MoDOT Announces 2025 Major STL Work

From Construction Forum

With nearly 180 projects across four counties and the city of St. Louis, drivers may encounter some type of construction this year on many of the routes they use daily.

Most of those projects are taking care of the existing system, rehabilitating bridges, replacing signals and sidewalks, and resurfacing to ensure the roadways remain safe and operational for all users.

The work totals a nearly $1.7 billion investment in the region’s roads and bridges, as well as a $600 million investment by the state legislature in the region as part of the Improve I-70 Design-Build Project #2 between Warrenton and Wentzville.

Some of the work and impacts include:

• Interstate 55 bridge and pavement improvements – This project replaces or rehabilitates the driving surfaces on several bridges along I-55 between I-44 and River Des Peres. This year, crews will work between River Des Peres and Loughborough on both the northbound and southbound lanes. Drivers can expect closed and shifted traffic lanes between Weber and Loughborough as crews remove and replace the driving surface on several bridges. Crews will pave portions of the interstate and associated interchanges as bridge work is completed. The project continues through late 2025.



IMPACT Strategies Completes Construction of New U-Haul Storage Facility in Champaign, IL

Champaign, IL – February 25, 2025

IMPACT Strategies, Inc. announces the completion and opening of the new five-story U-Haul^® Storage Facility consisting of both Self Storage and U-Box Storage in Champaign, Illinois at 306 E. University Ave. Despite facing tight site restrictions along with inclement winter weather at the project’s onset, IMPACT successfully completed the building on schedule for U-Haul to occupy in early January.

With this completion, this five-story building totals over 84,000 square feet, providing 1,125 indoor storage units and U-Box warehouse with capacity to hold 700 containers. These U-Box containers provide consumers with an easy, efficient, and secure way to ship and store belongings. Along with self-storage, U-Haul customers will also have truck and trailer sharing services available to them – which is useful to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students with the campus near the facility.

The structure of this facility consists of a heavy structural steel frame with elevated slabs on the metal deck for the upper floors. The building exterior utilizes insulated metal panels (IMP) which are known for their superior thermal properties, design flexibility and fast installation time.

This marks the second completed project with U-Haul, with the first project located in Springfield, IL. IMPACT is nearing completion of its third U-Haul project – a two-building complex in Wentzville, MO. All three projects will total 290,306 square feet of new facilities for U-Haul, the industry leader in DIY moving since 1945.

IMPACT Strategies served as the construction manager in Champaign, IL with ISG, Inc. as the architect-of-record for the project. The completion of this project adds to the depth of IMPACT’s experience and expertise in constructing warehousing facilities.

“We are honored to complete our second project with U-Haul and excited to continue our valued relationship with another location currently in progress” said Nick Walker, Vice President, Project Development & Strategy at IMPACT Strategies. “We are grateful to have obtained and retain their continued role as a Trusted Advisor throughout the entire construction process.”

Everyday Excellence, One Habit at a Time with Jeff Koziatek

Habit #12: Focus

Our focus impacts our....

●     perception of the present

●     direction of growth

●     future possibilities

●     problem solving ability

When we focus on finding the failures, we sidestep seeing the success.

We can’t hit a target we don’t have and we can’t hit what we want when we are too busy looking at something else.

Remember:

Focus determines direction.

Performance Tips:

• What you focus on gets your attention and resources - it can also appear larger and more important than objects in your periphery. Intentionally put your focus on what is healthy and appropriate.

• Balance present reality with future potential by clarifying the goal, acknowledging the current situation, addressing current challenges, and course correcting along the way to maintain focused effort.

AI Has Turned On The Lights — Now Construction Must Focus, Adjust And Evolve

For years, construction professionals have relied on instinct and tradition, often working with limited visibility into risks and inefficiencies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) flips the switch, suddenly illuminating patterns and insights that once took months— or longer— to uncover, if at all. But visibility alone changes nothing; what matters is how we adjust our behavior to embrace its insight and act upon what we now see. Like stepping from a dimly lit room into bright daylight, we must recalibrate and adapt.

AI is not a substitute for (human experience and) expertise—it merely enhances it by providing faster, data-driven insights. It enables professionals - be it contractors, brokers, insurers, etc. - to apply their specialized knowledge more effectively, bridging skill gaps independently and reducing reliance on fragmented, external resources that are often time-consuming to access. AI is a force multiplier; just as a power tool enhances a carpenter’s efficiency, AI can supercharge human decision-making.



However, unlocking AI’s full potential requires more than just new technology—it demands a fundamental shift in how we approach problem-solving, decision-making, and collaboration. Instead of fearing that AI will replace jobs or lessen individual contributions, it should be seen as a powerful assistant that increases efficiency, giving workers more time for strategic thinking and performing higher-value tasks. Professionals must move beyond habit-driven thinking and embrace AI as an active partner as part of their daily workflow. Just as CAD and BIM amplified design and project management expertise, AI is the next evolution in construction—enhancing data interpretation, risk forecasting, and decision-making. Learning to collaborate with AI effectively will help users refine skills, improve processes, reduce research time, automate repetitive tasks, and identify important trends faster.

The Innovation Mindset: Changing How We Lead, Train, and Learn

For AI adoption to be successful, we must rethink how we lead, train, and learn. Leaders must do more than implement AI—they must model the behavior shifts that are critical for success.

This means encouraging experimentation, fostering curiosity, and helping teams learn to trust AI’s insights while applying human judgment. Leaders must evolve and work alongside their teams to guide them through training. Traditional workplace training emphasized memorization, learning established processes, and predefined methodologies.

However, with AI, training and education is less about process and far more about learning to collaborate with it and focus on people’s ability to think critically, interpret data, and ask the right questions.

Training and educational programs must also adapt. Instead of rigid instruction, we need to focus on building the skills needed to navigate and utilize AI effectively, such as:

• Asking better questions to refine AI results.
• How to leverage AI for problem-solving in scheduling, risk management, and budgeting.
• How to interpret AI-generated insights instead of accepting them at face value.
• Identifying bias and uncertainty in AI outputs.
• Maintaining strategic human oversight.

Sales & Use Taxes Can Result In Unexpected Liabilities – UHY BLOG

Contractors face complex issues when dealing with sales and use taxes and the impact the taxes may have on the organization. Missteps can lead to unexpected audit results with significant tax assessments, resulting in a major influence on financial statements. What should a contractor consider, that will help minimize the tax effect and a negative aspect to profits?

State-Specific Tax Treatments And Requirements.

Most states have a general rule that contractors are consumers of the materials used to fulfill their construction contracts. Under the rules, the contractor would pay sales tax directly to the vendor or remit use tax on the purchased materials. This “general rule” applies when the contract is construction related to real property. However, since nothing is “easy” in the tax world, each state has specific laws.

Some states have certain construction exemptions, other states may charge tax on the construction services provided. Contractors can also be viewed as retailers or manufacturers, which alter the dynamics of the taxability of the type of activity performed.

Thinking of the potential tax impact starts at the beginning of the project. When bidding, understand and reach an agreement with the customer - discuss the true nature of the project and the taxes involved. What should be considered?

·      What is the nature of the project?

·      What type of contract will be issued?

·      Are there any tax exemptions that can flow through from the customer to the contractor?

Whether the project is for the construction of real property, or the installation of tangible personal property is ruled by each state’s tax laws. States may consider the manner of affixation and permanence, whether property becomes “permanent” or merely a “fixture.” Differing state rules could result in different tax exposure even though the contracts could be identical, but performance of the contract occurs in various states.

Impact Of Contract Type On Taxes

Tax treatment can be affected by the type of the contract. “Lump-sum” contracts do not separately state charges for materials, labor, overhead, and similar charges. Under a lump-sum contract, the contractor is treated as the end consumer of materials incorporated into real property. The contractor is responsible for paying tax on all materials. “Time and material” contracts itemize charges for material, labor, supplies, and other charges. States will treat time and material contracts as sales of tangible personal property with installation. Under time and material contracts, materials are purchased and transferred to the customer as nontaxable sales for resale, but then the contractor would need to collect tax on the property installed. continued...

STL Tech Week

March 31st - April 4th

STL TechWeek is 5 full days of disruptive and emerging technology at venues across the St. Louis Metro. All events are free and open to the public.

SAME Sporting Clays Event

Tuesday, April 15th

10:30 am @

St. Louis Skeet & Trap Club

18854 Franklin Rd,

Pacific, Mo 63069

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