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July 26, 2014 • Vol. IX • No. 15 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910
Inside
Heartland Infrastructure Needs Update
Davis Motor Orders Terex Upgrade...8
The planning process to replace the bridges took five years, with the project definition approved in February 2009 and construction starting in March this year.
Pulverizer Ends Contractor’s Sear ch...20
WSDOT Replaces Aging Spans By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT
Work started in April on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) project to replace the aging eastbound and westbound bridges of the state Route 6 FA E Celebrat es 25t h Anniversary...31
Table of Contents ............4 Attachment & Parts Section ......................11-15
Rock Creek Bridges (just west of Pe Ell), a $14.5 million project being built by Kent, Wash.,based Scarsella Bros. Inc. The reconstruction, funded by a gasoline tax, is expected to be complete in fall 2015. The plan is to replace the existing 90-year-old bridges with wider,
more modern structures to help improve traffic flow on this key connection between Interstate 5 and coastal communities. The new bridges will be built to current seismic and flood standards, and with two lanes on span, improve the flow of trafsee BRIDGE page 30
Officials Report Construction Industry Adds 6,000 Positions June Construction employers added 6,000 workers
“Despite recent job growth, construction
level in six years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned, however, that recent employment gains could be undermined when the federal government begins scaling back transportation investments in August. “The construction industry continues to expand gradually and unevenly,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist.
Construction employment totaled 6.015 million in June, the highest total since June 2009 and an increase of 186,000 or 3.2 percent from a year earlier, Simonson noted. Residential construction employers added 6,600 jobs in June and 106,300 (4.9 percent) over 12 months. Nonresidential construction employment was unchanged since May, but up by 80,000 (2.2 percent) since June 2013.
Truck & Trailer Section ...... to payrolls in June as the industry’s unemploy- employment is still more than 1.7 million jobs or ..................................23-25 ment rate dropped to 8.2 percent, its lowest June 22 percent below its 2006 peak.” Recycling Section ....31-39 Auction Section ........43-49 Business Calendar ........47 Advertisers Index ..........50
see JOBS page 41
America’s rural heartland is home to nearly 50 million people, and its natural resources provide the energy, food and fiber that support the nation’s economy and way of life. But, a new report finds that the nation’s rural transportation system, which is critical to the nation’s booming agriculture, energy and tourism sectors, is in need of modernization to address deficient roads and bridges, high crash rates and inadequate connectivity and capacity. The report, “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,” was released July 10 by TRIP, a national non-profit transportation research group based in Washington, D.C. It defines Rural America as counties that lack an urban area of at least 50,000 in population or lack a large commuting flow to an urban county. The TRIP report finds that traffic crashes and fatalities on rural roads are disproportionately high, occurring at a rate nearly three times higher than all other roads. In 2012, non-interstate rural roads had a traffic fatality rate of 2.21 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles of travel, compared to a fatality rate on all other roads of 0.78 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles of travel. Rural traffic fatality rates remain stubbornly high, despite a substantial decrease in the number of overall fatalities. “More than 46 million Americans live in rural and less densely populated areas of the country where their primary mode of transportation is a personal vehicle,” said Kathleen Bower, AAA vice president, public affairs. “Motorists expect and deserve safe, well maintained roads and see TRIP page 48