Contractor Groups Urge Congress to Pass Highway and Transit Bill

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Sep 07, 2010, 07:00 ET

COLUMBIA, S.C., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Carolinas Associated General Contractors (CAGC) and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA) co-hosted a South Carolina Highway Reauthorization press conference Tuesday to urge Congress to pass a new six-year highway and transit bill. "We need to pass a transportation bill that will put people to work shoring up our aging infrastructure," said Congressman James Clyburn. "Enacting a comprehensive transportation law will be the best boost we can give to the economy right now while we improve the safety and security of our roads and bridges."

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At the same time, a national effort to push for long-delayed legislation to provide federal funds to fix aging roads and unsafe bridges also launched, with the unveiling of new highway billboards. The campaign, to cover dozens of states this fall, is designed to educate the public about why passing a federal transportation bill is essential to improving road conditions.

The press conference, held at CAGC member Sloan Construction's asphalt plant in Columbia, featured Brian Turmail, AGC's Executive Director of Public Affairs; Rep. James Clyburn; Randy Snow, United Infrastructure Group; Otis Rawl, SC Chamber of Commerce President; Rick Todd, SC Trucking Association President; and Leslie Hope, Director- SC Government Relations and Divisions for CAGC.

"You would expect that as South Carolina's roads age, the men and women who work on them would be at their busiest," remarked CAGC's Hope. "Unfortunately, they're being held back by the fact that the federal highway and transit funding bill that provides over 80 percent of the state's surface transportation budget is eleven months late."

"The reality is our communities can't thrive and our businesses can't grow if they are saddled with potholes and unsafe bridges," added AGCA's Turmail. "The best route to a better transportation system for our country lies in getting Congress to do its job and pass the months-late highway and transit bill."

Carolinas AGC builds its 2,600 members' businesses through workforce development, business development, profit management, and workers' compensation insurance. More than 75% of commercial and industrial construction (buildings, highways/bridges, utility facilities) in both North and South Carolina is performed or supported by CAGC members. Visit CAGC at www.cagc.org.

Visit Carolinas AGC on Twitter! Carolinas AGC serves many different components of the Carolinas construction industry. Each is interested in different types of information and dialog :

SC Highway Division: http://twitter.com/CAGCSCHWYDIV

SC Building Division: http://twitter.com/CAGCSCBldgDiv

NC Building Division: http://twitter.com/CAGCNCBldgDiv

NC Highway Division: http://twitter.com/CAGCNCHwyDiv

Utility Division: http://twitter.com/CAGCUtilityDiv

Subcontractor/Specialty Contractor Division: http://twitter.com/CAGCSubs

Safety & Health: http://twitter.com/CAGCsafety

Human Resources: http://twitter.com/CAGCHRCommittee

For additional information or photos: Lori Tharp, Director, Communications & Sub/Supplier Networks, 704/372-1450 ext. 5227, [email protected]

SOURCE Carolinas AGC