Your 5-minute Guide to Industry News & Trends
Your 5-minute Guide to Industry News & Trends
Vol. 2, No. 7 ● April 7, 2008
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Safety Issues Calendar
Economic Indicators
eRoadPro Index
West Virginia to increase highway engineers' salaries West Virginia's State Personnel Board has approved revisions to the Highway Engineer and Engineering Technician job series that will boost the starting pay for new employees in those job classifications and increase the salaries of existing engineers. Effective May 1, the new starting pay for entry level engineers will be increased from $35,736 to $38,594. The new starting pay for an entry-level engineering technician will be $18,118. The generation of employees hired in the early 1970s to meet interstate construction needs are now retiring, which - along with regular turnover - is creating a serious void in engineering resources. Full Story |
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I-35W bridge project in Minneapolis to pour first concrete in approach spans Crews working on the Interstate 35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge project will pour the first concrete for the cast-in-place superstructure of the bridge starting the first week in April, according to Mn/DOT officials. The concrete pours will take place in the approach spans on the south side of the river, where crews have been building falsework and concrete forms for the structures for the last few weeks. Full Story
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NRMCA develops model stormwater ordinance The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has developed a model stormwater ordinance that promotes the use of pervious pavement systems. Pervious pavement systems are a unique way of handling and treating stormwater on site. Although pervious pavements have been used in some areas for decades, recent interest in green building and recognition of pervious pavements by the U.S. EPA as a best management practice for stormwater has increased its use throughout North America. The ordinance aims to give local governments a starting point for developing a stormwater ordinance that includes pervious pavement systems. Full Story Sponsored by: |
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Missouri reports 78 percent of its major roads in good condition Three years of record road construction throughout Missouri have brought 78 percent of the state's major roads up to good condition, according to new figures released by the Missouri Department of Transportation. That's a sizable jump from three years ago when only 46 percent were in good condition. Major roads include the interstates and heavily traveled U.S. routes such as 63, 60 and 36. More than 100 million miles a day are driven on the 5,573 miles of major roads in Missouri. They carry 80 percent of all traffic, and 95 percent of Missourians live within 10 miles of one of these roads. Full Story
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Citizens’ advisory committees selected for Trans-Texas Corridor The Texas Transportation Commission has selected members to serve on two citizens’ Advisory Committees for the Trans-Texas Corridor. Each committee will advise the Texas Department of Transportation in the planning of two priority corridors. One committee will focus on Interstate 35 corridor and TTC-35, and the other committee will advise TxDOT on the proposed Interstate 69 corridor and I-69/TTC. Full Story |
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More than $400 billion available globally for road, bridge and transit projects State and local transportation officials could tap into over $400 billion in global funding to pay for highway, bridge and transit projects to supplement record levels of federal transportation funding, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters has announced. “We can unleash the greatest wave of transportation investment this country has ever seen,” said Secretary Peters. “We have the need, the technology and the resources to build dozens more projects like the Hoover Dam Bypass.” Full Story
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Projects for roads set to roll in Louisiana Louisiana's troubled roads and bridges are in line to get more than $1 billion in new state aid during the next five years as a result of the Legislature's most recent special session. The assistance includes $636 million by gradually reshuffling the state budget to boost transportation funding and nearly $400 million in onetime dollars from the state's $1.1 billion budget surplus. The new assistance was a key part of Gov. Bobby Jindal's agenda for his second special session, which ended on March 14. Lawmakers approved the plans by lopsided margins in just six days. The $1 billion authorized is on top of $600 million in onetime highway aid that won legislative approval last year. Full Story
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MassHighway launches roadway cleanup initiative The Massachusetts Highway Department has announced the launch of its annual trash removal initiative. MassHighway employees, local business groups, volunteers and inmate crews are gathering accumulated trash along major highways. Last year's efforts removed more than 141,000 bags of trash from Massachusetts roadways and saved more than $2.5 million in taxpayer money. Full Story
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$66.3 million in additional federal funds rescinded from Tennessee DOT Another $66.3 million in federal funds have been rescinded from the TDOT’s federal allocation of funds for the fiscal year 2008. The latest rescission brings the total of federal funds withdrawn since December 2005 to more than $237.7 million in Tennessee alone. “Nearly 50% of the department’s budget comes from the federal government, so a reduction in these revenues significantly impacts the resources available to TDOT,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “This loss of funds, coupled with the massive inflation in the cost of construction materials, further reduces our ability to address the transportation needs of the state.” Full Story
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Vermont governor calls for additional spring paving repairs Vermont governor Jim Douglas announced that the Vermont Agency of Transportation would develop a $3 million program to improve the condition of selected state and class one town highways that have incurred some of the worst damage caused by this year’s extreme winter. The program - which has been dubbed Operation Smooth Ride - will identify roads to which the agency can make simple, cost-effective repairs designed to last more than one season and provide a smooth traveling experience for several years to come. Full Story
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Minnesota's gasoline tax increased 2 cents a gallon The increase is the first of seven steps that will raise the gas tax by 8 1/2 cents by 2012. In February, the Legislature enacted the first gas tax increase in 20 years by overriding Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto. Full Story |
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Philadelphia I-95 tragedy averted; two impressive acts As yet one more wake-up call about the nation's crumbling infrastructure, the shutdown of I-95 in late March thankfully was about as jarring as hitting a good-size pothole. An observant structural engineer, PennDot contractor Peter Kim, spied the cracked column while on his lunch hour grabbing a sandwich in Port Richmond. Not only did Kim realize the viaduct had deteriorated from earlier inspections, but he had the presence of mind to alert PennDot officials immediately. In mounting repairs on a 24-hour basis so that the two-mile stretch of highway between Allegheny and Girard Avenues could be reopened in just three days, PennDot executed the second impressive act in this drama. Full Story
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Regional partnership works to control cogongrass The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has teamed up with a number of federal, state and local agencies to form a partnership to address the growing threat of cogongrass. The plant is rapidly spreading across the Southeast, reducing forest and pasture productivity, destroying wildlife habitat, impacting rights of ways and presenting an extreme fire hazard. Starting last summer, MDOT joined other agencies in spraying state right of way areas with a chemical mixture aimed at controlling cogongrass. Full Story
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NYSDOT completes blasting incident investigation The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) announced that rock blasting along the I-287 corridor would resume on Monday April 14, 2008 adhering to additional safety measures following an investigation of last October’s blasting incident that resulted in localized property damage. Following an extensive evaluation of the incident, NYSDOT has implemented new safety mandates, including limiting the length of drill holes, extent of the blasting and the use of modified drilling techniques in the setting of explosives to improve accuracy. Full Story
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Photos show warping in I-35W bridge's connector plates up to 4 years before deadly collapse Old photos of the Interstate 35W bridge show two steel connecting plates were visibly bent as early as 2003, four years before the span collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people. Two photos, part of a report issued in early March by the National Transportation Safety Board, reveal slight bends in gusset plates that hold beams together at two separate connecting points. The plates are in areas believed to be among the first points of failure when the span collapsed. Full Story
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Sand on roadways will pose danger for Wisconsin motorcyclists this spring Because of a shortage of salt in many areas of Wisconsin, snow removal crews used more sand than usual on roadways this winter to provide traction for vehicles. When the snow finally melts, however, this sand residue could make roadways slick for motorcyclists, warns Ron Thompson, manager of the Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety Program. Full Story |
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National Work Zone Awareness Week North American Snow Conference - American
Public Works Association National Highway Traffic Safety Conference -
Lifesavers Spring Convention & 20th Anniversary
Celebration - International Concrete Repair Institute 2008 Conference - National Association of
County Engineers CRSI Annual Convention - Concrete
Reinforcing Steel Institute 83rd Annual Meeting & Technical Sessions -
Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists |
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For our full events calendar, go to http://www.betterroads.com/calendar |
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Rising costs, uncertain demand squeeze nonresidential construction "Construction costs continued to outpace other inflation measures in February, while demand softened for some project types," says Ken Simonson, chief economist for The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Simonson was commenting on two new economic releases for February: producer price indexes (PPIs) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and housing permits from the Census Bureau. "The PPI for inputs to construction industries - materials used in all types of construction plus items consumed by contractors, such as diesel fuel - climbed 0.6 percent in February, compared to 0.2 percent for the PPI for finished goods and 0.3 percent for the consumer price index." Full Story Significant declines in construction and cement consumption expected for 2008 U.S. construction activity and cement consumption will experience significant declines this year, according to a recent Portland Cement Association Economic Research report. Portland cement consumption is expected to drop 10 percent in 2008, followed by an additional 3.6 percent in 2009. Total 2008 cement consumption is predicted to be 102.7 million metric tons. “High fuel prices, acceleration of home foreclosures and the impact of the sub-prime crisis on credit standards are some of the current conditions that lead us to believe the economy is already in a recession,” Edward Sullivan, PCA chief economist said. Full Story Construction Spending Total construction activity for February 2008 ($1,121.6 billion) was 0.3 percent below the revised January 2008 ($1,124.8 billion). For more details: 4/1/08 Quarterly Financial Report - Manufacturing, Mining and Trade Manufacturing corporations' seasonally adjusted after-tax profits averaged 7.7 cents per dollar of sales for the fourth quarter of 2007, up 2.3 (+/- 0.1) cents from the average of 5.4 cents for the third quarter of 2007. 3/31/08 New Home Sales Sales of new one-family houses in February 2008 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 590,000. This is 1.8% below the revised January 2008 figure of 601,000. 3/26/08 Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders New orders for manufactured durable goods in February decreased $3.6 billion or 1.7 percent to $210.6 billion. 3/26/08 Housing Starts/Building Permits Privately-owned housing starts in February 2008 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,065,000. This is 0.6 percent below the revised January 2008 estimate of 1,071,000. 3/18/08 Economy At A Glance: http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm
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April issue highlights
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Compiled by Larry Green, news editor, Better Roads. To contact Larry about the newsletter content, send e-mail to . Interested in being a sponsor of our newsletter? Contact your sales representative for more information. Click here for list of contacts.
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