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December 23, 2015 • Vol. XXVII • No. 26 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
Columbia, S.C. …
DOT Revives Efforts to Build I-73
Sandy’s Adapts to Changing Times…8
As part of a $205 million overhaul of interstate 95, construction crews in Central Florida’s Volusia County are working on 13 mi. (20.9 km) of i-95 in each direction. The widening will add two new lanes to the inside of the existing i-95 between Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach, and will remake 20 bridges. “The department and the design-build team have come up with a scenario to minimize traffic shifts throughout the project using innovative ideas,” said Brad Bauknecht, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) project manager. “The design-build firm is providing a 10-foot paved outside shoulder along i-95 mainland during all phases of the project. This provides enough room for emergency vehicles to safely reach their destination without causing traffic disruptions.” Archer Western Contractors LLC is serving as the general contractor on the FDOT project, which got
COLUMBiA, S.C. (AP) Plans to build interstate 73 in South Carolina and provide the Grand Strand with its first interstate access are being revived by the state Department of Transportation. The State newspaper reported the state Transportation Commission approved a new plan Dec. 3 that officials hope will ease environmental concerns about building the interstate through the northeastern corner of the state. The plan preserves Gunter’s island in Horry County in exchange for wetlands destroyed building the highway. “This puts the road directly on the path to construction,’’ said Transportation Department commissioner Mike Wooten, who represents Horry and surrounding counties. The interstate has been discussed for years and is planned to eventually link South Carolina and Michigan. Some opposed to the construction of new state roads said money should go instead to repair and improve existing roads.
see FDOT page 80
see INTERSTATE page 30
FDOT photo
Clearing, grubbing and drainage improvements were necessary on the project, which required additional dirt being brought in to the site.
Dakota Shine — Snake Oil That Works…14
Work Continues on Portion of $205M Overhaul of I-95 By Cincy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Ritchie Bros. Conducts Multi-Million Dollar Sale…96
Table of Contents ................4 Paving Section ..............39-51 Mini & Compact Equipment Section ..........................55-77 Parts Section ................82-83 Business Calendar ............90 Auction Section..........94-101 Advertisers Index ............102
Obama Signs Infrastructure Spending Bill By Joan Lowy ASSOCiATED PRESS
WASHiNGTON (AP) A 5-year, $305-billion bill to address the nation’s aging and congested transportation systems was signed into law Dec. 4 by President Barack Obama, who said it will put Americans to work and provide states with the federal help they need to commit to longterm projects.
The bill, which was overwhelmingly approved by Congress a day earlier, provides a modest increase to highway and transit spending but falls short of the $400 billion over six years administration officials said is necessary to keep traffic congestion from worsening. Nor does it resolve how to pay for transportation programs in the long term. Obama said he’ll continue to push for greater transportation spending to meet the nation’s
infrastructure needs and create jobs. “This bill is not perfect, but it is a commonsense compromise, and an important first step in the right direction,” Obama said in a statement. Despite that, the 1,300-page bill was hailed by lawmakers and the industry as a major accomplishment that will halt the cycle of lastminute, short-term fixes that have kept the federal Highway Trust Fund teetering on the edge see OBAMA page 32