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Traffic congestion has delayed construction projects for as long as construction projects have caused traffic congestion.

But new data released by the Associated General Contractors of America on traffic congestion’s impact on the construction industry has AGC staff and members calling for a new six-year, $450 billion federal transportation and highway bill.

Some local contractors acknowledged that traffic can cause problems, but not unmanageable ones.

“The problem is out there,” said Dave Garrison, division manager for the Portland road construction firm Porter W. Yett Co. But the problem arises only on certain projects, and is accounted for in the company’s bids, he added.

Data released by the AGC of America showed that 63 percent of Oregon general contractors surveyed make changes to their schedule of operation to accommodate traffic. And 66 percent said that traffic congestion increases the cost of doing business by 1 to 5 percent.

“Chronic congestion is causing costly delays and forcing expensive changes in the way the construction industry does business,” Stephen Sandherr, CEO of AGC of America, said during a conference call on Thursday. “As this analysis makes clear, traffic tie-ups nationwide are sapping productivity, delaying construction projects and raising costs for construction firms of all types.”

Dan Kavanaugh, general manager for the Portland office of Turner Construction, said that traffic can affect a project, but never determines whether his firm bids on it.

“We look at this stuff in the bidding process and might do some night work if traffic plays a role,” he said. But the firm chooses to work at night only if it is going to be cost-effective, he added.

One example Kavanaugh mentioned was the SolarWorld plant the company constructed in Hillsboro several years ago. The firm decided to perform the concrete pours at night because of the long travel times for trucks during daytime hours.

“We could do the night pour in a six-hour shift opposed to a nine-hour shift during the day,” he said. “So the extra costs of doing work at night were completely gone because the pour took less time.

“We never consider it a premium to do night work.”

Garrison added that traffic can even create an opportunity to win work. If Porter W. Yett can find a unique solution to traffic congestion in the bidding process, then the company may be in better position to get the job, he said.

The study also showed that 37 percent of Oregon respondents said that each project they finish is delayed from one to two days because of traffic congestion. However, 72 percent of national respondents said the same thing.

Steve Basila, president of Pulice Construction, a road construction firm from Phoenix, Ariz., said that he has seen supply drivers around the Phoenix area take trips 20 miles farther than the most direct route to avoid traffic and arrive on time. That additional cost can add up quickly, he said.

“A big part of this business is making sure everything is on time, and increased traffic congestion is making it costly to make sure that happens,” he said.

While traffic may not be as bad in Oregon as other places, Garrison pointed out that the state could use some of those transportation dollars if a bill were to pass.

“We do work all around the Northwest and you don’t even need a sign to know you are out of Oregon,” he said. “You can tell you are out of Oregon when the roads get a whole lot nicer.”