ARTBA Members Hear From 10 State DOT Leaders at SASHTO Event

By Allison Klein, vice president of member services, ARTBA Funding discussions, workforce development challenges and safety culture were among the topics discussed at ARTBA’s Aug. 14 Engineering Issues breakfast at the Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) annual meeting in Norfolk, Va. Ten state department of transportation officials participated in the discussion ...

Posted: 8/17/2017
Category: Meetings

Major Transportation Projects Taking Shape in D.C. Area

By Mark Holan, editorial director, ARTBA Two major transportation projects involving four ARTBA members are getting started inside the Capital Beltway. Washington, D.C., announced the largest construction project in its history: replacing the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which opened in 1950 over the Anacostia River, with a parallel, six-lane structure. The existing bridge has four ...

Posted: 8/17/2017
Category: State Spotlight

Highway Fatalities Take Small Dip, But Remain High

By Mark Holan, editorial director, ARTBA U.S. motor vehicle deaths were 1 percent lower in the first six months of 2017 than the same period in 2016, according to estimates from the National Safety Council (NSC). Motor vehicle deaths over the past two years have been the highest since 1964, and it is too early ...

Posted: 8/17/2017
Category: Safety

Trump Orders Reduced Regulatory Delay for Transportation Projects

By Nick Goldstein, vice president of regulatory affairs & assistant general counsel, ARTBA President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to speed construction of transportation projects and other infrastructure work by reducing costly delays from environmental and permitting reviews. The Aug. 15 order was signed during a day of infrastructure-related meetings at Trump Tower ...

Posted: 8/17/2017
Category: Legislative & Regulatory

Solar Phenomenon to “Eclipse” Construction Work in Some States

By Eileen Houlihan, senior writer/editor, ARTBA At least 11 state transportation departments (DOTs) will limit or suspend construction activities due to the Aug. 21 total eclipse of the sun. Work will slow or come to a halt not only on the day of the eclipse, but also throughout the week as states brace for a ...

Posted: 8/10/2017
Category: Second Feature

ARTBA Urges Hours of Service Exemption for Transportation Construction Drivers

By Nick Goldstein, ARTBA vice president of regulatory affairs & assistant general counsel Federal hours of service regulations to address long-haul trucker fatigue should not apply to transportation construction drivers, whose road time is usually limited by project geography, ARTBA has told the U.S. Department of Transportation. Over-application of hours of service rules increases the ...

Posted: 8/10/2017
Category: Legislative & Regulatory

Increase in June Highway & Bridge Employment, Approaching Pre-Recession Levels

By Lital Shair Nada, market research associate, ARTBA Highway and bridge contractors added 16,000 workers to their payroll in June 2017 compared to June 2016, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. June 2017 highway and bridge contractor employment is up 4.5 percent from June 2016, but is still down ...

Posted: 8/4/2017
Category: Economics

Remind Congress of Need for Highway Trust Fund Revenue Solution

By Dave Bauer, senior vice president, government relations, ARTBA With members of Congress back home until Sept. 5, ARTBA members should take the opportunity to remind them about the importance of including a permanent Highway Trust Fund revenue solution in the tax reform efforts they are expected to continue after Labor Day. Invite your senators ...

Posted: 8/4/2017
Category: Legislative & Regulatory

ARTBA’s Law & Regulatory Forum Explored Industry Issues

By Mark Holan, editorial director, ARTBA ARTBA’s annual Transportation Construction Law & Regulatory Forum, Aug. 2-3, attracted more than three dozen industry professionals to the association’s new offices in Washington, D.C. ARTBA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bill Toohey also briefed the group about the latest efforts to fix the Highway Trust Fund, ...

Posted: 8/4/2017
Category: Meetings

ARTBA Regional Meetings & TransOvation® Workshop Coming This Fall

By Mark Holan, editorial director, ARTBA ARTBA’s four annual regional meetings will explore how innovative technology and demographic shifts are driving changes in the transportation design & construction industry. Each meeting will also offer localized transportation construction market intelligence and government affairs updates. The 7th Annual Dr. J. Don Brock “TransOvation® Workshop” is combined with ...

Posted: 8/4/2017
Category: Meetings