If gains among the Midwest’s largest contractors weren’t as sweeping as those for the region’s major design firms in 2014, key indicators nevertheless suggest regional builders are emerging from the deep economic hole that engulfed them for years.
Rather than working from reams of paper, the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation (WisDOT) opted to reconstruct the Zoo Interchange in downtown Milwaukee by working from gigabytes of 3D data—modeling virtually every aspect of the $1.7-billion project.
If a rising tide lifts all boats, the resurgent manufacturing sector has several Midwest contractors riding a welcome wave of activity not seen in years.
Michigan was the nation's third largest generator of construction employment in May, trailing only Idaho and Washington on a percentage basis, according to year-over-year comparisons compiled by Arlington, Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
A U.S. District Court Judge on Tuesday ruled that an environmental review for Illiana Tollway, a proposed $1.5-billion, 47-mile tollway linking Illinois and Indiana, is “faulty,” thereby invalidating a 2013 endorsement for the project by the Federal Highway Administration.
Michigan and Wisconsin were among the top 10 states to see construction employment gains in April in year-over-year comparisons, according to data compiled by Arlington, Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America.
Long the laggard in the nation's economic recovery, the Midwest at long last has gained sufficient momentum to significantly buoy regional design and construction activity.
A 13-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 31 in the busy north side of Indianapolis has tested the rush-hour nerves of many Hoosier motorists, but they will soon find relief as crews finish upgrades intended to align the corridor with freeway standards and shave 30 minutes off the time required to drive from Carmel to South Bend, Ind.
Architect-engineer CannonDesign doesn't simply serve markets, it burrows into them with a fervor and fluidity that blurs lines among its operations in Chicago, St. Louis and more than a dozen other locations.
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