Rising petroleum prices hit road construction

The Ottawa Construction Association and the General Contractors Association of Ottawa are calling on governments and private developers to cut the bid approval process by half. They want to make bids due in 15 days or less, rather than the usual 30 to 90 days.
The associations say their request is due to the sharply rising prices of construction materials such as steel and copper, and especially asphalt. Asphalt contains petroleum products and is used extensively in roads and paving. The associations say that suppliers are often only willing to quote materials for a 15-day time limit.