Highway and Bridge Construction Reaches Record $108 Billio

According to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), the U.S. transportation construction market continues to show strong growth, with the total value of activity reaching $21.6 billion in September 2024. This marks a 2.5 percent increase compared to $21 billion in September 2023, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Year-to-date highway and bridge construction activity has surged 9.2 percent, climbing to a record $108 billion.

Report Cites Anticipated Growth for U.S. Construction Industry in 2025

Global construction consultant Linesight released its report, “Construction Market Insights – Americas: Industry Update,” revealing key growth trends in the United States. Although the U.S. economy is expected to see a slight slowdown in 2025, the construction industry is expected to grow at a steady annual rate of 2.2 percent between 2025 and 2027.

In the near term, the U.S. construction industry is expected to expand by 2.5 percent in 2024, growth that’s being driven by increased spending in non-residential sectors such as data centers, manufacturing, infrastructure, and energy and utilities. However, labor remains a significant cost factor due to the shortage of skilled workers, which is expected to continue into 2025. Regions with significant high-tech and mission-critical projects still struggle with a lack of skilled labor, particularly in the MEP trades.

On the supply chain front, in 2024, demand for AI computing and data-center expansion drove significant pressure, particularly in power and cooling solutions. The outlook for freight and logistics remains uncertain, with fluctuating costs, labor strikes and port disruptions posing a significant risk to the global freight industry. Despite these pressures that tested—and may continue to test—the resilience of supply chains, proactive planning and supplier investments provide hope for 2025.

Read the full report at bit.ly/4h0Qk3x.

FRA Awards $1.1 Billion in New Rail Grants to Reduce Train-Vehicle Collisions and Blocked Railroad Crossings

In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded more than $1.1 billion in Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program funding to 123 rail projects, improving or studying more than 1,000 highway-rail crossings nationwide. This announcement is the largest single investment in grade crossing safety in FRA’s history.

Rail grants announced for communities in 41 states will build railroad overpasses and underpasses, fund safety upgrades that will save lives, and make improvements that will result in safer communities for pedestrians and motorists as well as rail workers and riders.

Buildings

• U.S. DOT Awards $5 Million Research Initiative for Novel Cement Development 
• Top Economist for Cement and Concrete Industries Reveals 2025 Construction Forecast 
• Canada’s First Certified Zero-Carbon Building Offsets its Energy Use Over Three Years with Rooftop and Carport Solar System 
• National Institute of Building Sciences Applauds Earthquake Resilience Legislation to Prepare Nation for Future Events 
• FK Architecture Designs Ekos at Allegro Affordable Independent Senior Housing Community; Celebrates Grand Opening 

Transportation

• Video: NDOT Pave-A-Thon I-15 
• ODOT Taps Woolpert for Bridge Replacement, Maintenance Contracts 
• Acrow Bridges Installed to Carry Detoured Traffic During Highway Construction in Alabama 
• Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners Selects Stadler Rail Cars and Siemens Mobility Rail Signaling Technology for Proposed Fast, Green Line Connecting Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley & Westside 
• AREMA/NSBA Present Constructability, Fabrication Guidelines for Steel Railroad Bridges 

Water

• A New Angle on Progressive Cavity Pumps for the Wastewater Industry 
• Global Water Center Launches Carbon Credit Program to Help Fund Sustainable Rural Water Systems 
• Above Ground Pump Stations: The Growing Common-Sense Trend 
• New HDD HDPE Model Specifications Available 
• ASTM Standard Updated for Polypropylene Pressure Piping Systems 

Tools and Technology

• Bentley Systems Announces Generative AI Game-Changer for Civil Site Design 
• Nearmap Elevates Location Intelligence with New Generation of AI-Derived Insights 
• ALLPLAN 2025: Revolutionizing Design and Construction with AI-Powered Tools and Real-Time Collaboration 
• Matterport’s Fall 2024 Release: Insights Meets Imagination 
• Siemens’ BIMPOWER Simplifies BIM Design Process