Material Costs Are Climbing Again as a Tariff Deadline Looms
Nonresidential input prices surged at a 12.6% annualized rate early in 2026 as steel sits at 50% tariffs and a global 10% tariff is set to expire July 24.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Is Now Law
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was authorized July 11 after months of House-Senate wrangling, tying housing production to transportation and infrastructure policy.
OSHA’s Silica Crackdown Is Real: Citations Up 22%, One Hits $487K
Silica citations in construction jumped 22% last year and average $42,300, with OSHA fining a Phoenix contractor $487,000 for unprotected masonry-saw work.
MBTA Hands a $1.06B Boston Rail-Bridge Job to a Skanska–Koch JV
The MBTA awarded a $1.06B design-build contract to a Skanska Civil Northeast/Koch JV to replace the aging Draw One rail bridges at Boston’s North Station.
Construction Added 11,000 Jobs in June as a Funding Cliff Nears
Construction added 11,000 jobs in June and 64,000 over the year, but AGC warns gains could fade unless Congress passes new highway and transit funding by Sept. 30.
Skanska–FlatironDragados JV Wins ~$1B Long Bridge North Rail Job
A Skanska/FlatironDragados JV won the ~$1B contract to build Long Bridge North, a new two-track Potomac passenger-rail crossing between Arlington and Washington, D.C.
Hyundai Steel Bets on Lower-Carbon Steelmaking in Louisiana
Hyundai Steel’s planned Louisiana mill would run direct-reduction and electric-arc technology, cutting emissions against blast-furnace steel at 2.7M tons a year.
U.S. Steelmakers Line Up $6B in New Capacity, Mostly in Texas and Louisiana
Industrial Info is tracking more than $6 billion in U.S. steel capital projects kicking off in Q2 2026, concentrated in Texas and Louisiana.
Amrize Puts $900M Into North American Cement, With Midlothian in Front
Amrize is spending $900 million across North American cement operations in 2026, led by a Midlothian, Texas upgrade aimed at Dallas-Fort Worth demand.
OSHA’s Heat Inspection Push Starts This Month, Final Rule or Not
OSHA’s National Emphasis Program on heat ramps up construction site inspections this month even as the federal heat standard stays stalled.
C3M Power Systems Is ENR MidAtlantic’s 2026 Specialty Contractor of the Year
ENR named Capitol Heights-based C3M Power Systems its 2026 MidAtlantic Specialty Contractor of the Year as revenue heads past $200 million.
TSMC Starts Loading 3nm Tools Into Its Arizona Fab 21 Phase 2
TSMC has begun moving 3nm chipmaking equipment into Fab 21 Phase 2 in Arizona ahead of schedule, with high-volume N3 production targeted for 2027.
Highways Take the Lion’s Share as $1.73B in BUILD Grants Land
USDOT awarded $1.73 billion in FY26 BUILD grants on July 7. Transit drew $169.9M and rail $87.9M, with highways claiming most of the rest.
Toyota Adds a Second Line in San Antonio in a $3.6B Tacoma Reshoring
Toyota will spend $3.6 billion to add a second assembly line in San Antonio and shift Tacoma production from Mexico, doubling the Texas plant by 2030.
Meta Pushes Hyperion to 5 Gigawatts and a $50 Billion Price Tag
Meta more than doubled its Hyperion data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana to 5 GW and over $50 billion, with Turner, DPR and Mortenson on the build.
Detroit City FC Breaks Ground on the $153M AlumniFi Field
Detroit City FC broke ground July 15 on AlumniFi Field, a 15,000-seat, $153 million stadium in Southwest Detroit built by Barton Malow and designed by HOK.
Data Center Builders Are Being Asked to Insure Community Opposition
As local opposition to data centers hardens, owners are pushing the cost of permit delays and moratoriums onto builders. The fix is in the delay clause.
Zachry’s Crescent Constructors Wins $89M Lewisville Water Plant Job
Crescent Constructors, acquired by Zachry in September, landed an $89M contract to expand water treatment capacity at Lewisville, Texas’ Prairie Creek plant.