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November 29, 2014 • Vol. IX • No. 24 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910
Inside
One of Seattle’s Busiest Arterials Sees Repairs By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
As one of Seattle’s busiest arterials, with an average daily traffic count of 30,000, Holman Road NW was showing noticeable signs of wear. “[It’s] is in need of maintenance repairs,” said Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) spokesperson Maribel Cruz. “There was a great need for maintenance on the roadway and as SDOT evaluated the scope of work through its Complete Streets program, it was determined that several additional improvements could be made to benefit all forms of
Kenworth T880 Heads to Capitol Wit h Tree...32
Fr igid Temps Fail to Deter Roller Bidders...62
As of early September, crews had completed major sidewalk repairs, new ramps, bus shelter improvements, landscaping and paving work on Holman Road NW between 7th Avenue NW and Greenwood Avenue N. During the project, temporary wheel stops were installed to provide safer passage for pedestrians and bicyclists along Mary Avenue NW and NW 92nd Street. This improvement will be in effect until a new sidewalk is built as part of a Safe Routes to School project in 2016.
More Than 2,500 B id at Ritchie Bros. Sale...64
Table of Contents ................4 Trailers Section ............19-29 Paving Section ............ 49-57 Auction Section ..........60-71 Business Calendar ............66 Advertisers Index ..............70
Construction Employers Add 12,000 Jobs in Oct. ’14 Construction employers added 12,000 jobs in October and the sector’s unemployment rate fell to 6.4 percent, the lowest rate for October since 2006, according to an analysis released Nov. 7 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the construction employment gains, along with rising wages and weekly hours, are consistent with survey results showing more firms having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to fill available
positions. Construction employment totaled 6 million in October, the highest total since May 2009, with a 12-month gain of 231,000 jobs or 3.9 percent, Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist, noted. Residential building and specialty trade contractors added a combined 8,000 employees since September and 130,600 (6.0 percent) over 12 months. Nonresidential contractors — building, see AGC page 66
transportation, not just drivers.” In order to provide drivers with a smoother, more efficient route, extend the life of the roadway and improve both accessibility and safety for pedestrians, SDOT will grind and repave 1.3 mi. (2.1 km) of Holman Road and make pedestrian safety improvements from Greenwood Ave. N. to NW 87th Street. Additional work includes sidewalk spot repairs, curb ramp installations, bus zone and bus shelter improvements and bridge expansion joint replacement. Bus stop improvements include lighting and new facilities. see SDOT page 38
U.S. Appeals Court Grants Rehearing in Texas CGL Case After the American Subcontractors Association and others in the construction industry argued that an appeals court opinion called into question whether subcontractors can depend on their commercial general liability insurance policies for coverage — coverage previously upheld by other courts — a U.S. appeals court on Oct. 29, 2014, withdrew its prior opinion and granted a rehearing, saying the contractual liability exclusion does not exclude coverage for property damage arising out of breach of a contractor’s duty to repair. In the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit’s Opinion on Rehearing in the case of Doug Crownover and Karen Crownover v. Mid-Continent Casualty Company, the court essentially equated it to the same type of liability for breach of the implied warranty of performance of the work in a good and workmanlike see ASA page 68