Chuck MacDonald
Chuck MacDonald is an editor, blogger and freelance feature writer whose writing adventures have taken him to 48 states and 10 countries. He has been the editor for magazines on pavement construction, chemicals, insurance and missions. Chuck enjoys bicycling, kayaking and reading. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. Chuck lives in Annapolis, Md. with his wife Kristen. They have seven grandchildren.
Turner Construction Leads $675M Concourse Project
Dulles Airport (IAD) sprawls across 13,000 acres in Loudon and Fairfax counties in northern Virginia. It ranks fifth in land use among American airports. Outside of New York City, Dulles handles the most international traffic in the region, including approximately 90 percent of the traffic in the D.C....
KCI, MoDOT Work to Improve I-55 Near St. Louis
Interstate 55 is the backbone of interstate travel in the Midwest. It roughly parallels the Mississippi River and connects New Orleans, Memphis and St. Louis before heading across the Illinois farmlands terminating in Chicago....
Protecting Delaware Memorial Bridge
Some people might find insurance boring. Others would find the lack of insurance protection negligent, especially when it comes to protecting an important transportation resource like the Delaware Memorial Bridge....
Chicago Asphalt Contractor Embraces Electric Vehicles
Nearly 100 years old, Gallagher Asphalt is a fourth generation, family-owned business with 225 employees. The Chicago-based company has four asphalt plants and numerous vehicles. Dan Gallagher, CEO of the company, recently participated in the industry group The Road Forward....
St. Louis Intelligence Facility Nears Completion
Large construction projects rely on teamwork for success. One such successful undertaking is bringing new life to a large intelligence agency located in St. Louis. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is spread out in several locations around the city, some of them more than 100 years old....
Crews to Replace Span in Augusta, Maine
When a bridge goes from tight to right, people notice. Especially when that bridge is in the state capital. The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) decided to begin this transformation of the Western Avenue bridge located on U.S....
Corps of Engineers, Agate Battle Erosion at Indian River Inlet
The Army Corps of Engineers has contracted Agate Construction to combat scour and a failing shoreline at the Indian River Inlet in Delaware. The Corps manages key water resources and infrastructure projects around the country, including work on rivers, dams, levees and bridges....
Project Designers Get Creative On I-81 in Virginia
When the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) began studying the numbers on I-81 in the Bristol area, the conclusion seemed obvious. With more than 50,000 vehicles traveling between exits 7 and 10, traffic was backing up....
Runway Rubblization Saves 5,600 Truck Trips
Replacing a worn-out runway at an airport used to be a tedious business. The concrete pavement would be broken and removed, then hauled off to a landfill or used as a base material in a new pavement. That's old school....
Philly Looks to Create Some CAP Space
Philadelphia's Center City is studded with some of the most iconic elements of American history, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where our nation's forefathers debated and then signed the Constitution....
New Beginning in South, Southwest Philly
Government officials and community leaders are excited by a once-in-a-generation project happening a short distance from Philadelphia's central core. Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) has reimagined what the future could look like in South and Southwest Philadelphia....
J.D. Eckman Leads U.S. 422 Project in Pennsylvania
Motorists traveling from Valley Forge to Reading, Pa., on U.S. 422 should notice a difference when a current project under way is completed. The $83 million project will completely replace 1.7 mi. of freeway that was built in the 1950s and two bridges between Evergreen Road at the Sanatoga interchange and Porter Road....
Buckley, PennDOT Restore I-95 to Usefulness in Philly
When disaster strikes, some walk away. Others step forward. The Pennsylvania construction industry stepped forward when disaster struck on June 11 last year. A tanker truck overturned on I-95 just north of downtown Philadelphia....
North Causeway Bridge Offers Innovation, Congestion Relief for Fort Pierce, Fla., Motorists
Built in 1963, the drawbridge in Fort Pierce, Fla., is structurally deficient. Vecellio & Grogan of Beckley, W.V., is building the new North Causeway Bridge, which incorporates innovations that will benefit pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and boaters....
Buffalo Looks to Improve, Protect Ralph Wilson Park
The confluence of the Niagara River and Lake Erie produces stunning views and great water access at the former La Salle Park in Buffalo, now named Ralph Wilson Park. Unfortunately, powerful storms in the past have lashed the waterfront causing damage and flooding....
Key Bridge Collapse Highlights Strains to Shipping, Construction
When the container ship Dali rammed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the 100,000-ton vessel sent the bridge and support structure crashing into the Patapsco River. The accident snarled a key part of Interstate 695, which carries traffic around Baltimore....
DelDOT, Wagman Look to Unclog Bottlenecks
In northern Delaware, I-95 and State Road 896 carry heavy traffic. The cloverleaves at this intersection are a bottleneck, slowing traffic and causing some safety concerns. Traffic planners at the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) decided to replace cloverleaves with flyovers and redesigned bridges....
Shilling Brings Safety to Rural Kansas Highway
For more than a decade, motorists in Kansas drove K-177 like a star running back on their beloved Kansas State Wildcats, weaving around obstacles to record a touchdown. The northern section of this 100-mi.-long state road leading into Manhattan, home to Kansas State University, had no shoulders so a car or truck carrying mammoth farm equipment could drift down an embankment if its wheels slipped off the highway....
Trenchless Technology Key Factor in Pipe Project
In an effort to combat the effects of a drought in the Southwest United States, the city of Phoenix deployed SSC Underground to provide a underground pipeline to supply a backup water supply from the Salt and Verde Rivers....
Hampton Roads Express Lanes Network Will Alleviate Congestion in Busy Southeastern Virginia
The cities of Hampton, Norfolk and Newport News in southeastern Virginia straddle interesting and, for motorists, challenging real estate. The region is home to some 1.8 million people and bristles with military bases, universities, companies, retail locations and homes....
Triton Construction Replacing Bridges in Harrisonburg, Virginia
In 1960, Harrisonburg, Va., was a small rural town where construction teams built four bridges to handle the expected traffic for the future at the intersection of Interstate 81 and U.S. 33. The future is now as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is working with lead contractor Triton Construction of St....
Crews Craft New D.C. 'Front Door'
Over the past decade, Fort Myer Construction has undertaken significant infrastructure projects that have enhanced Washington, D.C., in both aesthetic and practical ways. Fort Myer is reconstructing a 7.5-mi....
HITT Leads One Million Sq. Ft. Development in D.C.
The mantra for exceptional real estate has always been: "location, location, location." Developer Redbrick LMD has captured that spirit by building an almost 1 million-sq.-ft. apartment building with 757 units....
NCDOT's U.S. 70 Upgrade to Enhance Travel for Businesses, Military, Residents
U.S. 70 in North Carolina is growing up; it is destined to become Interstate 42 in the next few years. Becoming a grown-up means added responsibility. This is true for roads just as it is for individuals....
Aetna Bridge Leads Goldstar Bridge Rehabilitation Job
Built in the 1940s, the northbound span of the Goldstar Memorial Bridge continues carrying five lanes of I-95 traffic safely across the Thames River from New London to Groton in Connecticut. Although inspectors have declared the bridge to be safe, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has decided to keep it safe well into the future by commissioning a project to strengthen the northbound bridge....
Crews Easing Congestion On Maryland's I-270
Maryland's I-270 travels through the busy communities of Frederick, Germantown, Gaithersburg and Rockville to the D.C. metropolitan area. This corridor occupies two lanes in each direction before expanding to seven lanes as it nears I-495, the beltway that circles Washington, D.C....
Granite Expanding, Upgrading Tucson Airport
As youngsters mature through the teenage years into adulthood, they pass slowly through many changes and growing pains. Over the last five years, Tucson Airport (TUS) has navigated some similar growing pains, but Granite Construction has helped ease some of those pains with numerous upgrades....
ST Wooten, NCDOT Wrapping Up Project to Double Capacity On I-95
S.T. Wooten is finishing up a multi-year construction project to double the traffic capacity on I-95 in North Carolina. This massive project covers 18.2 mi. and is now 82 percent complete. Final details will stretch into 2025, but by then motorists will already be enjoying two additional lanes in each direction on this highway, providing less congestion and greater safety....
Drones Aid Shirley Contracting, VDOT On Route 29 Project
Motorists on Route 29 in northern Virginia face both challenges and inconveniences when traveling this busy four-lane highway. Interstate 66 lies less than one mile to the north, carrying people in a hurry to get to Fairfax County or Washington, D.C....
Fort Myer Construction Leads Design-Build Job On D.C.-Area Roadway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway has been called the gateway to the nation's capital. The road snakes along the edge of northern Virginia, mirroring the path of the nearby Potomac River. If there is such a thing as the classic Sunday afternoon drive for busy residents of the region, this is it....
Northeast Philadelphia Airport Gets Rebuilt Taxiway
Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) lies 24 mi. from its big brother, Philadelphia International Airport, south of the city. Passengers and cargo travel out of Philadelphia International, while PNE, a general aviation airport, serves clients for flight instruction and airline maintenance....
Nashville International Airport On Track to Complete $1.5B Upgrade
Travel industry experts and economists are saying that Americans are bursting out of the pandemic bubble and eager to travel. One airport has emerged from the bubble with a crescendo like a memorable guitar riff from its famous country musicians....
Shirley Contracting, VDOT Engineer Route 7 Improvements
People living in McLean, Va., and nearby communities are in an enviable situation. These upscale neighborhoods contain million-dollar homes, thriving job centers and the blue-ribbon schools of Fairfax County....
MoDOT Bundles I-55 Bridge Projects in St. Louis, Missouri
Drivers who use I-55 in Missouri can travel from the southeast corner of the state, the "boot heel," drive parallel to the Mississippi River for about 200 miles eventually reaching a bustling section of St....
VIDEO: I-95 Reopens to Philly Phanfare
When a tanker truck explosion collapsed part of an I-95 bridge June 11 in Philadelphia, PennDOT sprang into action with an aggressive plan for the crucial roadway. In just two weeks, Penn DOT and contractors C....
Bergkamp Builds Highway Across Kansas Prairie
It looked like an easy job. The project called for a 15.5-mi. highway to be built across the flat Kansas prairie where no road had been before. No traffic to contend with. No hills to flatten. No web of utilities and fiber optics to relocate....
William J. Keller & Sons Preps Land for 'Once-in-a-Generation' Project in N.Y.
The Port of Albany, located in upstate New York, is an important transportation center 160 mi. west of Boston and 124 nautical mi. from New York City. Sitting astride the Hudson River, the port has 5,400 ft....
Yonkers Contracting to Perform Bridge Slide On I-95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95 continues to be one of the most important transportation corridors in the country, extending from south Florida to northern Maine. Transportation planners and contractors in Connecticut are shoring up a section of this vital roadway in Norwalk....
Right Attachments Helps Va.'s Medek Corp. 'Move Fast'
When Adam Medek plays pool, he isn't afraid of the 8-ball being in a precarious position. "I like to be aggressive. That's just the way I am."He brings that philosophy to business as well. Starting a tree business at 18, Medek grew it into Medek Corp., a business with $15 million of equipment, 28 employees and a 12,000-sq.-ft....
Repairing Saint George's Bridge
Everyone likes short cuts. It saves time. It saves fuel and it saves aggravation. Business leaders in the late 1700s envisioned such a short cut slicing through a narrow strip of land to build a waterway linking the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River....
Messer Construction Set to Deliver $100M Campus Facility
Sometimes the right place to put a building is where it is convenient. Even when it is inconvenient. Builders at the Miami University of Ohio campus planned a convenient location for the new Clinical Health Sciences and Wellness facility....
DOT, Balfour Beatty Work to Complete a Unique Bridge in North Carolina
North Carolina DOT and construction giant Balfour Beatty are working together to replace Harker's Island Bridges, both more than 50 years old, with a modern two- lane bridge. The older version, a swing bridge, has become increasingly difficult to repair with costs rising rapidly....
Bridge Construction in Coastal Maine Aids Motorists, Pedestrians, Cyclists
Accessibility is an important aspect of all travel, and that especially holds true for coastal Maine. Tourism in Maine is extremely important, accounting for approximately $4.9 billion to Maine's economy each year....
J.D. Eckman Leads U.S. 1 Project Near Philly
Philadelphia, America's sixth largest city, bristles with four-lane highways and busy thoroughfares carrying citizens, tourists and interstate travelers to their destinations. These busy roads connect the city and visitors to historic locations downtown and fans to sporting venues....
Contractors Deliver Relief in Phoenix With Tunnel Project
National and local news have been covering the water crisis in America's Southwest and its dependence on the dwindling resources from the Colorado River. Recent infrastructure projects in northwest Phoenix are helping to address that issue in this area of approximately 400,000 people....
Florida's Kings Highway Project Adds Capacity, Safety
For many years, trucks carrying produce and manufactured goods have been jostling for space with commuters and tourists traveling to Florida's Atlantic Coast on Kings Highway (SR 713). This busy road connects with I-95, the Florida Turnpike and A1A to convey people and goods to Ft....
Virginia DOT, Archer Western Lead Work Along Appalachian Foothills
Interstate 81 slashes 325 mi. across western Virginia along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. This major traffic corridor is used by local drivers, truckers and visitors to major public universities in the state like James Madison, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech....
North to South - Crews Finish One Section of $900M Job, Move to the Next
Residents of central Pennsylvania showed their enthusiasm for the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project (CSVT) by showing up in June to celebrate the opening of the northern section of the project....
FDOT to Improve Travel for Planes, Trains, Automobiles
A freeway upgrade in northeast Florida will make an impact on all manner of transportation, including the Port of Jacksonville, Jacksonville International Airport, railroad yards, commuters and tourists entering the state....
Lindy Paving Makes the Subgrade Using Unique Technique
Interstate 90 is the nation's northernmost coast-to-coast artery, moving goods and people from New York City to Chicago and beyond. One 9-mi. stretch of this important road in Erie County, Pa., had been battered into submission by the heavy traffic and was scheduled to be rebuilt....
Crews Find Link to Past During I-94 Widening Project in Michigan
I-94 is a northern route connecting two of America's largest cities — Chicago and Detroit. This interstate passes near Kalamazoo, a city of about 75,000, and connects with State Road 131, one of the major north-south expressways in the state....
McCarthy Drives Piles for Solar Farm
Solar power, like other renewable energy sources, is big news these days. But for it to be truly useful to the power grid, solar power needs to be more than panels on the rooftops of a few homes. Solar power needs to be harvested on a massive scale....
Rebuilt Runway at Indianapolis Airport Good for Passengers, Freight, Environment
Reconstruction of the runway at Indianapolis International Airport will help passengers, enhance freight operations and benefit the environment. The environment is not usually seen as a beneficiary of airport paving, but in this case, the airport has partnered with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the Walsh Group to achieve those ends....
Broadway Curve Project to Reshape Phoenix
Phoenix, America's fifth-largest city, is being transformed by the Broadway Curve project. The job will reduce traffic congestion and improve travel times during peak hours through the I-10 along the Broadway Curve, a stretch of I-10 between Baseline Road and 40th Street....
H3C Breaks Ground in New Orleans
Affordable housing can be an elusive target, especially in these times of rising prices for housing and rental property. It requires the right financing with the right partners in the right location. And the right construction company must be in place to make it all happen....
Sully-Miller Battles Tides to Build Promenade
If Los Angeles were a person, the Port of Los Angeles would be the biceps. Or maybe the quads. The Port does a lot of heavy lifting with huge cranes constantly in motion loading and unloading container ships....
J3 Company, BGE Inc. Overhaul Robert S. Light Boulevard
Buda, Texas, in Hays County, has doubled in population since 2020; it is on pace to continue to grow rapidly as are other communities near the explosive expansion in nearby Austin. Congestion is bound to get worse as the number of semis rolling through town increases and the delays at the railroad crossings get longer....
Excavation Near Virginia's U.S. 58 to Pave Way for Safer Traffic
U.S. 58 in southwestern Virginia carries traffic through picturesque scenery, like Jefferson National Forest and topping Lover's Leap Mountain. Although the scenery can be impressive, the curving two-lane roads with steep downhills can test motorists' patience and nerves and is problematic for truckers....
Pittsburgh International Airport Undergoes $1.4B Upgrade
Years ago, Pittsburgh was "steel city" and known for its smoky skylines from the residue of the furnaces that turned iron ore into the steel that built America's railroads and cities. Over the years the city has transformed itself into a gleaming downtown anchored by banking, technology and world-class universities....
McCarthy Keeps Water Flowing in Desert
Clean water is important for any city. But it is especially essential for desert communities like Glendale and Peoria in the Phoenix, Ariz., metro area. When it came time to update and expand the cities' aging water infrastructure, they turned to contractor McCarthy Building Companies and engineering firm Black & Veatch....
Bizzack Construction Leads Vital Corridor Q Work
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is partnering with Bizzack Construction and subcontractors to build an updated road system that will improve regional connectivity and generate economic development in relatively isolated areas....
Atkinson Moves Mountains On California Highway Project
Motorists understand that it can be aggravating — and even dangerous — being trapped behind a line of tractor trailers going in the same direction. Caltrans and crews from Atkinson Construction are removing some of the aggravation and adding safety to a stretch of State Route 46 in central California....
Rebuilt Runway Highlights Expansion at Cincinnati Airport
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) has seen a buzz of construction projects recently. The airport continues to make waves in the area with an annual economic impact of $6.8 billion....
Granite Tackles California Congestion Issue With $700M '101 in Motion' Project
For more than 20 years, the Southern California cities of Santa Barbara and Carpinteria have endured a daily slog of congestion that spills over into these charming beach communities. U.S. 101 carries three lanes of traffic in each direction out of Los Angeles to all points northward....
Granite's Coastal Projects Help Prevent Disasters
Granite Construction is finishing two unusual projects this summer that showcase its engineering and construction chops. Both projects will provide safer access to locals as they access California's most prized possession — beaches....
Branch Civil-Flatiron Leads Challenging Reversible HOT Lanes Extension Project
Over the past 10 years, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has presided over a congestion-relief strategy of building networks of high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that double as free high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes....
Colorado River Constructors Rebuild U.S. 290 in $674M Job
According to the U.S. Census estimates, Austin showed one of the largest population gains of any metro area in the United States. The city grew by more than 53,000 people in a single year, representing the fourth largest increase in the country....
S.T. Wooten Makes Progress On I-95 Project
A map of the United States reveals that I-95 snakes its way from northern Maine all the way to southern Florida. This interstate is the major link between most of the cities on the eastern seaboard. With a length of nearly 2,000 mi., I-95 is the longest north-south interstate in the country....
Billion-Dollar Upgrades Press On at George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Construction teams are making significant progress on the $1.3 billion upgrades to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston. The IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program (ITRP) is the largest capital development program that the city has invested in the airport since it opened in 1969....
MDOT Rebuilds I-275 Near Detroit
I-275 is a major thoroughfare that skirts the western edge of Detroit and serves as a major north-south corridor for traffic flowing from Ohio to Metro Detroit and beyond. Several segments of the road are in their death throes....
McCarthy's Expansion of Port Houston Will Help Supply Chain Woes
Supply chain issues have been in the news these last two years like never before. Pictures of giant container ships getting stuck in the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, the Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere have appeared in the media....
Branch Civil Leads I-81 Project in Virginia
Framed by the Appalachian Mountains to the North and Smith Mountain Lake to the South, Roanoke draws visitors to southwest Virginia, generating some $920 million each year in business revenue for the region....
McCarthy Building Companies Constructs $310M Upgrades at Phoenix Sky Harbor
An airport is often called the city's main street. No wonder, in most cases, it is the most visited place in the metro area. Phoenix Sky Harbor is no exception. In 2019, the airport welcomed some 46 million passengers, the results of more than 438,000 takeoffs and landings....
J. McLoughlin Engineering Co., Sema Complete Southern California Highway Project
The Public Policy Institute of California estimates that over the next 25 years, the population in Southern California will grow by 25 percent, while freight will rise approximately 75 percent. The massive increase in freight traffic is related to more deliveries at the ports in San Pedro and Long Beach....
Ames Completes Critical $134M Arizona Project
If you like fresh produce, you are going to love this Arizona road-building story. Approximately 370,000 trucks crossed the U.S. border at Nogales in 2021, carrying some $30 billion in goods, including much of the winter produce consumed in the United States....
McCarthy Leads Construction of $616M Facility in St. Louis
Washington University School of Medicine's neuroscience research building, expected to be one of the largest in the nation, is taking shape in St. Louis. McCarthy Building Companies is the lead contractor for the $616 million research center construction....
Philadelphia Airport Uses Unusual Material in Paving Operation
Several million bottles were destined for a landfill when they hit a stop sign. The new destination was a manufacturing site where the bottles were transformed into a unique aggregate for a paving project at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)....
Sully-Miller Gets Job Done On LAX Runway
Officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are sticklers for quality runways. They have to be. As one of the busiest airport in the world, the facility served more than 88 million passengers in 2019 with an average of 700 daily flights to 113 destinations in the U.S....
Construction Crews Give Atlanta Motor Speedway Necessary Upgrade
The Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) has hosted racing events of all types for more than 60 years. But it was time for a change. The racetrack was last paved in 1997, so track officials decided to get radical....
$100M Chicago Bridge Flyover Project Enhances Downtown
Poking a half mile into Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is one of Chicago's most popular destinations for both visitors and locals. Throughout its history, Navy Pier served as a Navy training center during World War II; welcomed a university and its students; and was a shipping terminal and a tourist hotspot....
Jilk Heavy Construction Razes Fire-Ravaged Bridge, Granite Builds New Key Crossing
In the aftermath of a natural disaster like California's Woolsey Fire, shell-shocked residents wonder how they can restart their lives. Often roads, bridges and infrastructure need to be rebuilt for that to happen....
Road Repairs Due to Hurricane Ida Damage Nearing Completion in Louisiana
Hurricane Ida roared ashore on Aug. 29, 2021, in southern Louisiana, barreling through houses and businesses, ripping out chunks of roadway from Louisiana Highway 1 and scattering them in the nearby marsh....
Graniterock, Caltrans Partner On Recycling Project
As Pacific Ocean waves crashed in the background under sunny skies, Graniterock crews of Watsonville, Calif., enjoyed a picturesque day of work as they labored on an asphalt recycling pilot project with Caltrans....
Granite, NV5 Crews Rebuild Belle Terrace
It's not often that creativity and construction get to show up in the same sentence, yet contractors, utilities and the city of Bakersfield, Calif., teamed up to use creativity and sweat to handle more than 80 modifications to the original plans and successfully complete the Belle Terrace Operational Improvements Project with no citations or claims....
SSC Underground, Coffman Specialties Take On Massive Boring Project
Cave Buttes Dam is an earthen flood control dam built on Cave Creek Wash in northern Phoenix, Ariz. The dam was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1980 with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County serving as the local sponsor....
Suburban Maryland Eyes Major Metro Makeover
For decades, the New Carrolton Metro station in suburban Maryland has been a key transportation hub. Commuters can catch Metro trains to Washington, D.C., and Virginia, the Amtrak to New York City and Boston and the Greyhound bus to points all over the United States....
Michigan Paving & Materials, MDOT Use Design-Build Approach for $210M I-69 Rebuild
The Michigan DOT had a solid plan for rebuilding I-69 in the southern part of the state. The plan called for four separate projects to be designed and constructed within eight years. It was a good plan until the department made the decision to utilize its innovative contracting department and the design-build procurement method....
Southway Rebuilding Historic Lexington Market in Downtown Baltimore
Many city dwellers are challenged with where to buy groceries locally or where to relax under a tree and read a book. For decades, the answer to that question for residents of West Baltimore has been Lexington Market....
Historic Project Results in New U.S. 35
Experienced drivers in the East know that the winding two-lane roads in West Virginia can be a scenic wonder. It's a must to drive some of these roads with the windows down, view the fall colors and listen to John Denver sing "Country Roads."But drivers who need to reach their destinations promptly know that some of these roads can be a teeth-grinding experience....
ATS Construction's 72-Hour Paving Sprint Rehabs Kentucky's Blue Grass Airport
Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., plays a key role in the economics of the state. Located near the capital, the airport services a city that is home to the state's flagship university and is a center for horse racing and horse breeding....
Construction Team Transforms Congested Freeway in Northern Virginia
Motorists navigating the bustling 495 beltway around Washington, D.C., know they are taking their chances when they exit onto I-66 that services the growing cities of northern Virginia. Bottlenecks and slowdowns are commonplace....
Granite Provides Infrastructure for Massive Energy Project
Motorists traveling east from Palm Springs and Indio, Calif., on I-10 into the desert have been frequently known to mutter, "There's a whole lot of nothing out here." That conversation is changing to "there's a whole lot of something going on out here."Granite Industrial, a subsidiary of California-based Granite Construction Inc....
DSB Construction, Geneva Rock Products Upgrade Roads in Midway
A bird's-eye view of the Cascade Scenic Drive and Cascade Springs Road near Midway, Utah, revealed scenic grandeur that drew thousands to view the changing colors and majestic vistas. For the drivers, however, the experience was less pleasant....
Granite Construction, Mahaffey Drilling Fix Railroad Issue in Encinitas
People living on or near North Vulcan Avenue in the Leucadia district of Encinitas had a problem. This beachfront community in north coastal San Diego County is home to Coast Highway 101 and Los Angeles to San Diego (LOSSAN) railroad tracks, which carry 37 passenger and freight trains per day....
Infrastructure Bill: Is it Enough? What Do We Really Need?
President Biden announced in April a $2 trillion plan to transform the economy with special emphasis on jobs, infrastructure and green energy. The transportation piece of the proposal would direct $621 billion to roads, bridges, public transportation, airports and electric vehicles....
Tunnel Paving Project Finishes in Record Time in Virginia
Virginia's Hampton Roads metro area consists of Newport News, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and surrounding areas, with a metro population of 1.6 million people. The region embraces significant water access to the Atlantic Ocean and straddles the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers....
Wiregrass Uses Spray Paver to Expedite Freeway Work
Have you ever wondered where the water goes when you are driving in the rain on the freeway? When driving on a similar rainy day on city streets and county roads, drivers often experience considerable splash, spray and sometimes hydroplaning....
Granite Makes Major Repairs on Interstate 5
A driver traveling north on I-5 from Seattle toward the Canadian border might note the variety of transportation arteries that surround this busy interstate. The heavy truck traffic rolling out of the Port of Seattle carries cargo out of container ships docked from around the world....
Concours Club in Miami Shows Importance of Speedway Paving
For many people, from teenagers to senior citizens, the idea of tromping the accelerator of a hot car and going as fast as possible is invigorating. Perhaps just going fast is not enough. Showing off your skills might be even better....
Speed Vital to Completion of Louisiana's French Branch Project
For years, the confluence of I-10, I-12 and I-59, the French Branch Bridge and West Pearl River Bridge has enabled drivers to get where they needed to go in the New Orleans metro area. Motorists and residents alike were wary about the announcement of extensive reconstruction coming on these essential roads....
Across the country, road builders confront tight deadlines for completing their projects. Often construction teams face the end of the paving season knowing that challenging weather lies ahead. This scenario was especially true for projects in two contrasting environments, one completed at the "North Pole" and the second in the California desert....
State-By-State Breakdown: Paving Industry Responds to COVID-19
It's business as usual in the paving industry — almost. Construction and infrastructure work, which includes paving, have been classified as essential services. Only two states, Pennsylvania and Washington, have put this work on hold....
Innovation, Speed Sets Standard in Paving Projects Across United States
During the last two weeks in August each year, the population of Williamsport, Pa., doubles as fans flock from across the country — many from outside the United States — to see the Little League World Series....
Recycled Pavement Find New Home in Highways, County Roads and City Streets
The future of asphalt pavements in America could be decided in the rolling hills of eastern Alabama at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT). There, on a closed 1.7-mile track, five heavily laden semi-trucks rumble around the road to simulate the stresses placed on today's interstate highways....
Rubblization Gives New Life to Dying Roads Nationwide
Industry outsiders might think that a man breaking up a concrete pavement with a sledgehammer is destroying public property; however, if industry insiders were to see this act or a machine rhythmically crashing huge hammers onto a roadway, they would instantly recognize this process as rubblization....
Keeping Work Zones Safe in the Tech Age
Drivers need to see the work zone not as just another delay in their workday or as a slowdown on their trip to a favorite vacation spot, but as an alarm bell alerting them to be cautious. Almost always work zone activities have been carefully organized, but drivers are often not as cautious....
City's Growth Spurs Creation of Atlanta's First Dedicated DOT
Experts predict that Atlanta's population of almost 500,000 will more than double in the coming decades, with the metropolitan area adding 2.5 million people by 2040. This increase is similar to moving the entire city of Charlotte, N.C., into the metro borders....
South Carolina's Booming Paving Industry Creates 1,000 New Jobs
A partnership is a great concept, and when it works it's almost magic. That magic is happening right now in the South Carolina asphalt pavement industry. Like many states, South Carolina faces crumbling infrastructure due to years of neglect....
ATS Construction Takes on Asphalt Work in Lexington
There comes a time when you just have to give up on a road. That was the case for the concrete freeway where I-64 and I-75 split north of Lexington, Ky. Numerous patches and diamond grinds had been unsuccessful....
Porous Asphalt Lots Solving Problems in Pa., Iowa
Parking lot owners often face the problem of needing to squeeze as many cars as possible into a limited area. Porous asphalt lots are providing solutions by maximizing parking through eliminating the need for detention basins....
Portland Praises Porous Asphalt Lot
The Port of Portland in Portland, Ore., had a problem with a 45-acre (18.2 ha) gravel-covered lot. Located next to the Columbia River, the lot was used as an offloading site for cars manufactured in Asia that were waiting to be shipped throughout the United States....
