JULY 2010 UPDATE:
 

[Scroll Down Past Headlines for Links]


AS ROAD WORK VOLUME
PLUNGES LOCALLY

AND ACROSS THE USA,
CHICAGO-AREA ROAD WORKERS
GO ON STRIKE!


GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION
LOBBIES
DENOUNCE
KERRY-LIEBERMAN

CLIMATE CHANGE BILL,
PROPOSED ADMINISTRATION
'LIVABILITY' RULES


IN SPITE OF ADMINISTRATION'S

'TRANSFORMATIVE' TRANSPORTATION
PHILOSOPHY, AASHTO MAKES
POWERFUL PITCH
FOR CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS

MAJOR POLICY SHIFT:

DOT SEC'Y LA HOOD
PROCLAIMS END OF FAVORING
MOTORIZED TRANSPORT
OVER NON-MOTORIZED

MID-MARCH BULLETIN:

HIGHWAY PROGRAM
EXTENDED THROUGH
END OF YEAR

THE BIG CHILL:

FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION
PROGRAM IN ABEYANCE
AS CONGRESS FAILS
TO EXTEND SAFETEA-LU

HOUSE JOBS BILL

INCLUDES $27.5 BILLION
BONUS FOR HIGHWAYS,
SAFETEA-LU EXTENSION
THROUGH SEPTEMBER

INDUSTRY MESSAGE

TO OBAMA AND CONGRESS:
TAKE ACTION NOW
ON SIX-YEAR HIGHWAY
AND TRANSIT BILL

THE AXE FALLS:

FEDERAL HIGHWAY PROGRAM
EXTENDED THROUGH OCT. 31,
BUT AT RATE THAT INCLUDES
$8.7 BILLION RECISSION OF FUNDS

OBERSTAR FIGHTS FOR THREE-MONTH
SAFETEA-LU EXTENSION, AS OPPOSED
TO 18 MONTHS FAVORED BY SENATE
AND OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

GIVE IT BACK! FHWA RESCINDS

$8.7 BILLION IN STATE
HIGHWAY FUNDS

SENATE, HOUSE

COMMITTEES AT ODDS
ON SAFETEA-LU
18-MONTH EXTENSION

HOUSE COMMITTEE RELEASES
NEAR-HALF TRILLION DOLLAR
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION
REAUTHORIZATION ACT

NATIONAL COMMISSION
RECOMMENDS
SCRAP
OF FUEL TAX IN FAVOR

OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED
TAX OVER 10 YEARS

LESS THAN 3.5 PERCENT

OF $789 BILLION HOUSE-SENATE
CONFERENCE STIMULUS BILL

IS DEVOTED TO HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES

IN BREAK WITH INDUSTRY AND
AASHTO, U.S. DOT REJECTS
MAIN FINDINGS
OF BLUE-RIBBON NATIONAL
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION
POLICY COMMITTEE

TOLLS, PRIVATE SECTOR MAY

BUILD HALF OF NEW EXPRESSWAYS
IN COMING DECADE

KUDOS FOR PAVEMENT
PRESERVATION PRESENTATION
TO MINNESOTA DOT


ASPHALT:

PERPETUAL PAVEMENTS,
NOVEL HMA MIXES
GIVE CONTRACTORS,
GOVERNMENTS
NEW OPTIONS

CONCRETE:
FHWA's MAJOR CONCRETE
INITIATIVE ONLY PART
OF DYNAMIC CHANGE

EXPRESSWAYSONLINE.COM'S
KUENNEN WRITES EXCLUSIVELY
FOR BETTER ROADS  IN 2010


Tom Kuennen's Expressways Online is dedicated to highway, road and bridge infrastructure construction techniques, materials, financing and politics. Expressways Online is your electronic newsletter for value-added information about surface transportation policy, Superpave, High-Performance Concrete, industry meetings and conferences, new technology, design, safety and much more. We update periodically. Bookmark this page, and reload often! 

 
LATE JULY UPDATE: STRIKE SETTLED

THREE-WEEK IMPASSE ENDS


AS ROAD WORK VOLUME PLUNGES LOCALLY AND ACROSS THE USA, CHICAGO-AREA ROAD WORKERS GO ON STRIKE!

CONSTRUCTION TRADES UNEMPLOYMENT AS HIGH AS 40 PERCENT IN CHICAGO REGION

FEARS ABOUT WORK LOAD LOOM AS STIMULUS MONEY WILL EVAPORATE IN 2011, WITH SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION STALLED

SOCIALIST PARTY: LABOR STRUGGLE A CHALLENGE TO CAPITALIST ASSAULT ON WORKERS"


GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION LOBBIES DENOUNCE KERRY-LIEBERMAN CLIMATE CHANGE BILL, PROPOSED 'LIVABILITY' REGS

AGC ATTACKS PILFERING OF TRANSPORTATION FUNDS, NEW REGULATORY OBSTACLES

ARTBA CONDEMNS DIVERSION OF TRANSPORTATION-DERIVED FEES

IN ADVANCE OF MAY D.C. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION LOBBYING FLY-IN, AASHTO JOINS IN CONSORTIUM POLITELY REQUESTING CHANGES IN BILL

ARTBA RAISES ISSUES WITH 'LIVABILITY' BILL THAT WOULD COMINGLE HIGHWAY, HOUSING FUNDS FOR HIGH-DENSITY PROJECTS


IN SPITE OF ADMINISTRATION'S 'TRANSFORMATIVE' TRANSPORTATION PHILOSOPHY, AASHTO MAKES POWERFUL PITCH FOR CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS

RELEASED IN LATE APRIL, AASHTO'S NEW 'UNLOCKING GRIDLOCK' REPORT STRESSES HIGHWAY CAPACITY INCREASES AHEAD OF MAY 2010 TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY FLY-IN


IN MAJOR POLICY SHIFT, BIKES NOW EQUAL TO AUTOS, DOT SEC'Y SAYS

LA HOOD SPEAKS TO BIKE CONFERECNE IN PORTLAND, DESCRIBES BIG POLICY CHANGE THAT LIKELY WILL APPEAR IN REAUTHORIZATION PROPOSAL


MID-MARCH BULLETIN:

HIGHWAY PROGRAM EXTENDED
THROUGH END OF YEAR


THE BIG CHILL!

FEDERAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM IN ABEYANCE AS CONGRESS FAILS TO EXTEND SAFETEA-LU


HIGHWAY TRUST FUND WILL NEED BAIL OUT IN 2010, AGC WARNS

EXISTING REVENUE STREAMS REMAIN INSUFFICIENT FOR DEMANDS PLACED ON HIGHWAY TRUST FUND


HOUSE JOBS BILL
INCLUDES $27.5 BILLION
BONUS FOR HIGHWAYS,
SAFETEA-LU EXTENSION
THROUGH SEPTEMBER

BILL ALSO STABILIZES
HIGHWAY TRUST FUND


INDUSTRY MESSAGE TO OBAMA AND CONGRESS: TAKE ACTION NOW ON SIX-YEAR HIGHWAY AND TRANSIT BILL

RADIO, INTERNET AND PRINT ADS ROLLED OUT FOR DEC. 3 WHITE HOUSE JOBS SUMMIT

PDF OF FULL-PAGE AD


OBERSTAR FIGHTS FOR THREE-MONTH SAFETEA-LU EXTENSION

BUT SENATE AND OBAMA ADMINISTRATION WANT 18-MONTH EXTENSION TO DEVELOP 'TRANSFORMATIONAL' [READ 'GREEN'] SURFACE TRANSPORTATION LEGISLATION


GIVE IT BACK!

FHWA RESCINDS $8.7 BILLION OF STATE HIGHWAY FUNDS, WAS OBLIGED BY LAW


SENATE, HOUSE COMMITTEES AT ODDS ON SAFETEA-LU 18-MONTH EXTENSION

SENATE, ADMINISTRATION WANT YEAR-AND-A-HALF EXTENSION PAST
SEPT. 30 EXPIRATION


IN MID-JUNE HOUSE COMMITTEE RELEASES SURFACE TRANSPORTATION
REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION

BUT OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS NOT SEEKING REAUTHORIZATION THIS YEAR


NATIONAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS SCRAP OF FUEL TAX IN FAVOR OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED TAX OVER 10 YEARS

COMMISSION ALSO RECOMMENDS SHORT-TERM 10 CENTS/GAL GAS TAX AND 15 CENTS/GAL  DIESEL TAX INCREASES, WITH NEW PUBLIC-PRIVATE  REVENUE STREAMS, EXPANDED TOLLING AND CONGESTION PRICING

NATIONAL COMMISSION REPORT, RELEASED ON JAN. 15, 2008

ARTICLE ON NATIONAL COMMISSION BY TOM KUENNEN IN BETTER ROADS MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2007


LESS THAN 3.5 PERCENT OF $789 BILLION HOUSE-SENATE CONFERENCE STIMULUS BILL IS DEVOTED TO HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES

$27.5 BILLION FOR HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES IS FINAL FIGURE AFTER STIMULUS BILLS ARE RECONCILED FEB. 12; BILL WAS AGGRESSIVELY PROMOTED AS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE LATE LAST YEAR


AASHTO: STATES HAVE 5,000 PROJECTS READY
TO GO ANTICIPATING INFRASTRUCTURE STIMULUS PACKAGE APPROVAL

NEW: LET STATES, NOT SPECIAL INTERESTS, DECIDE WHICH PROJECTS ARE FUNDED, AASHTO URGES

AASHTO DESCRIBES PROJECTS BY STATE

ASPHALT INDUSTRY MAINTAINS IT'S THE SUSTAINABLE CHOICE FOR PACKAGE



HIGH GAS PRICES, PLUNGE IN MILES DRIVEN, UNSOLVED FUNDING SHORTAGES, AND PROPOSED GREENHOUSE GAS LEGISLATION MAKE 'PERFECT STORM' FOR HIGHWAYS

UPDATE JUNE 6: FAILURE OF CAP-AND-TRADE GREENHOUSE GAS LEGISLATION DOES NOT GET INDUSTRY OFF THE HOOK


U.S. DOT REJECTS
MAIN FINDINGS
OF NATIONAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION POLICY AND REVENUE STUDY COMMITTEE

AASHTO SUPPORTS PANEL'S 'BOLD AND GROUNDBREAKING' IDEAS, REAFFIRMATION OF FEDERAL ROLE

AGC SECONDS NATIONAL COMMISSION REPORT FINDINGS, URGES CONGRESS TO CONSIDER PANEL'S RECOMMENDATION

NATIONAL COMMISSION REPORT, RELEASED ON JAN. 15, 2008

ARTICLE ON NATIONAL COMMISSION BY TOM KUENNEN IN BETTER ROADS MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2007



TOLLS, PRIVATE SECTOR
MAY BUILD HALF OF NEW
EXPRESSWAYS IN COMING DECADE

BUT PUBLIC BACKLASH MAY HAMPER SHIFT, AND SYSTEM NEEDS STILL WON'T BE MET, SAYS AASHTO'S HORSLEY AT ARTBA PUBLIC-PRIVATE VENTURES CONFERENCE

HORSLEY'S PPT PRESENTATION (PPT READER REQUIRED)


KUDOS FOR KUENNEN'S
PAVEMENT PRESERVATION
PRESENTATION TO
MINNESOTA DOT

"KUENNEN'S PRESENTATION AT THE 11TH ANNUAL MINNESOTA PAVEMENT CONFERENCE -- TITLED 'HOT BUTTON ISSUES IN PAVEMENT PRESERVATION' -- WAS LIKE A STATE-OF-THE UNION ADDRESS ON PAVEMENT PRESERVATION"


GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM!

LEGISLATION WAS SIGNED
BY EISENHOWER JUNE 29, 1956

AASHTO-SPONSORED CARAVAN RETRACES 1919 EISENHOWER TRIP -- IN REVERSE!

RESOURCE LINKS FOR GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY OF INTERSTATE

EXPRESSWAYSONLINE.COM'S
KUENNEN WROTE INTERSTATE 50
210-PAGE COMMEMORATIVE PUBLICATION


ASPHALT:
PERPETUAL PAVEMENTS,
NOVEL HMA MIXES
GIVE CONTRACTORS,
GOVERNMENTS
NEW OPTIONS

CLICK HERE
 

CONCRETE:
FHWA's MAJOR CONCRETE
INITIATIVE ONLY PART
OF DYNAMIC CHANGE

CLICK HERE
 

ROADS AND THE 
WAR ON TERRORISM

RALLY FOR ROADS!

The nation's roadbuilders and their allies are pondering how they will provide the roads and highways the nation will need to maintain its economy and help fight the new War on Terrorism. Now more than ever, we need to keep our highways and bridges secure, intact and in good working order.



CLIENT NEWS
AND PUBLICATIONS!


Better Roads Logo 

EXPRESSWAYSONLINE.COM'S TOM KUENNEN WRITES EXCLUSIVELY FOR BETTER ROADS MAGAZINE IN 2010!

Read the July 2010 ROAD SCIENCE on how Intelligent Transportation System implementation is unfolding this year

Read the June 2010 ROAD SCIENCE on in-plant foamed and warm mix asphalt technologies

Read the May 2010 ROAD SCIENCE on 'smart bridges' and bridge monitoring

Read the April 2010 ROAD SCIENCE on the new world of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA)

Read the March 2010 ROAD SCIENCE on the challenges to the secondary road system

Read the February 2010 ROAD SCIENCE article from expresswaysonline.com on bridge deck corrosion

Read the January 2010 ROAD SCIENCE article from expresswaysonline.com on hot mix asphalt thin-lift overlays

Read the September 2009 ROAD SCIENCE article from expresswaysonline.com on low-carbon footprint road building

Read the August 2009 ROAD SCIENCE TUTORIAL article from expresswaysonline.com on cracking in pavements

Read the June 2009 ROAD SCIENCE TUTORIAL article from expresswaysonline.com on current themes in Life-Cycle Costing of pavements

Read the April 2009 ROAD SCIENCE article from expresswaysonline.com on new research presented at the January 2009 Transportation Research Board meeting

Read the March 2009 ROAD SCIENCE article from expresswaysonline.com on Pavement Preservation

Read the February 2009 ROAD SCIENCE article from expresswaysOnline.com on the battle for accountability in the federal surface transportation program reauthorization due September 2009

Read the January 2009 ROAD SCIENCE article from expresswaysonline.com on Unpaved Road Management

Read the October 2008 ROAD SCIENCE article from expresswaysonline.com on Bridge Life Extension




Wirtgen Group Logo

READ THE FALL/WINTER 2009
WIRTGEN TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

A 10 mb pdf file . . written and photographed by Expressways Online, for Wirtgen America, Inc., ( Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

READ THE SPRING/SUMMER 2009
WIRTGEN TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

READ THE FALL/WINTER 2008
WIRTGEN TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

READ THE SPRING/SUMMER 2008  WIRTGEN TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

READ THE FALL/WINTER 2007
WIRTGEN TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE



FP2 Logo


NEW: READ THE SUMMER 2010 ISSUE OF PAVEMENT PESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE SPRING 2010 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE WINTER 2009 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE FALL 2009  PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE  SUMMER  2009 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE SPRING 2009 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE WINTER 2008 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE FALL 2008 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE SUMMER 2008 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

READ THE SPRING 2008 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION JOURNAL

. . . the new quarterly publication edited by Expressways Online, for the Foundation for Pavement Preservation
(Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

  
PRIMER
ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Puzzled about presumed Climate Change? Don't know what to think? Let Expressways Online tell you what to think! Here you'll find a variety of short essays explaining the climate change furor, as developed for the Greening Earth Society.


HISTORY OF THE CONSTRUCTION WRITERS ASSOCIATION

WRITTEN BY TOM KUENNEN ON THE OCCASION OF THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF CONSTRUCTION WRITERS ASSOCIATION

Link to CWA


MORE CLIENT NEWS

READ OUR ARTICLE

... on warm mix asphalt in TEXAS ASPHALT Magazine

READ OUR ARTICLE

... on the economics of recycled construction materials for aggregate producers in ROCK PRODUCTS Magazine


READ OUR ARTICLE


. . . on Hot In-Place recycling of asphalt pavements of University Park, Tex., for Cutler Repaving Inc.

READ OUR ARTICLE

. . . on Would 'Green' Movement Have Pulled TVA's Plug?, for the Greening Earth Society.
 

READ OUR ARTICLE

. . . on the website of Construction Equipment Distribution , on Western Power & Equipment


READ OUR ARTICLE

... profiling water blasting contractor Hennigan Engineering and its cleaning of the heat exchangers at Indian Point III nuclear power plant!
 

VISIT THE WINE CELLAR CONSTRUCTION SUBSIDIARY OF GABRIEL'S IN HIGHWOOD

Web concept and copy by Expresswaysonline.com!


VISIT THE CUSTOM CABINET CREATIONS OF CABINETS UNLIMITED, INC.

Web concept and copy by Expresswaysonline.com!



READ 10-PART HISTORY OF  20th CENTURY AMERICAN ROAD BUILDING AND THE AMERICAN ROAD & TRANSPORTATION BUILDERS ASSOCIATION (ARTBA)

Series commissioned by ARTBA and written by ExpresswaysOnline in 2001; Adobe Acrobat Reader required, click above for links to 10 installments
 

  

ARCHIVED NEWS ARTICLES!
 

BACKTRACK 2003:
FUNDS SHORTAGE

EMERGES AS CRITICAL ISSUE IN TEA-21
REAUTHORIZATION
 

A SHORTFALL IN FUNDING IN CRITICAL FEDERAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING THREATENS ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND PRESERVATION EFFORTS
 

BACKTRACK 2002:
INDUSTRY, LEGISLATORS WANTED
$40 BILLION 
TO $50 BILLION/YEAR TEA-3 PROGRAM 
(and that's not all ...)
 

ARTBA LAYS OUT PLAN
FOR $60 BILLION/YEAR
PROGRAM BY FY 2009
 

BACKTRACK 2002: LINES DRAWN IN TEA-21 REAUTHORIZATION!

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES SEEK 'MONUMENTAL' CHANGE IN U.S. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION POLICY



OTHER ARCHIVED ARTICLES
ON HIGHWAY POLICY!

INDUSTRY, LEGISLATORS HUSTLE
TO RESTORE FY 2003 FUNDING

April 2002 -- Back then it looked like the road construction and maintenance industry would recover most of the surface transportation funding cuts planned by the Bush administration for FY 2003, which begins Oct. 1.
 

YEAR 2001 SEASON
WAS WATERSHED
IN WORK ZONE SAFETY

September 2001 -- During the 2001 road work season, the industry stepped up its war on work zone fatalities and injuries with new efforts at the national level, and among states as well
 

FEDS, STATES AND PRIVATE SECTOR SCRAMBLE TO DELIVER PROJECTS

July 2001 -- Transportation Secretary Mineta vows more concrete is on way, as inadequate funding no longer main issue for highway, airport work
 

ATTACK ON FEDERAL GAS TAX RESUMES AS CONGESTION
PROBLEMS INCREASE

May 2001 -- A suspension or "holiday" in the collection of all or part of the federal gas tax -- even if temporary -- would endanger the highway industry's attempts to reduce the backlog of U.S. highway infrastructure construction needs. 
 

Click Here for More
Politics and Funding Articles
 
 

ARCHIVED TECHNICAL ARTICLES!
 

ASPHALT INDUSTRY
HEAVES SIGH OF RELIEF
AS NIOSH EASES AWAY
FROM FUMES FINDING

May 2001 -- The federal government isn't about to declare fumes from asphalt paving operations to be carcinogenic.
 

FHWA INCLUDES WORK ZONE MOBILITY IN NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE MAKING

FOCUS ON DRIVER DEATHS IN WORK ZONE AWARENESS WEEK
 
ABANDONMENT
OF THE RESTRICTED ZONE
BY SUPERPAVE SPECS
WILL MEAN BETTER MARKET
FOR AGGREGATE GRADATIONS

Superpave secret: Use right roller . . . Foamed Asphalt makes inroads in Wisconsin . . . Superpave restricted zone under fire . . . Ann Arbor conference in Seattle report . . . High-Performance Concrete ...  Click Here For More Methods
and Materials Articles
 

REFERENCE AND ARCHIVAL MATERIAL!
 

ANALYSIS

How Gore-Lieberman Win Would Have Impacted U.S. Fuel Taxes, Prices (October 2000)

Will Lack of "Hard" Research Cause
F-SHRP to Fall Flat? (March 2000)

Don't Ignore the Soccer Moms and Dads
(August 1998)
 

PRIMER ON 1998 REAUTHORIZATION

Here's a must-have background on 1998 Surface Transportation reauthorization, including a glossary 
 

INTERNET SERVICES

Learn about our turnkey web site content and development abilities for the construction, civil engineering, architecture and mining industries 
 

'TALK BACK' AND LINKS

Send us your comments, insight and questions 



All contents Copyright ©2010 by ExpresswaysOnline .