Published Nationally
Southeast Edition
® March 4 2026 Vol. XXXVIII • No. 5
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
Growth Spurs Mississippi to Widen U.S. 49 Considered a critical hurricane evacuation route, U.S. 49 serves Mississippi Gulf Coast residents and accommodates countless visitors to the area each year. Because of increasing traffic, a $50 million construction project is under way to widen the highway from O’Neal Road to north of School Road in Harrison County, Miss. “Since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast 20 years ago, many coastal residents have relocated north of I-10,” said Anna Ehrgott, public information officer, Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) southern transportation district told Construction Equipment Guide. “The U.S. 49 corridor north of this interstate is a booming area of residential growth. Also, Harrison Central High School is located just off U.S. 49 at the northern end of the widening project.” The average daily traffic along this stretch of highway is approximately 25,000. Construction will expand the roadway from four to six lanes. The scope of work includes a continuous flow intersection (CFI) at State Route 53 and U.S. 49. “The CFI, or displaced left-turn Intersection, is being constructed at U.S. 49 and State Route 53,” said Ehrgott. “It represents one of the first intersections of its kind in the state. This is significant because it showcases our state’s willingness to implement innovative, modern infrastructure design to ease congestion and improve traffic flow.” By Cindy Riley
MDOT photo
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Yoder & Frey Conducts Its Four-Day Florida Equipment Auction...66
Bryan Holds Annual Global Equipment Dealers Auction...70
Ritchie Bros. Closes Out Florida Auctions With Strong Showing...72
$3.00
Approximately 300,000 cu. yds. of material have been removed/brought in.
see MDOT page 36
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Surety Market Enjoying the Sunshine
Attachments Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23-26
Bright Picture May Be Mirage Once IIJA Expires in September
Truck & Trailer Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27-30 Concrete News Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31-34 Aggregate & Recycling Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41-53 Auction Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65-73 Business Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Because of the infrastructure sector, the surety insurance market is achieving profit margins it hasn’t seen in 10 years. Experiencing “a golden era of profitability,” these insurers also can thank the fed for funding the transportation construction initiatives that are feeding steady demand for contractor and developer bonds. Though not without its challenges that could erode big gains, the surety market is looking good. “These stellar results reflect more than simple scaling,” notes the editorial team at Risk & Insurance of the report from global credit rating agency AM Best.
By Lucy Perry
CEG CORRESPONDENT
see SURETY page 62
Adobe Stock photo