Construction Industry News: Sep 5, 2017

Construction Leads Employment Gains in August

Construction employment spiked in August, with 28,000 new jobs in the sector, accounting for almost 20% of all new jobs nationwide, the Labor Dept. reported.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its latest monthly employment report, released on Sept. 1, that construction's jobless rate was 4.7%, down from 4.9 % in July. It was the best month for job gains in construction since February.

Full report.

Federal highway agency doles out $25M for emergency Harvey repairs

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao directed the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on Tuesday to immediately release $25 million in emergency relief funds to Texas so the state can start to restore critically damaged roads, bridges and highways.

Full report.

Army Corps Continues Houston Reservoir Releases Following Hurricane Harvey

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is continuing controlled releases of massive amounts of water from the Addicks and Barker dams to maintain the Houston reservoirs’ stability. Rainfall and the high level of water in the reservoirs means that ongoing work to install new outlet structures will be postponed by at least a month.

Full report.

Elon Musk’s Boring Company gets approval for a tunnel below Hawthorne

It hasn’t been long since Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unexpectedly announced he was getting into the tunnel boring business, but already the tech entrepreneur’s newest startup—the Boring Company—has gotten the go-ahead from the Hawthorne City Council to construct a test tunnel below the South Bay city.

Full report.

Bidding process extended for Gordie Howe Bridge

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority has extended the bidding process for construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge by four months. The authority said Thursday it would accept proposals from companies beginning in May and ending in September 2018.

Full report.

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $282.6 Million in Infrastructure Grants to 67 Airports in 29 States

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced the Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA) will award $282.6 million in airport infrastructure grants to 67 airports in 29 states across the United States as part of the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

Press release.

How to survive a government shutdown

Does your company participate in federal contracts? Whether they're the majority of your business or a relatively small share of your total project work, successfully enduring a shutdown in federal government activities requires preparation.

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