Caltrans reached a new high-water mark in the number and value of contracts under construction, the department announced last week.

Ray Hopkins, Chief of the Caltrans Division of Construction, made note of the milestone during a conference call Sept. 17 with construction industry associations.

For the first time, the department has surpassed $15 billion in the value of projects under construction, Hopkins noted. There are currently 1,060 separate projects under construction across the state, another record.

The flurry of work is the result of a confluence of factors, including the continued investments of SB1, the $50 billion Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017 that raised fuel taxes to pay for transportation improvements, plus continued investments made at the local level via local sales taxes devoted to transportation approved by voters in 25 counties. There has also been an influx of federal dollars as a result of the $1.2 trillion federal Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act that was signed into law in 2021.

Caltrans continues to report that a large percentage of the work is composed of projects under $10 million, which is intended to ensure there are opportunities for smaller and disadvantaged companies to bid on the work.

Beyond just fixing roads, the projects are diverse in nature, ranging from "complete streets" multi-modal improvements, culvert repairs, wildlife corridor enhancements and highway beautification. CalAPA continues to press for more investments in core pavement repair work, which is how SB1 was represented to voters and taxpayers. Some legislators have called for a suspension of fuel taxes to provide motorists relief at the pump.

In a separate report released by Caltrans, department data shows that monthly payments to contractors are currently running at more than $568 million, which is up nearly $200 million from the same period in 2022. A chart mapping those trends is HERE.

A breakdown of projects by region follows predictable patterns, with large urban areas in the greater Los Angeles area or the San Francisco Bay accounting for the largest share of projects and dollars spent, with smaller, more rural areas receiving less. Nevertheless, there are dollars flowing to every part of the state. The Caltrans "Statement of Ongoing Projects" that lists every project, status, location and value, can be downloaded HERE.

A Caltrans-maintained web page with additional detail on transportation improvement projects, including federal and locally-funded projects, is HERE. The interactive map or projects is HERE. Numerous projects are highlighted, ranging from large bridge-replacement projects to a $10 million project to repair 32 lane-miles of U.S. 395 in Inyo County, which will be capped by a thin asphalt overlay. Details on that project can be found HERE.

Family, friends, co-workers and other well-wishers gathered in Los Gatos last week for a "celebration of life" for longtime industry figure Gerald R. "Gerry" Graham Jr. of Reed & Graham Inc., who passed away on Sept. 1 at the age of 78. His official obituary is HERE.

Graham (pictured), born on June 5, 1946, was the son of Gerald R. Graham Sr., who while working in the construction industry in the 1940s helped guide the business into asphalt, and in 1955 joined forces with the C.E. Reed Co. to become Reed & Graham. Graham Sr. passed away in 2017. His official obituary is HERE.

A Navy veteran who served two tours in Vietnam, Graham joined the company in the 1970s and performed nearly every job at an asphalt plant, including driving loaders. He started his own contracting business in 1976, Graham Contractors Inc., which he owned and operated for over 30 years before selling it to his sone, David Graham, in 2018.

In the mid-1980s, while still running his own business, he returned to Reed & Graham to assist in managing the company. He was named president and CEO in 1996.

At the memorial service last week, family and coworkers shared fond memories of Graham as a tough but fair and loyal boss, father and mentor to many. At the event it was announced that for his lifetime of contributions to the asphalt pavement industry, Graham will be inducted into the CalAPA "Hall of Fame" at the association's annual dinner Jan. 16 in Los Angeles.

Graham is survived by his children, Eric Graham and his wife Lucresia and their daughters Aurora and Miranda; David Graham and his wife Kristen and their children Nolan, McKinlay and Wyatt; Melissa Graham and her daughter Olivia; stepdaughter Stacey Rando and her husband Jim and their son Tyler and daughter Jacquelyn, as well as great-granddaughters Giuliana and Kynzee; stepson David McLean and his son Dawson; Gerry’s sisters Nan Graham and her wife Carol, Jane Graham; and sister-in-law Mary Ellen Graham, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Gerry is preceded in death by his parents Gerald Graham, Sr., Anna Jane Reed and stepmother Allene Graham, his brother Stephen Reed Graham, Sr., his first wife Nancy Graham, and his grandson Joseph Rando.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made in Graham's name to Bellarmine College Preparatory school in San Jose,, or to the charity of your choice.

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance, a CalAPA partner, has announced the application period is open until Oct. 15 for its 2024 Perpetual Pavement Awards. To review the award criteria, click HERE.

Known as "Long-life" asphalt pavements in California, the pavement designs recognize agencies and other owners of pavements that are designed to last at least 35 years needing minimal maintenance. There are three main categories of awards, "Perpetual by Performance," which have been in place for at least 35 years, "Perpetual by Deign," which honors newly designed projects adhering to perpetual-pavement standards, and "Perpetual by Conversion," which recognizes new asphalt roads that are constructed over an existing pavement surface.

California received special recognition from the Asphalt Pavement Alliance at a meeting of the California Transportation Commission on Jan. 26, 2023 for several Caltrans long-life asphalt pavement projects constructed on Interstate 5 in Northern California. A previous Asphalt Insider article about that recognition is HERE.

For more information on the Perpetual Pavement Awards, contact Brittyn Heisler at (904) 446-0758.

Culminating years of work between Caltrans and the construction industry, the next revision of the Caltrans Standard Specifications, due to be published on Oct. 21, will contain new language with regard to determining gradation testing compliance based on retained aggregates from the ignition oven sample used for asphalt content determination. The change will apply to both quality control and acceptance testing. It is anticipated that all Caltrans construction projects that begin in 2025 will include acceptance testing based on post-plant gradations.

Contractors will also have the option to request a no-cost change order to incorporate this testing requirement change on an existing project. For more information on this request, please visit the Caltrans Construction Procedure Directive page and look for CPD 24-6. The CPD page can be accessed HERE and CPD 24-6 can be accessed HERE.

Caltrans and industry representatives have spent several years discussing and developing specification language for this change through the joint Caltrans-industry Pavement and Materials Partnering Committee (PMPC). The development of the new specification language is summarized in a final report which can be viewed HERE. The necessary technician certifications will be included in the Joint Training and Certification Program (JTCP). Information on the JTCP can be found HERE.

Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other term commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.

APPLICATION TEMPERATURE: The manufacturer’s recommended temperature for use of the product. For hot-applied sealants, the application temperature is any temperature between the minimum application temperature and safe heating temperature. This also covers the application of binders (particularly emulsions) in chip seal operations, and is addressed in Caltrans Standard Specifications, sections 37 and 94.

Each week we highlight a key point or best practice of interest to asphalt paving crews, inspectors and others working in the field. We welcome suggestions. More tips can be found in our "Asphalt Parking Lot Construction Checklist" HERE. Information on the CalAPA "Quality Paving Certificate" program is HERE.

SITE PREPARATION: If overlaying an existing or milled surface, has the surface been cleaned/swept and given a full "tack coat" (a bonding agent between the two surfaces)? What is the specified coverage rate for the prime/tack coat? Is the application uniform? Has the material been given enough time to "break" (evaporate the water)? 

Each week we highlight a term that is specific to climate-change issues related to the asphalt pavement industry. This feature is intended to raise awareness of the asphalt industry's climate-change initiatives and the specialized terminology that goes with them. More information on "The Road Forward" asphalt industry climate initiative can be found HERE. A recent CalAPA magazine story on the topic is HERE.

FLY ASH: Fines of a coal combustion product. 

"Turn your wounds into wisdom."



– Oprah Winfrey

We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, people, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. To subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE. For comments, questions or to suggest a story idea, click HERE.

Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE

Executive Director

The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®