New Jersey’s September Iron Index is 79 (Active). Two September 29 contracts total $200.0 million in listed awards, led by Route 1 bridge reconstruction and widening. Regional diesel remains a material cost consideration.
One score summarizing project activity, demand, capacity, operating pressure, and near-term opportunity.
Two September 29 contracts total $200.0 million in listed awards.
Route 1 bridge reconstruction and widening accounts for $189.6 million.
Central Atlantic diesel was $6.531 per gallon in the week of September 28.
For readers who want the detail behind the score, signals, regional outlook, and operating recommendations.
Executive read: New Jersey’s September Iron Index is 79 (Active), Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary assessment. The September 29 cycle is concentrated in a major Route 1 bridge project and Route 94 roadway and culvert work. Confirm actual material packages and mobilization before committing equipment.
NJDOT lists contract DP26107 at $189,638,738.40 following the September 29 opening. Bridge reconstruction, widening and superstructure replacement define the work. This is a concentrated construction signal; the full contract value is not a hauling budget or a load forecast.
Contract DP26121 is listed at $10,363,000. Its detailed bid schedule includes culvert construction, roadway work, signals and traffic control. Confirm the sequence of excavation, deliveries and disposal directly with the project team.
Central Atlantic diesel was $6.531 per gallon for the week of September 28. This regional benchmark is not a New Jersey pump price. Fuel adjustments, return mileage and waiting time matter when comparing a specific route’s economics.
New Jersey seasonally adjusted construction employment was 163,000 in September, compared with 166,100 a year earlier, a decline of approximately 1.9%. September employment is preliminary. Hauler Capacity is an employment-based proxy; it does not count available trucks or drivers.
This edition assesses letting activity, work mix, regional fuel and construction employment. Project Pipeline and Broker Opportunity are not scored because comparable forward-project dollar coverage is unavailable. This inaugural edition has no month-over-month Index trend.
Activity uses the latest completed September cycle, September 29, rather than the sum of all September openings. NJDOT’s award records were checked after the letting. Earlier September cycles are used only for historical comparison. Municipal, private and separately procured projects are outside this scope.
Prepared October 28, 2026. Letting, fuel and employment observations are anchored to September. Baseline window: 3-cycle.
The Iron Index is Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary market assessment, built from public DOT, EIA and BLS data. Its scoring derivation is proprietary and is not published.
Hauler Capacity is an employment-based proxy, not a measurement of truck supply. Scores describe observed conditions and are not forecasts or guarantees. Award values are not hauling revenue or confirmed loads.
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