FHWA REPORTS ROAD CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR SECOND QUARTER OF 1999 |
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Topics: Federal Highway Administration
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Federal Highway Administration
August 3, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 3, 1999
Contacts: Karen Whitney, (202)366-0660
Claretta Duren, (202)366-4636
FHWA 51-99
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced that highway construction costs increased 9.7 percent in the second quarter of 1999 compared to the last quarter of 1998, and increased 14.2 percent compared to the second quarter a year ago.
The second quarter results raised the FHWA's composite index for highway construction costs to 143.4 percent of the 1987 base index (1987 average costs equal 100 percent).
Increases in the unit prices for bituminous concrete, reinforcing steel, common excavation, portland cement concrete, and structural concrete raised the index in the second quarter. The unit price for structural steel was lower for the second quarter index.
The three-quarter moving composite price index for the first quarter of 1999 – obtained by combining data for the last quarter of 1998 with the first two quarters of 1999 – increased 1.2 percent from the previous three-quarter average.
Trends in highway construction costs are measured by an index of average contract prices compiled from reports of state highway contract awards for federal-aid contracts greater than $500,000. Since the enactment of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, the index reflects federal-aid contracts on the National Highway System.
The composite price indices during the past two years and the percentage changes from the preceding quarter have been as follows:
Quarter |
Year |
Quarterly Price Index |
Percentage Change |
Three-quarter Moving Index1 |
Percentage Change |
| 2nd Quarter1 | 1997 |
130.4 |
-- |
129.3 |
-- |
| 3rd Quarter | 1997 |
122.3 |
11.8 |
129.4 |
0.1 |
| 4th Quarter | 1997 |
138.2 |
-1.1 |
124.7 |
-3.6 |
| 1st Quarter | 1998 1997 |
119.6 |
-7.4 |
124.6 |
-0.1 |
| 2nd Quarter | 1998 |
125.6 |
13.0 |
125.8 |
1.0 |
| 3rd Quarter | 1998 |
136.8 |
-13.5 |
130.6 |
3.8 |
| 4th Quarter | 1998 |
131.4 |
-3.9 |
132.8 |
1.7 |
| 1st Quarter | 1999 |
130.7 |
-0.5 |
134.4 |
1.2 |
| 2nd Quarter | 1999 |
143.4 |
9.7 |
-- |
-- |
1 For the three-quarter moving index, these are the middle quarters of the three-quarter periods.
The price levels of the component items of the quarterly index in the 2nd quarter of 1999, the previous quarter, and the same quarter a year ago, and the corresponding percentage changes, are shown in the following table:
Price Index 1987 = 100 |
Percentage change this quarter (2nd quarter, 1999) from: |
| Component | 2nd Quarter 1999 |
1st Quarter 1999 |
2nd Quarter 1998 |
1st Quarter 1999 |
2nd Quarter 1998 |
| Excavation | 133.5 |
113.5 |
120.3 |
17.6 |
11.0 |
| Portland cement concrete | 197.3 |
149.9 |
153.0 |
31.6 |
29.0 |
| Bituminous concrete | 132.6 |
120.7 |
113.4 |
9.9 |
16.9 |
Composite surfacing |
153.9 |
130.3 |
126.4 |
18.1 |
21.8 |
| Reinforcing steel | 124.3 |
123.2 |
118.9 |
0.9 |
4.5 4.5 |
| Structural steel | 136.3 |
139.1 |
119.7 |
-2.0 |
13.9 |
| Structural concrete | 141.1 |
140.2 |
132.2 |
0.6 |
6.7 |
Composite structures |
136.9 |
136.9 |
126.6 |
0.0 |
8.1 |
| Composite price index | 143.4 |
130.7 |
125.6 |
9.7 |
14.2 |
The price levels of the current component items of the three-quarter moving index in the 1st quarter of 1999, the previous quarter, and the same quarter a year ago, and the corresponding percentage changes, are shown in the following table:
Three-Quarter Moving Price Index 1987 = 100 |
Percentage Change This Quarter (1st Quarter 1999) from: |
| Component | 1st Quarter 1999 |
4th Quarter 1998 |
1st Quarter 1998 |
4th Quarter 1998 |
1st Quarter 1998 |
| Excavation | 118.7 |
121.7 |
116.6 |
-2.5 |
1.8 |
| Portland cement concrete | 168.5 |
159.9 |
161.7 |
5.4 |
4.2 |
| Bituminous concrete | 120.3 |
119.4 |
96.7 |
0.8 |
24.4 |
Composite surfacing |
136.1 |
132.7 |
118.1 |
2.6 |
15.2 |
| Reinforcing steel | 126.2 |
118.1 |
130.0 |
6.9 |
-2.9 |
| Structural steel | 134.5 |
133.3 |
132.9 |
0.9 |
1.2 |
| Structural concrete | 143.6 |
143.8 |
134.4 |
-0.1 |
6.8 |
Composite structures |
138.2 |
136.6 |
133.3 |
1.2 |
3.7 |
| Composite price index | 134.4 |
132.8 |
124.6 |
1.2 |
7.9 |
The U.S. average contract unit prices for the index items during the various periods shown are:
Individual Quarters |
Three-Quarters |
| Component | Unit |
1st Quarter 1999 |
2nd Quarter 1999 |
4th Quarter 19981 |
1st Quarter 19992 |
| Excavation | Cubic yard | $2.75 |
$3.24 |
$2.95 |
$2.88 |
| Portland cement concrete | Square yard3 | 22.09 |
29.06 |
23.55 |
24.82 |
| Bituminous concrete | Ton | 29.74 |
32.70 |
29.43 |
29.65 |
| Reinforcing steel | Pound | 0.543 |
0.548 |
0.521 |
0.556 |
| Structural steel | Pound | 1.231 |
1.207 |
1.180 |
1.190 |
| Structural concrete | Cubic yard | 337.56 |
339.87 |
346.25 |
345.75 |
1 Weighted average unit prices for the last three quarters of 1998.
2 Weighted average unit prices for the last two quarters of 1998 and the first quarter of 1999.
3 Prices for Portland cement concrete surfacing reflect adjustments to a standard 9-inch thickness and do not include costs for reinforcing steel and joints.