The Economy Rockets Up – Is a Slowdown Coming?

The answer to the headline above is … maybe. It’s like a rocket booster that fires off its launching pad and zooms up into space, but then starts to fall rapidly back to earth. I know, I know – Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have figured out how to land them back on earth safely, but for more than 60…

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AGG1 Hit It Out of the Park

AGG1 was held March 29-31 in Nashville, and the show hit it out of the park. More than 11,000 aggregates and asphalt-paving professionals filled the sold-out Music City Center exhibition floor. It was good to see everyone in person again. Congratulations to the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association for a great convention that preceded the show; and for its…

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FHWA Increases Funding for Safer, More Walkable Streets Program

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced new guidance and increased funding that can help state and local governments carry out projects that create safer, more walkable streets, including pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, Safe Routes to School programs, and other local community projects. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden nearly doubled funding for the Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside,…

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TRIP: Even With IILJ, Highways Still Underfunded

Despite the increase in transportation funding provided by the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in November 2021, the nation’s roads, bridges and transit systems remain significantly underfunded and will require increased investment for needed improvements and repairs.  Fees on highway users continue to be a critical source of funding for the preservation and improvement of…

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Benchmark 2022: An Exclusive Survey

Rock Products’ Annual Survey On The Opinions, Concerns And Buying Intentions Of Producers Reveals What Is On The Industry’s Collective Mind. By Mark S. Kuhar and Josephine Patterson The year 2021 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The changes wrought by both of those are certain to dominate the…

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​​Freight Bottlenecks Slowing Shipments

By Mark S. Kuhar As vehicle travel returns to pre-pandemic levels and federal transportation funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) begins to reach states, it will be critical that states make additional investments to improve the efficiency and condition of the nation’s freight network to minimize supply chain disruptions, according to a new report released by TRIP,…

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2022 Outlook & Forecast

Rebuilding America Starts With Rock.  By Mark S. Kuhar and Josephine Patterson As 2021 becomes 2022, the aggregates industry is looking forward with great optimism. The passage of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) – a once-in-a-generation bipartisan infrastructure bill – will do that. While the IIJA no doubt signals a vibrant future for the industry there…

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The End of the Beginning

The year 2021 was truly a momentous one. The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was a long-time coming, but it means we are going to see long-overdue improvements to the nation’s roads and bridges, and that is going to require a lot of aggregate. As we enter 2022, producers do so with high anticipation. However, the…

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The IIJA Is An Historic Achievement

Fire up the plant and start putting product on the ground. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), passed Nov. 5, is the most important piece of transportation legislation since the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. Yes, it is big and that consequential. Michele Stanley, the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association’s (NSSGA) vice president of government and regulatory…

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