Recovering from Disaster: ARTBA Congressional Briefing Showcases How Contractors Quickly Meet Unexpected Challenges

What happened:

More than 50 attendees packed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee room Oct. 3 to hear how the transportation construction industry and state departments of transportation (DOTs) relied on innovation, trust, and hard work to quickly restore service amid disasters in Pennsylvania and Florida.

Cheryl Moon-Sirianni, executive deputy secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), shared her experience helping lead the rebuild of the Fern Hollow Bridge and the I-95 collapse, while the lead contractors on the projects, Swank Construction and Buckley & Company, respectively, offered their experience.

Each project highlighted a unique path to completion, but contractors shared the common theme that long-standing relationships with the community, businesses, suppliers, and state DOTs were vital to their success.

Why it matters: The event underscored how quickly infrastructure can be built when funding is available and arduous and time-consuming project approvals are minimized where possible.

What’s next: ARTBA will continue to host events for Congress, highlighting the great work of transportation construction professionals around the country.

Pictured above: Briefing participants (left to right): A.J. de Moya, vice president and general manager, The de Moya Group, Miami, Fla.; William Buckley, superintendent, and Rob Buckley, president, Buckley & Company, Philadelphia, Pa.; Cheryl Moon-Sirianni, executive deputy secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT); and Andrew Swank, president, Swank Construction Co., New Kensington, Pa. Also attending (far right) was Robert Latham, executive vice president, Associated Pennsylvania Constructors.