positions if there aren’t enough qualified workers available to fill them.” see JOBS page 40
Trust Fund Crisis With Oct. 1 marking the beginning of fiscal year 2015, the 31-member organization Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) urged Congress to find a way to pay for, and pass, a new long-term surface transportation measure as soon as possible. They cautioned that failure to act would lead to another self-imposed funding crisis that would undermine vital road, highway and transit repairs. “We worked hard to build broad consensus within a deeply-divided Congress for investing in the nation’s aging roads, bridges and transit systems,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America and the Coalition’s co-chair. “Members of Congress can either take advantage of that momentum or see FUND page 40