April 4, 2024 – When the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore fell into the water, national media immediately branded the event a “collapse.” South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace wasted no time in trying to score political points off of the disaster, claiming that there are still old bridges and roads in the U.S. even after the passing of legislation…
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AASHTO Warns Congress on Potential Highway Funding Lapse
March 4, 2024 – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sent a letter to Congressional leaders on Feb. 26 requesting action to prevent a “potential lapse of critical highway funds” provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA at the end of the current fiscal year. AASHTO said the lapse risk is driven by the unprecedented growth of…
Read MoreDodge Construction Network Outlook 2024 Report Predicts Growth
After a year in which the economy and starts slowed considerably, the coming year should provide a transition to stronger growth for construction, according to the Dodge Construction Network’s (DCN) Outlook 2024 economic report. In 2024, total construction starts are expected to gain 7% to $1.2 trillion after growth slowed to just 1% in 2023 (and was down 2% after…
Read MoreInfrastructure Law Turns Two; Impact Felt Across America
States have committed federal funds to support more than 56,000 eligible transportation improvements in all 50 states during the last two years, spanning nearly every U.S. county, according to a review of the latest available federal data conducted by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law November 15, 2021. To…
Read MoreARTBA: 222,000 U.S. Bridges Need Repair
More than 222,000 U.S. bridges need major repair work or should be replaced, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) analysis of the recently released U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) 2023 National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database. That figure represents 36% of all U.S. structures. If placed end-to-end, these bridges would stretch over 6,100 miles and take…
Read MoreConstruction Materials Groups Embrace IIJA Buy America Clarification, Exclusions
Materials anchoring the supply chain behind Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)-funded building or nonbuilding construction projects have explicit exclusions to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-issued Build America, Buy America (BABA) sourcing requirements.
Read MoreNSSGA Applauds VMT Pilot Initiative
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) requires the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to establish a national pilot to “test the design, acceptance, implementation and financial sustainability” of a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) fee system. It requires the creation of a Federal System Funding Alternative Advisory Board that will provide an annual report to Congress and ultimately create…
Read MoreNSSGA Member Testifies on IIJA Implementation at House T&I Hearing
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) member Dwayne Boyd, president of the Midsouth Region, CRH Americas, served as a witness during the “Reviewing the Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” hearing, which was held by the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Highways and Transit Subcommittee. Boyd started out by thanking the Committee for their work in passing IIJA and…
Read MoreFeds Fund Transportation, Add Flexibility
Jan. 5, 2023 – The California Construction and Industrial Minerals Association (CalCIMA) reports that with the President’s signature on the recently passed Omnibus Spending bill, it ensures that funds for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will go to state and local governments this year. In addition, the legislation adds an amendment from Sens. Alex…
Read MoreThe Pulse
Announcing the New Rock Products/Allen-Villere Partners Construction Materials Report and AVP Pulse Index. By Pierre G. Villere This month marks the launch of The Pulse and the AVP Pulse Index, a joint effort between mergers and acquisition advisors Allen-Villere Partners, and Rock Products, the aggregates industry’s leading source for market analysis and technology solutions. The Pulse will appear quarterly in…
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