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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” December 28, 2011 • Vol. XXIV • No. 21 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
Funds Set for 46 Transportation Projects in U.S.
Linder Hosts TopCon Demo in Lakeland...8
When completed, 36 mi. (60 km) of new four-lane interstate will extend I-49 North from I220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas state line. Divided into 11 segments (A to K), the project is estimated to be completed sometime in 2016 at a cost of $622 million. Referred to in Louisiana as the North-South Expressway, this new segment will be a divided, fully controlled access highway with a 4-ft. (1.2 m) inside shoulder and a 10-ft. (3 m) outside shoulder in Caddo Parish, La. It will end at the Arkansas state line at a point intended to align with the planned orientation of the highway north of the state line, as specified in the Final Environmental Impact Statement from Texarkana, Ark., to the Louisiana state line.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that 46 transportation projects in 33 states and Puerto Rico will receive a total of $511 million from the third round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s popular TIGER program. The announcement comes months ahead of schedule and will allow communities to move forward with critical, job-creating infrastructure projects including road and bridge improvements; transit upgrades; freight, port and rail expansions; and new options for bicyclists and pedestrians. The Department of Transportation (DOT) received 848 project applications from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., requesting a total of $14.29 billion, far exceeding the $511 million made available for grants under the TIGER III program. “The overwhelming demand for these grants clearly shows that communities across the country can’t afford to wait any longer for Congress to put Americans to work building the transportation projects that are critical to our economic future,” said LaHood. “That’s why we’ve taken action to get these grants out the door quickly, and that is why we will continue to ask Congress to make the targeted
see BRIDGE page 24
see PROJECTS page 30
Photo courtesy of James Construction Group
Bridge work on section E at Black Bayou.
Hyundai Opens New U.S. Headquarters in Ga. ...14
Three States to Feel Effect of Louisiana Corridor Project By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
TEC Hol ds Custo me r Appr eciat ion Ev ent.. .18
Table of Contents ................4 Underground Utility, Trenchers & Boxes Section .... ....................................35-37 Paving Section ..............33-45 Auction Section ............69-75 Parts Section ................52-54 Business Calendar ..............56 Advertisers Index ..............74
Charlotte Rescue Mission Gets Gift From AED By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
On Dec. 5, a chapter of the Association of Equipment Distributors (AED) located in the Carolinas presented a check for $3,000 to the Charlotte Rescue Mission. “It’s not just a check,” responded
Tony Marciano, executive director, explaining that the money would go to help women and their children create better lives. “Just as your business involves building a foundation so that you can build a structure on top of it, your generosity will allow us to build a foundation of long-term sobriety in a see GIFT page 30
Mickey Brandle (L), James River Equipment; and Ed Boyce, Charlotte Rescue Mission; stand in front of an artist’s rendering of the future campus to assist women in transition.