Category: Construction workers

Pennsylvania Weekly Construction Recap – Top Stories for Week Ending August 8, 2025

Here are the top construction stories in Pennsylvania this week:

Pennsylvania is BOOMING: Pennsylvania’s construction sector is active, with $34 billion contributed to the state’s GDP in 2024 and 31,000 construction establishments. Projects like those in Pittsburgh and statewide infrastructure improvements (e.g., PennDOT’s 684 bridge projects in 2023) indicate robust activity. READ MORE.

Major Work on I-95 In Philly: Overhead sign structure installation will close I-95 North at night August 11-14 in Center City, with ongoing inlet repairs weekdays August 1-29 on I-95 North near Academy Road in Northeast Philadelphia. This represents one of the most significant traffic-impacting construction projects currently underway in the state. READ MORE.

Windfarm Upgrades Help with AI Data Center Growth: Exus recently secured over $158 million to boost capacity at the Twin Ridges wind farm in Somerset County—raising its output by around 30% to 170 MW—and to upgrade the Patton wind farm in Cambria County. These enhancements aim to meet skyrocketing energy demands from AI data centers across the state. READ MORE.

Stay Safe, Stay Informed & Keep Building Pennsylvania!

Pennsylvania Construction Weekly Recap – Top Stories for Week Ending August 1, 2025

Here are the top construction stories for Pennsylvania for this week:

Tec Centro Workforce Network’s Call for Skilled Trades Investment: This summer, the Tec Centro Workforce Network, a bilingual workforce development program, emphasized Pennsylvania’s looming shortfall of 300,000 skilled trades workers by 2030. With over 2,200 individuals on waitlists for training, Tec Centro urged $8 million in public and private investment to expand programs in construction and other trades. The initiative highlights the retention of 80% of trained workers in Pennsylvania, strengthening local economies. This story underscores ongoing efforts to scale up construction training programs, critical for projects statewide. READ MORE

Penn State University Construction Projects: Penn State continues to see major construction activity, with projects like the $115 million Osmond North Building (set to complete in January 2027) and renovations at Beaver Stadium, potentially costing up to $700 million. The Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building recently opened, consolidating academic departments. These projects, while ongoing, were highlighted in updates from July 2025, indicating continued progress that could still be relevant. READ MORE

KCA Announces 2025 Scholarship Winners: The Keystone Contractors Association announced its recipients of the 2025 KCA Scholarship Program honoring Allison Bromirski and Eliana Roof. Allison is a junior in Penn State’s Architectural/Engineering Construction Management Program and Eliana recently completed her freshman year at Drexel University in the Construction Management Program. To meet Allison CLICK HERE. To meet Eliana CLICK HERE.

Pennsylvania Construction Weekly Recap – Top Stories for Week Ending July 25, 2025

Here are the top construction news stories across Pennsylvania for the week ending July 25, 2025:

  • Penn State University Construction Projects: Penn State continues to advance multiple transformative construction projects across its campus, including the recently completed Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building, the ongoing $115 million Osmond North Building (set for completion in January 2027), and renovations at Beaver Stadium, which could cost up to $700 million. These projects aim to enhance academic facilities, student housing, and athletic complexes, aligning with Penn State’s broader goals to improve campus life and infrastructure. READ MORE
  • Pennsylvania Budget Talks Stall Over Road & Bridge Funding: As the legislature works on the state budget, transportation funding has become a sticking point. Republicans are demanding substantial funding for roads and bridges—including up to $500 million in debt financing—while also resisting increases in public transit funding proposed by Governor Shapiro. This impasse has significant implications for the future of construction planning across the state. READ MORE
    • Pennsylvania Senate Designates “Construction Opioid Awareness Week”: The Pennsylvania Senate has officially designated the week of July 21-25, 2025, as “Construction Opioid Awareness Week” through Senate Resolution 133. READ MORE

    Stay safe, stay informed and keep building Pennsylvania strong!

    Pennsylvania Construction Weekly Recap – Top Stories for Week Ending July 18, 2025

    This week’s biggest construction news stories.

    ​Here are the top construction news ​stories across Pennsylvania ​for the week ending July 18, 2025:

    1. GE Vernova Invests $80 Million in Charleroi Facility Expansion
      GE Vernova is investing $80 million to expand its grid solutions factory in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, creating 250 new jobs. This investment aims to modernize the electric grid by increasing production of high-voltage switchgear products, essential for the U.S. power infrastructure. The expansion supports growing energy demands and reinforces Pennsylvania’s role in advancing national grid reliability.​ READ MORE
    2. P​ennDOT Highlights 57 New Transportation Projects in Pittsburgh Region
      The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced 57 new transportation improvement projects set to begin in 2025 in the Pittsburgh region, covering Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties. These projects will improve 551 miles of roadway and 43 bridges, aligning with Governor Shapiro’s vision for a safe and efficient transportation network. Motorists are urged to exercise caution in work zones.​ READ MORE
    3. $90+ Billion Investment Set to Boost PA Construction JobsCompanies like Blackstone, Google, Amazon, and CoreWeave have announced over $90 billion in AI and energy infrastructure investments across Pennsylvania. Thousands of construction jobs are expected as the state becomes a key hub for digital and energy innovation.​  READ MORE

    Stay safe, stay informed, and keep building Pennsylvania strong.

    May Is Mental Health Awareness Month

    The Keystone Contractors Association is hosting virtual discussions each week in May for Mental Health Awareness Month. These webinars aim to address mental health issues in the construction industry, provide resources for companies and workers. The series ends on a hopeful note with a personal story of overcoming anxiety and depression.

    With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the Keystone Contractors Association is offering some excellent virtual discussions/presentations each week to help us all on our journeys. This journey starts Monday, May 6, at noon and we hope to help many with these events.

    Let’s Talk about Mental Health!, Mon, May 6, 2024 at 12:00 PM

    To kick off the Mental Health Awareness webinar series, we’re going to first lay the foundation to build off of. Kara McCaffrey starts the conversation, making it known that’s ok to talk about mental health issues. Safety is undeniably critical in construction to ensure you take care of your employees and your business. But did you know that more people die by suicide in construction than from all fatal work-related injuries combined? In this webinar, learn more about mental health, why the construction industry has such high rates of suicide, and hear how one construction company is making a difference in this space. Prioritizing and putting more of an emphasis on worker well-being and mental health, and not just safety, could end up saving more lives than you know.

    Construction Wellbeing Initiative, Mon, May 13, 2024 at 12:00 PM

    After this opening webinar, and its’ established that’s it’s ok not to be ok, this next webinar focuses on resources for construction companies and workers. When it comes to supporting your field employees’ mental health, you do not need to reinvent the wheel! Sebastien de Ghellinck and his company SkillSignal partnered with Princeton University to identify, analyze, and curate positive interventions from construction professionals that have demonstrated a positive impact on workers’ wellbeing.

    Naloxone 101, Mon, May 20, 2024 at 12:00 PM

    You’ve heard about NARCAN and you may have even known someone who has used it but are you prepared to save someone’s life? As you may know, the KCA supports the annual Construction Opioid Awareness Week and we encourage every construction company to partake in some educational outreach during this week, which is the last full week of July. Each year we build on our resources and feature a new goal or resource. Our goal this year is have every construction jobsite to have Naloxone on it and we are excited to be able to feature Chris Lalevee from Operating Engineers Union 825 deliver this talk. Chris was one of the first advocates in the country for Naloxone on every jobsite.

    Living, Working & Fixing Anxiety & Depression from a Construction Executive, Tue, May 28, 2024 at 12:00 PM

    At the KCA we are really excited to offer this webinar series during May. We wanted to finish it on a high note with a story of hope and we think we accomplished that goal! Chris Linton is a construction executive from the southeastern area of Pennsylvania who has struggled with major anxiety and depression. It’s a new day for him and his mental health struggles and challenges have improved. He wants to share his story and help others.

    Please feel free to share these virtual offerings with your network.