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Midwest Edition
April 2 2011 Vol. XVIII • No. 7
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
NTEA Holds Annual Meeting...61
Sales Strong For Ritchie Bros. in Morris...80
Fre y & S ons Hosts Reti rement Aucti on.. .84
Table of Contents ............4 Attachments Section27-31
ConExpo-Con/AGG, IFPE 2011 Attracts Hundreds of Thousands to Las Vegas T
he mood was overwhelmingly positive at the ConExpoCon/AGG and IFPE 2011 expositions held March 22-26 in Las Vegas. Despite continued uncertainty in U.S. construction markets and the overall economy, industry professionals expressed hopeful optimism for a sustained U.S. upturn in the coming months, while global sales continue to be strong. ConExpo-Con/AGG and IFPE 2011 attracted nearly 120,000 regis-
tered attendees; the shows were the global industry gathering place for the year and the largest gathering in North America since 2008 for the construction, construction materials and fluid power/power transmission/motion control industries. The shows were held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendees said they were at the shows to examine the newest equipsee CONEXPO page 12
Crushing, Screening & Recycling Section ....37-43
Series of Projects Set to Upgrade Iowa’s I-80
Truck & Trailer Section .... ..................................61-68
By Dorinda Anderson
Auction Section ......74-87 Business Calendar ........76 Advertisers Index ..........86
CEG CORRESPONDENT
With traffic numbers expected to nearly double by 2030, the Iowa Department of Transportation is taking steps to improve the I80 interstate system through Council Bluffs. Routine maintenance projects have been completed since the interstate was constructed
in the 1960s, but no significant changes have taken place since that time. A study of the interstate system in 1997 showed that the interstate does not meet current design standards, guidelines or operational criteria and cannot handle current traffic. Currently, the interstate system in Council Bluffs typically carries 20,000 to 75,000 vehicles daily, with 11 to 25 percent of those vehi-
cles being trucks. On some areas of I-80, more than twice the number of vehicles use the highway, compared with the amount of traffic that was originally estimated to use it. By 2030 traffic on I-80 between the I-29 interchanges is expected to increase to more than 120,000 vehicles a day. Currently, traffic on I-29 north and south of I-80 averages 20,000 vehicles each day, see PROJECTS page 16