Texas Economy Booming -- Especially DFW Metroplex And San Antonio -- March 3, 2016

Another story I would have missed had it not been for my readers. Thank you. This one comes from Don, the Martin Marietta Materials transcript:

Public sector growth is expected to drive mid-single digit volume increases in our infrastructure business which accounted for 41% of our aggregates demand in 2015. 

The growth reflects continued state level funding initiatives that are positively impacting several of our key states, including Texas, North Carolina, Iowa, Georgia and Florida. 

For example, in Texas, nearly $10 billion of department of transportation lettings are planned, up from $6.1 billion in 2015. Dallas, Fort Worth alone is the beneficiary of four major design build projects aimed at mitigating that areas congestion and improving traffic flow. There is also significant and continuing infrastructure work in and around Houston.

This is particularly interesting for me since I point out new highway projects almost everyday to May when we driving around the north side of the DFW metroplex. There's a huge amount of new highway construction northeast of Ft Worth on the way to Plano. Likewise, there's a huge amount of highway construction on I-35E going south into north Dallas. A lot of new interchanges -- which is a huge deal, of course -- and lots of new lanes and new ramps.

$10 billion in highway construction in Texas, in 2016, and much (most?) of it in 2016.

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Natural Gas Inventories

The natural gas inventory curve still looks incredible. Inventories were down a bit, week-over-week, but the delta between current inventories and 10-year highs seems to have increased slightly, very slightly.