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April 10 2022 Vol. XXIII • No. 8
“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
Minnich Announces Its Top-Performing Dealers...12
World of Asphalt, AGG1 Break Records at Show...27
Caterpillar Expands Cat Command to D3 Line...60
Table of Contents .......4 Paving Section......27-39 Business Calendar......67 Auction Section....67-69 Advertisers Index .....70
Archer Western, Sundt Will Deliver $612M Austin Highway Job Great Hills Constructors (GHC), a joint-venture consisting of Archer Western Construction LLC and Sundt Construction, will begin construction on the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s (Mobility Authority) $612 million 183 North Mobility Project in April. The goals of the project are to improve mobility, reduce congestion and provide more reliable travel times for transit and emergency responders along U.S. 183 between State Highway 45 North and Loop 1 (MoPac) in the greater Austin area. GHC was designated as the Apparent Best-Value Proposer to design and construct the project and was awarded the contract on Feb. 8, 2021. The Mobility Authority, an independent government agency created in 2002 to improve the transportation system in Central Texas, developed the 183 North Mobility Project in partnership with a number of other agencies including the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Williamson and Travis counties, the city of Austin and Capital Metro, the region’s transit agency. The project includes construction of two express lanes in each direction and the completion of a general-purpose lane to bring the number of nontolled lanes to four in each direction. Express lane direct connectors will be constructed to the MoPac Express Lane to the south. It also deals with operational improvements to southbound MoPac, new shared use path connections, new sidewalks and cross-street connections for bicycles/pedestrians. “Construction along this nine-mile stretch of U.S. 183 is expected to By Irwin Rapoport
CEG CORRESPONDENT
In Out of the Rain Signing the $1.5 trillion 2022 omnibus spending bill into law in midMarch, President Joe Biden released the full benefits of last fall’s bipartisan infrastructure and jobs act. Not only does highway work move forward with the spending bill’s signing, but energy, maritime, transit, water and airport construction projects launch as well. Praised by the transportation construction industry for its broad infusion into the U.S. economy for years to come, IIJA couldn’t become real-
By Lucy Perry
CEG CORRESPONDENT
The project includes construction of two express lanes in each direction on SH 45 North to MoPac in northwest Austin and the completion of a general-purpose lane to bring the number of nontolled lanes to four in each direction.
last just over four years, with completion targeted in 2026,” said Mike Sexton, acting director of engineering of the Mobility Authority, who noted traffic congestion along the corridor as being a major issue, particularly during peak rush hour periods. “The construction will take place in phases and comes to the corridor at a crucial time of expansive regional growth. The corridor provides access to downtown Austin, as well as businesses, major employment centers, religious institutions, schools, parks see AUSTIN page 50
Omnibus Appropriations Act Covers Transportation Under Funding Umbrella
ity until the omnibus bill was signed. H.R. 2471, the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022” provides full-year funding through Sept. 30, 2022, for projects and activities of the federal government. Division N of the bill provides supplemental appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for Ukraine activities. “Remaining divisions provide authorizations and extensions on a wide variety of government programs and activities,” according to a statement from the White House announcing the president’s signing. see OMNIBUS page 24
