Published Nationally
Western Edition
$3.00
® February 9 2025 Vol. XXVI • No. 3
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
U.S. 101 Wildlife Crossing Nears Completion By Irwin Rapoport
After years of planning, C.A. Rasmussen Inc. has made significant progress on the construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing on U.S. Highway 101 in Los Angeles County. It’s a $90 million project that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is building, and various environmental organizations are financing. Caltrans awarded a contract to C.A. Rasmussen with money provided by sources including the Annenberg Foundation ($25 million), the California Wildlife Conservation Board ($25 million), the state of California ($20 million) and other grants and private donations. One of the main reasons for the initiative is to protect biodiversity, emphasizing the mountain lions/pumas that reside in the area. The life of a male mountain lion, P-22, who lived in the urban Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles, highlighted the need for the bridge to ensure that the local population would have access to the genetics of species on the opposite side of the highway. That population was essentially isolated by major highways. “Caltrans is pleased with the progress of this project,” Caltrans Public Information Officer Michael Comeaux said in late October. “Construction is substantially complete for the reinforced concrete strucCEG CORRESPONDENT
Stardust Power Begins On Lithium Refinery...8
World of Concrete Hosts Annual Event...10
AED Members Gather for Summit...12
Caltrans photo
see CROSSING page 32
The wildlife crossing will connect two biologically diverse areas divided by a highway.
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Steamrolled By BABA Rollback?
Aggregate & Recycling Section . . . . . . . . . . . . .19-24 Attachments & Parts Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35-37 Truck & Trailer Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45-47 Auction Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49-55 Business Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Federal Highway Administration Officially Eliminates Its Domestic Manufacturing Waiver On Federally Funded Projects In mid-January, FHWA published a final rule on the 1983 waiver of the regulation on the use of Americanmanufactured products on federal projects. The waiver limited application of the agency’s Buy America requirements to iron and steel. That allowed contractors on FHWA projects to seek other products from foreign sources. And that waiver flies in the face of former President Joe Biden’s goal to boost domestic manufacturing in transportation. By Lucy Perry
CEG CORRESPONDENT
see ROLLBACK page 38
Adobe stock photo
Former President Biden wanted to see the Buy America program match the Build America Buy America requirements.