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February 7, 2015 • Vol. IX • No. 3 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910
Inside
Texas Historic Rainbow Bridge Gets Facelift By Irwin Rapoport
Rainbow Bridge carried traffic in both directions. Today the bridge carries close to 27,000 cars and trucks with heavy loads on a daily basis. “We’re completely repainting the bridge and doing all the repairs that need to be made,” said Harriet Sarah Dupre, public relations office of the beaumont district of TXDOT. “It’s a very well-known bridge and a symbol of the area. It meant a lot when it was built and it was a huge accomplishment. Some people have said that has enough steel to build a battleship, so it is a huge bridge.
CEG CORRESPONDENT
ALLU Screener Crusher Braves Alaska...8
Doosan Excavat or Excels in Tight Spots...18
Power Motive Gets Up Close With Komatsu...30
Table of Contents ................4 Attachment & Parts Section ......................................12-16
The Rainbow Bridge, a cantilever structure that was built in 1938 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, is now undergoing a two-year re-painting via a $26.6 million contract awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to Wilmington, N.C.-based Saffo Contractors Inc. This two-lane bridge allows for state Highway 87 and state Highway 73 to connect Port Arthur in Jefferson County on the southwest bank of the Neches River with Bridge City in Orange County on the northeast bank. Until the construction of the two-lane Veterans Memorial Bridge (cablestayed) in 1990, the
see BRIDGE page 46
The Rainbow Bridge, a cantilever structure that was built in 1938 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, is now undergoing a two-year re-painting via a $26.6 million contract awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to Wilmington, N.C.-based Saffo Contractors Inc.
Industry Firms Add 48,000 Jobs Senate Passes Bill Approving In December Keystone XL Oil Pipeline By Dina Cappiello ASSOCIATED PRESS
Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................23-25 Recycling Section ........32-39 Auction Section ............43-49 Business Calendar ............44 Advertisers Index ..............50
WASHINGTON (AP) The Republicancontrolled Senate on Jan. 29 approved a bipartisan bill to construct the Keystone XL oil pipeline, defying a presidential veto threat and setting up the first of many battles with the White House over energy and the environment. The 62-36 vote advanced a top priority of the newly empowered GOP, and marked the first time the Senate passed a bill authorizing the pipeline, despite
numerous attempts to force President Barack Obama’s hand on the issue. Nine Democrats joined with 53 Republicans to back the measure. This bill “is an important accomplishment for the country,’’ said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “We are hoping the president upon reflection will agree to sign on to a bill that the State Department said could create up to 42,000 jobs and the State Department said creates little to no impact on the environment.’’ see PIPELINE page 48
Construction employers added 48,000 jobs in December and 290,000 for the year, the largest annual increase since 2005, as the sector’s unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said many firms are expanding payrolls to keep pace with growing construction demand, but are having a hard time finding qualified workers to fill key positions. “Construction firms are clearly ramping up their hiring to keep up with swelling demand for construction,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Demand for workers to construct apartments, pipelines and huge industrial projects is likely to remain robust in 2015.” see AGC page 44