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May 1, 2016 • Vol. IX • No. 9 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910
Inside
Alaska Spends $43M to Upgrade Dalton Hwy. By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
Tulsa’ s G olden Dril ler Statue Turns 50. .. 10
AU Equipment Offers New Equipment Lines...24
The Dalton Highway Reconstruction project in northern Alaska has undergone several modifications as a result of weather-related conditions. Initially begun in 2015 with a $27 million construction contract awarded to The Dalton Highway Cruz Construction, the scope is considered vital of the project encompassed infrastructure for the reconstruction of the Dalton state. Highway from mi. post 401 to 414, with improvements that included raising the grade 7 ft. (2 m), replacing culverts and surfacing the gravel road. The project was soon extended south to mi. post 397 and the contract amount ADOT&PF photo increased to $43 million to cover the additional roadway Variables considered for breakup flooding risk include the amount and conas well as repairs due to flooding. figuration of ice in the Sag River; the snowpack; and spring temperatures see ALASKA page 18
Ritchie Bros. Hosts April Auction in Phoenix...52
Table of Contents ................4 Atachment Section ......11-14 Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................25-27 Recycling Section ........33-42 Auction Section ..........46-55 Business Calendar ............47 Advertisers Index ..............54
ADOT&PF photo
and the rate of thaw they initiate.
Groups Urge Congress to Gov. Fallin OKs Address Worker Shortage Completion of Cultural Center Leading construction industry organizations are calling on Congress to make career technical education (CTE) a top policy priority. In a letter to lawmakers coordinated by Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) and delivered on April 18, 23 national associations urged members of the House and Senate to swiftly reauthorize and improve programs designed to help train technical workers. The groups praised Congress for recently passing transportation and tax bills but said the difficulty recruiting workers threatened to undermine the economic benefits. “By restoring near-term certainty to federal transportation programs and tax policy through passage of the FAST and PATH Acts in late 2015, Congress has set the stage for growth in construction, manufacturing, and business purchasing,” the letter said. “However, as companies prepare to take
advantage of new opportunities, they are confronted with a new challenge: a shortage of skilled technical workers.” The letter from construction, contractor, supplier and labor organizations highlighted the stark findings of a recently-released study sponsored by the AED Foundation. That report, prepared by researchers at the College of William and Mary, found the equipment technician shortage is costing dealers approximately $2.4 billion per year in lost revenue and economic activity. Citing a lack of “hard skills” as the top reason technician positions are going unfilled, the study noted that vacancies at construction equipment dealerships remain open for longer than three times the national average. “The workforce challenges facing the construction equipment industry aren’t unique,” AED President & CEO Brian see CTE page 50
American Indian Cultural Center & Museum photo
Read the full story on page 30.
Cost overruns led to political disagreements and a shift in priorities that halted work on the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum, now an empty concrete-and-steel curiosity that looms over two interstate highways near downtown Oklahoma City.