Sixty-eight percent of the nation’s highway contractors had motor vehicles crash into their construction work zones during the past year, according to the results of a new highway work zone study conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America.  Association officials added that the study found those work zone crashes are more likely to kill construction workers than they are to kill vehicle operators or passengers.

Despite the lack of authorizing legislation, nevertheless the Senate Appropriations Committee today approved funding for transportation programs for FY 2013 which begins October 1, 2012.

By a vote of 293-127, the House approved HR 4348, a 90 day extension of the surface transportation programs through Sept. 30, 2012. The legislation will act as a vehicle to conference with the Senate on a longer term transportation reauthorization bill. H.R. 4348 was amended on the House floor to include the environmental streamlining provisions from H.R. 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, the five year comprehensive transportation reauthorization bill that was reported from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee earlier this year but was lacking sufficient support for passage on its own.

Following the 2012 AGC Federal Contractors Conference, the next opportunity to tell Congress to “Make Transportation Job #1” is at the Transportation Construction Coalition’s 2012 Legislative fly-In.  As is apparent from the inability of Congress to complete action on longer term transportation reauthorization legislation, the transportation construction industry must continue to make the case that the time to act is now.

AGC Senior Vice President Paul Diederich presented AGC testimony today at a hearing held by the Senate Budget Committee concerning the impact short-term extensions of the transportation authorization have on the highway construction industry and infrastructure investment.

Last week President Obama signed into a law a 90 day extension of the federal surface transportation programs.  As reported last week (link to last weeks CLWIR), Congress passed the 9 extension of SAFETEA-LU before leaving Washington for a two week recess. When the House and Senate return to session on April 16, there will be continued focus on passing a bill. 

AGC annually participates in the National Work Zone Awareness Week to highlight the dangers to construction workers and motorists from not obeying speed limits and not being alert in highway construction work zones. This year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week is scheduled for April 22-28, 2012, with the theme “Don’t Barrel Through Work Zones.” AGC will also participate in a National event in St. Louis, Missouri on April 23, 2012 to accentuate the message.

A half day Civil, Industrial, and Utilities VDC Forum will be held on April 24th in conjunction with the April 25-26 BIMForum in San Antonio, Texas. This session will feature implementations of BIM and VDC on Highway, Road, Bridge, Utility, Treatment Plants, and Power Distribution projects. These projects will show the potential of BIM and VDC to realize substantial financial and schedule savings. Presentations will focus on the use of BIM and VDC to enhance work flow, minimize schedules, increase safety, provide a better end product, and increase field productivity.

Facing expiration of the latest extension of transportation authorization on March 31, the House and Senate today passed a 90-day extension (the 9th) allowing for funding of the highway and transit programs and collection of the federal motor fuels taxes (the gas tax) to continue through the end of June. The bill will now go to the president who is expected to sign it before the current extension expires.

AGC teamed up with our transportation and construction industry allies in sponsoring the “Rally for Roads” which took place on March 20 on the National Mall. Local construction companies transported construction equipment and nearly five hundred industry representatives, including workers in hard hats, provided the backdrop for the rally to draw attention to the economic importance of enacting a multiyear transportation reauthorization bill.