Virginia’s July 2026 Iron Index is 80 (Strong). VDOT recorded $146,200,429 in low bids across 36 contracts; 49.2% of value was in earthwork-intensive work. Regional diesel was $5.255/gal in the week of 2026-07-27. July construction employment was down 2.5% year over year.
One score summarizing project activity, demand, capacity, operating pressure, and near-term opportunity.
VDOT recorded $146.2M in low bids across 36 July contracts.
49.2% of recorded low-bid value was in earthwork-intensive work.
Regional diesel was $5.255/gal in the week of 2026-07-27.
For readers who want the detail behind the score, signals, regional outlook, and operating recommendations.
Executive read: Virginia’s July Iron Index is 80 (Strong), Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary assessment. The July letting combined a large plant-mix pavement program with intersection, roundabout and bridge work. Recorded low-bid activity was strong relative to Virginia’s recent history. Regional diesel costs increased, while the employment-based capacity proxy pointed to looser availability.
$36,163,908 across 11 contract(s), representing 24.7% of recorded low-bid value. Confirm actual hauling scope, award status and mobilization with the contractor.
$21,585,000 across 1 contract(s), representing 14.8% of recorded low-bid value. Confirm actual hauling scope, award status and mobilization with the contractor.
$13,090,864 across 2 contract(s), representing 9.0% of recorded low-bid value. Confirm actual hauling scope, award status and mobilization with the contractor.
$10,953,491 across 1 contract(s), representing 7.5% of recorded low-bid value. Confirm actual hauling scope, award status and mobilization with the contractor.
SMART SCALE* - INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS: $21,585,000 in the published ranked low bid. Confirm the contractor’s schedule, material requirements and hauling package before committing capacity.
SMART SCALE - ROUNDABOUT AND R-CUT INTERSECTION: $10,953,491 in the published ranked low bid. Confirm the contractor’s schedule, material requirements and hauling package before committing capacity.
HARD SHOULDER RUNNING AND ITS INSTALLATION: $10,424,919 in the published ranked low bid. Confirm the contractor’s schedule, material requirements and hauling package before committing capacity.
BRIDGE REHABILITATION: $8,470,743 in the published ranked low bid. Confirm the contractor’s schedule, material requirements and hauling package before committing capacity.
EIA reported Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) on-highway diesel at $5.255/gal for the week of 2026-07-27, 6.2% above its recent reference level. This is a regional figure, not a Virginia pump price. Check fuel-adjustment terms and loaded and empty miles when pricing work.
BLS reported 224,900 construction jobs in July 2026, down 2.5% from July 2025. Hauler Capacity is an employment-based proxy, not a measurement of truck supply. The proxy points to looser availability; local truck commitments still need direct confirmation.
This edition assesses transportation activity, heavy civil work, fuel costs and hauling capacity. Together, these indicators inform Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary view of market conditions.
Project Pipeline and Broker Opportunity are not rated in this edition. Published VDOT advertisements do not provide the future contract values needed to assess these indicators.
Historical edition prepared October 15, 2026. Letting, fuel and employment observations are anchored to the stated reporting period. Employment estimates may be revised after their initial release.
The Iron Index is Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary market assessment, built from public DOT, EIA and BLS data. It considers activity, work mix, forward pipeline, fuel pressure and hauling capacity. A score of 60 represents normal conditions for that state. The 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. Low-bid results can change before final award. This report does not measure all private, county or municipal construction.
Use the market signals above to grow your network, plan capacity, and find better-fit work in Virginia.