Construction in Arizona continues during COVID-19 spread, but with health precautions

Construction in Arizona continues during COVID-19 spread, but with health precautions

Construction in the valley continues on as it's been labeled essential work, but some companies are still seeing a hit on their business.

Construction in the valley continues on as it's been labeled essential work, but some companies are still seeing a hit on their business during the COVID-19 era. 

“We are at 20 to 25% less revenue than we expected," said Doug Declusin, President and CEO of Sunland Asphalt.

He says says his team is lucky to have a backlog of work right now, but some projects have been pushed back.

“Requests for proposals are slowing down so we are expecting to be affected in July or August or September,” Declusin said.

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According to Edd Gibson with Arizona State University Fulton Schools of Engineering, construction is better positioned to withstand this pandemic than many other sectors.

“My perspective is this is a very short time frame and construction will bounce back quickly," he said.

In some ways, Gibson says the process on a site has slowed with social distancing, but says the trend shows projects can and are getting done for safely.

“There are things that can be done at the job site to protect our workers and those things are being done well across the country, Sunland Asphalt is doing just that," Declusin said, saying the safety of its workers is a top priority.

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"We are working outside telling our guys to stay 6 feet apart, providing them with face coverings and hand sanitizer on the site," Declusin said.

According to Gibson, the construction industry is being impacted into the near future based on how much money is put into the economy.