Manhattan Construction Group

TULSA, Okla. – The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) has awarded Manhattan Road & Bridge Co. the contract to build the I-44 West Bound Replacement Bridge over the Arkansas River. At approximately $63 million, the contract is the second largest to ever be issued by ODOT. The project includes the removal of the existing I-244 (Westbound) Arkansas River Bridge, including the 17th Street off-ramp, and reconstruction of a new double-decker bridge structure. The project bridge and road connection work will be almost one mile long, with the primary river bridge being 3,296 feet long.

When complete, the project will be Tulsa’s first “multi-modal” bridge. It will incorporate a new section of the I-44 westbound highway, two dedicated future rail lines and an area for bicycle/pedestrian traffic into a double-decker style bridge. The pedestrian and bicycle bridge will include an elaborate decorative Art Deco motif designed canopy, providing pedestrians a view downstream of the Arkansas River.

About Manhattan Road & Bridge Co.
Manhattan Road & Bridge provides bridge and heavy infrastructure construction services in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas from its corporate office in Tulsa, and division offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla.; Springdale and Pine Bluff, Ark.; and service office in Muskogee, Okla. The company is a subsidiary of Manhattan Construction Group.

Manhattan Road & Bridge Co. received two bronze eagle honors from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Oklahoma at the organization’s Excellence In Construction Awards dinner in October. Manhattan won the top honor for projects in the following categories:

• Infrastructure/Heavy-Emergency Restoration for work on state highway 20 and Keetonville Hill
• Infrastructure/Heavy Over $10 million for construction of I-540/Perry Road Interchange

Companies affiliated with Manhattan Road & Bridge also received bronze eagles. Manhattan Construction Co. took home five and Cantera Concrete Co. took home two. All are subsidiaries of Manhattan Construction Group.

In all, Manhattan Construction Group companies won nine awards which are now eligible to move on to ABC’s national competition. Winners at that level will be announced in February at the association’s annual convention in San Diego.

TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa-based bridge builder Manhattan Road & Bridge Co., formerly M.J. Lee Construction Co., announced today that it has acquired Muskogee-based Muskogee Bridge Co. This is the company’s second acquisition in the last 12 months. In January 2008, the company acquired Southern Pavers, Inc. of Pine Bluff, Ark.

“This most recent acquisition provides us the opportunity to leverage our collective financial strength, geographic coverage, talent, equipment resources and performance abilities,” said Kendall Adams, President of Manhattan Road & Bridge Co. “Each of the three companies has a long standing reputation for integrity in the contracting process and for dependable quality construction service.”

The addition of Muskogee Bridge’s employees, which total about 200, bring the total Manhattan Road & Bridge workforce to about 400 employees. The company anticipates adding additional forces if available bridge work increases as a result of the stimulus package and has the capacity to put in place more than $200 million of new construction annually.

Mike Webb, formerly President of Muskogee Bridge, will serve as Senior Vice President of Manhattan Road & Bridge, and Todd Saxton, formerly Vice President of M.J. Lee, will also serve as Senior Vice President and division manager for the Tulsa division.

The company provides bridge and heavy infrastructure construction services in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas from its corporate office in Tulsa, and division offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla.; Springdale and Pine Bluff, Ark.; and service office in Muskogee, Okla.

Manhattan Road & Bridge Co. is a subsidiary of Manhattan Construction Group. Other Group subsidiaries include Manhattan Construction Company, Kraft Construction Company and Cantera Concrete Company.

TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa-based M.J. Lee Construction Co., a subsidiary of Rooney Holdings, Inc., has expanded its operations with the acquisition of Southern Pavers, Inc. Originally formed in 1981, Southern Pavers provides bridge-building services to central Arkansas from its Pine Bluff, Ark., location.

M.J. Lee’s acquisition of Southern Pavers includes all assets and operations. Southern Paver’s founder Randy McNulty will continue to manage the Pine Bluff location, now known as M.J. Lee Construction Company -  Southern Pavers Division. Approximately 50 employees work in this division.

This acquisition expands M.J. Lee’s geographical reach into the growing bridge construction market in Arkansas where the public sector is expected to have a substantial funding increase, said M.J. Lee President, Ken Adams.

Founded in 1956, M.J. Lee provides bridge construction services in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. With the recent acquisition, the company now has 136 employees and three locations. M.J. Lee President Ken Adams oversees overall company operations from the company’s corporate office in Tulsa, Okla. Also, from this location M.J. Lee Vice President Todd Saxton manages Oklahoma area operations. Division offices include the Northwest Arkansas Division in Rogers, Ark., managed by David Love, and now the Southern Pavers Division in Pine Bluff, Ark., managed by Randy McNulty.

According to the 2007 revised Arkansas State Highway Needs Study and Highway Improvement Plan, there is $1.6 billion in bridge construction and repair needed over the next ten years on Arkansas State Highways alone. The Arkansas State Highway department has identified 1,257 bridges on the State Highway System as substandard and in need of replacement or rehabilitation.

In addition to the highway system need, there is expanding opportunity in local municipality and privately funded bridge construction projects.