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August 27 2011 Vol. VII • No. 18
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside The CKC paving crew uses a Cat AP555E on the U.S. 191 portion of its paving operation.
By Katie Zemtseff
Bar None Holds Summer Sale in Sacramento...13
SEATTLE DAILY JOURNAL OF COMMERCE
Tom Growney Equipment Adds Product Manager...32
CKC Construction Tackles ADOT Design/Build Project By Jennifer Rupp CEG CORRESPONDENT
Sales Strong for Alex Lyon & Son Dallas Auct ion...44
Table of Contents ..............4
Seattle Tunnel Will Go Under 158 Buildings
As the design/build method grows in popularity around the country, many state departments of transportation (like ADOT) are turning to this process for roadway projects. The Safford ADOT District in Southern Arizona decided to try it out on 4 mi. (6.4 km) of the U.S. 191 Corridor Project. This section, known as Segment 5, is part of a larger scope
of work to create a 35-mi. (56.3 km) corridor along US 191. The highway is a major thoroughfare for motorists with destinations like Tucson, Ariz., and New Mexico. It is also widely used for the Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX) mines in Safford and Morenci. U.S. 191 has an ADT of 2,500. In order to ensure safety and improve traffic flow, the Arizona Department of Transportation see ADOT page 8
SEATTLE (AP) Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP), the state’s contractor on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement, is preparing to build what will be the world’s largest deep bore tunnel, with an outside diameter of 56 ft. (17 m). But before construction can start, the team needs to get a record of decision from the Federal Highway Administration on the final environmental impact statement. STP is led by Dragados USA and Tutor Perini Corp. The contract is worth $1.4 billion, including incentives. Construction is scheduled to start in October, though actual tunneling won’t begin until mid-2013. This year, the team will relocate utilities and install geotechnical instruments. Early next year, it will begin more visible work such as open-cut excavations and closing streets. Chris Dixon, deputy project executive of STP, said he is excited about the project and confident it will succeed. He said the team must balance many needs but it is prepared for that. Dixon said the ends of the tunnel are the riskiest parts because they are more shallow and the soils are fragile. There are 158 buildings above or near
Off-Road Trucks Section18-22 Paving Section ...........33-40 Auction Section ..........44-51 Business Calendar............48 Advertisers Index ............50
see TUNNEL page 12
Prices for Construction Services Rise in July The amount contractors pay for construction materials and charge for completed projects both increased in July, as firms were finally able to charge more for work, according to an analysis of producer price index figures
released Aug. 17 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said, however, that it was too early to tell whether contractors will continue to be able to raise prices in the face of declining public sector invest-
ments in construction. “Contractors will have a hard time increasing, or even holding the line on bid levels if the federal government continues to cut investments in infrastructure and construction,” said Stephen E.
Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “That being said, anyone looking for a good deal for new construction should act now in case prices continue to increase.” see PRICES page 32