Federal highway bill introduced

Construction & Demolition Recycling, Jan-Feb, 2004

* The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Alexandria, Va., is among the groups Favoring passage of a $375 billion federal highway and transportation bill.

U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee members from both parties have introduced the spending bill, which is a reauthorization of the existing-TEA-21 transportation spending act.

In a news release, the AGC says the bill will "have a stimulative effect on the national economy."

The contractors' trade group notes that 'highway construction was down 18 percent in August from July and down 6 percent in the first eight months of they car as compared to the same period last year.

The slowdown, affecting concrete and asphalt contract crashers and other suppliers of recycled aggregates, has been largely attributed to the drying up of federal highway funds available to state transportation agencies.