Cement shortage jams Minnesota's fall construction season

A cement shortage in Minnesota has tightened timelines for some road projects in the state.

Contractors say cement, a key ingredient in making concrete, is in short supply because of rail and barge delivery slowdowns, cement manufacturing delays in the Midwest and demand for concrete from major local projects, including the St. Croix River bridge and the Vikings stadium.

With the cold weather coming, the window for concrete construction is closing and some projects could get held over until next year if winter weather arrives early, said Tom Raven, construction engineer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

"The concrete producers and cement suppliers are having to prioritize who gets the cement," he said. "Once you get into this season, if you start talking about (delivery) delays in days, you're getting very close to pushing projects in to next construction season."

Some small contractors say they've had a hard time getting any concrete loads for projects and that suppliers are rationing. Major Minnesota concrete suppliers have not returned calls for comment.

Nate Schumm, who runs a small driveway and patio business in Lakeville, said last week his supplier couldn't give him any concrete loads. This week, he says he'll get one.

"We can't seem to be able to get concrete from all these ready-mix companies, so it's pretty much put a halt on all the projects," he said. "Obviously when work shuts off, we don't make anything. It made it a little tougher than I'd like to see it."