North Carolina's Transportation Board Awards $40.5 Million in Contracts

The North Carolina Board of Transportation recently awarded highway improvement contracts totaling $40.5 million for projects in 23 counties. The contracts were for projects in Alamance, Bladen, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Henderson, Johnston, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Montgomery, Pitt, Robeson, Stanly, Wake and Yancey counties.

Included were contracts to:

• Resurface 227.3 miles of state primary and secondary highways in 16 counties statewide for $32.5 million;
  
• Install 28 closed-circuit traffic-monitoring cameras on the Greensboro Southern Loop and Interstate 85/Interstate 40 Business in Greensboro and for the installation of fiber-optic communications cable to connect the cameras to the Piedmont Triad Regional Transportation Management Center. The contract was awarded to World Fiber Technologies Inc. of Alpharetta, Ga. for $2.7 million; and
  
• Replace bridges over: Hannah Creek on N.C. 96 south of Parkertown in Johnston County; Spring Branch on Ringwood Road west of Enfield in Halifax County; Alamance Creek on Monroe Holt Road in Graham in Alamance County; Three Mile Branch on S.R. 1002 in Concord in Cabarrus County; South Hominy Creek on N.C. 151 north of Dunsmore in Buncombe County; and Hickory Nut Creek on U.S. 74-A south of Gerton in Henderson County.

Strong Increases Again Reported for Carolinas

McGraw-Hill Construction recently reported that the value of March contracts for future construction activity in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina increased significantly over the same time period of a year ago, with the two states combining for a cumulative 61 percent uptick.

In North Carolina, all sectors showed strong gains, as March activity was 43 percent ahead of the same year-ago period, increasing from roughly $1.3 billion to nearly $1.9 billion. Nonresidential construction activity moved ahead by 82 percent over March 2003, ending at an estimated $423.8 million. Residential construction showed continued strength, increasing by 21 percent to almost $1.2 billion for the most recent month. Nonbuilding construction more than doubled from last March's $107 million to the most recent figure of $269.2 million.

Year-to-date, North Carolina contract activity has increased by 26 percent over 2003. Nonresidential is 17 percent ahead of 2003, with $1.25 billion reported to date. Residential construction has increased by 24 percent to total nearly $3.1 billion, and the nonbuilding sector is estimated to be 60 percent ahead of 2003, with nearly $727.2 million reported.

In South Carolina, the gains were even larger. March contract activity increased by 92 percent over the March 2003 figure of $803 million to end up at approximately $1.5 billion. The nonbuilding sector again showed the greatest growth, improving from the $89.2 million reported for March 2003 to the most recent figure of $815.8 million. Residential activity increased as well, moving ahead 16 percent to $580.2 million Nonresidential declined significantly, however, decreasing by 34 percent from March 2003 to end up at roughly $143.3 million.

For the year-to-date in South Carolina, nonbuilding construction has started 2004 on an exceptionally strong note, moving from the $212 million reported through the first three months of 2003, to better than $1 billion so far. Nonresidential contracts have also improved, moving up 17 percent over 2003's total to just over $674 million for the year to date. Residential contracts were 12 percent ahead of last year's figure, ending up at about $1.5 billion for the first three months of 2004.

Harkins Builders Wins $19.6 Million NAVFAC Contract

A $19.6-million design-build contract was awarded to Harkins Builders by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic Division, for the new family housing at Camp Lejeune. Hord Coplan Macht is architect for this project, which includes construction of 161 single and duplex townhouse units.

Harkins Builders is headquartered in Marriottsville, Md. Source: Engineering News-Record.

ABC Carolinas Holds Construction Outlook Luncheon

At the 2004 Construction Outlook luncheon, recently held by the ABC of the Carolinas, in Charlotte, the focus was on mixed-use development projects.

According to guest speaker Michael Berkowitz of T.B. Harris Jr. & Associates, the focus in Charlotte will be on a revitalization of downtown. "Future growth will include the use of mass transit to develop multiple-use projects with more environmental concerns," Berkowitz concluded.