Tag: SAFETEA-LU: Page 17

Construction Equipment

House OKs three-month extension of SAFETEA-LU

And it looks like the extensions have begun…but at least we won’t be running on empty Sept. 30. The House on Sept. 23 passed a three-month extension to the surface transportation bill SAFETEA-LU, which is set to expire on Sept. 30. Its predecessor, TEA-21, endured extensions during a nearly two-year period. The extension, H.R. 3617, […]

January 12, 2010

There are bigger concerns than one piece of legislation

In a recent phone call with Jeff Solsby, director of communications for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), I asked him about the proposed legislation by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Texas’ senior senator. She has introduced legislation that will allow states to opt out of the federal highway program. Rather than receiving […]

January 6, 2010

Better Roads 2010 Forecast Survey

Contractors and agencies show no signs of surrendering to economic pressures that in turn show little sign of easing their assault.

January 1, 2010

Obama signs defense bill which extends highway spending through February

Pres. Barack Obama signed the U.S. Department of Defense appropriations bill, which includes an extension of current surface transportation law (SAFETEA-LU) through February 28, 2010, according to a report from the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA). The U.S. Senate approved the House-passed measure on Saturday by a vote of 88-10, according to the ACPA report. House […]

December 21, 2009

$450 billion omnibus spending bill passed; core highway program receives $41.07

Included in the $450 billion omnibus spending bill passed by the House on Dec. 10, a $67.9 billion Transportation-HUD spending bill lead the six-bill package. The House voted 221 to 202 in support of the bill, however, with the majority of Republicans opposing it, according to the Washington Watch report from the National Stone, Sand […]

December 16, 2009

Step away from the computer and pick up the phone TODAY

Just pick up the phone. You know you can do it. Step away from the computer and do things what has become “the old-fashioned way.” Use your voice and make it heard today as part of the Transportation Construction Coalition’s (TCC) phone blitz to Congress. The TCC has organized a nationwide call-in TODAY, Dec. 10, to […]

December 10, 2009

FHWA chief offers some thoughts: Tell a better story

By John Latta, Better Roads Editor-in-Chief, Onsite at the American Concrete Pavement Association annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Maybe Victor Mendez, head of the Federal Highway Administration, reads my column. Or maybe it’s his own idea. Either way, he is urging contractors and other industry stakeholders to do something I have been pushing for some time […]

December 3, 2009

TRIP report: One-fourth of Wyoming’s roads substandard, state has high traffic fatality rate

Nearly one quarter of Wyoming’s major roads are in poor condition, with pavement deterioration projected to worsen significantly in the coming years under current funding levels, according to a new report released today by TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based national transportation organization. In addition to substandard road conditions, 22 percent of the state’s bridges are deficient […]

December 3, 2009

And the bridges continue to crumble: Now Tennessee must perform emergency bridge repairs

And the crumbling bridges continue. I thought we finally learned something from the Minnesota I-35W bridge collapse two years ago. But since then, we’ve had the much-publicized closure of the Oakland Bridge and most recently the Bay Bridge. That’s two in California in less than a year. Now, the Tennessee Department of Transportation just announced […]

November 10, 2009

Better Bridges: Bridge Inventory 2009 State of Bridges

The Better Roads Bridge Inventory is an exclusive, award-winning annual survey that has been conducted since 1979. Bridge engineers from every state and Washington, D.C., are sent a survey with both qualitative and quantitative questions.

November 1, 2009

Congress passes continuing resolution, extends highway bill through Dec. 18

Congress has passed a continuing resolution (CR) through Dec. 18, and contained in the CR is an extension of the current highway bill to keep it running through that date, according to a special legislative update from the National Stone Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA). SAFETEA-LU expired on Sept. 30, and Congress passed an extension […]

October 30, 2009

Highway bill reauthorization delay has slowed projects, perpetuating bad road conditions in U.S.

Looks like we’re already seeing the effects of Congress’ failure to pass legislation reauthorizing SAFETEA-LU. States are reticient to put out jobs for bid because they don’t know when or whether they’ll have the funding. Oklahoma is one such state. On Monday, State Transportation Department Director Gary Ridley told the state’s Transportation Commission that fewer […]

October 8, 2009

Page 17 of 18