Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the construction of highways (including elevated), streets, roads, airport runways, public sidewalks, or bridges. The work performed may include new work, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and repairs. Specialty trade contractors are included in this industry if they are engaged in activities primarily related to highway, street, and bridge construction (e.g., installing guardrails on highways). Illustrative Examples: Airport runway construction Highway line painting Causeway construction Painting traffic lanes or parking lot lines Culverts, highway, road, and street, construction Pothole filling, highway, road, street, or bridge Elevated highway construction Resurfacing, highway, road, street, or bridge Guardrail construction Sign erection, highway, road, street, or bridge
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Construction 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Construction sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in the construction of buildings or engineering projects (e.g., highways and utility systems). Establishments primarily engaged in the preparation of sites for new construction and establishments primarily engaged in subdividing land for sale as building sites also are included in this sector. Construction work done may include new work, additions, alterations, or maintenance and repairs. Activities of these establishments generally are managed at a fixed place of business, but they usually perform construction activities at multiple project sites. Production responsibilities for establishments in this sector are usually specified in (1) contracts with the owners of construction projects (prime contracts) or (2) contracts with other construction establishments (subcontracts). Establishments primarily engaged in contracts that include responsibility for all aspects of individual construction projects are commonly known as general contractors, but also may be known as design-builders, construction managers, turnkey contractors, or (in cases where two or more establishments jointly secure a general contract) joint-venture contractors. Construction managers that provide oversight and scheduling only (i.e., agency) as well as construction managers that are responsible for the entire project (i.e., at risk) are included as general contractor type establishments. Establishments of the "general contractor type" frequently arrange construction of separate parts of their projects through subcontracts with other construction establishments. Establishments primarily engaged in activities to produce a specific component (e.g., masonry, painting, and electrical work) of a construction project are commonly known as specialty trade contractors. Activities of specialty trade contractors are usually subcontracted from other construction establishments, but especially in remodeling and repair construction, the work may be done directly for the owner of the property. Establishments primarily engaged in activities to construct buildings to be sold on sites that they own are known as for-sale builders, but also may be known as speculative builders or merchant builders. For-sale builders produce buildings in a manner similar to general contractors, but their production processes also include site acquisition and securing of financial backing. For-sale builders are most often associated with the construction of residential buildings. Like general contractors, they may subcontract all or part of the actual construction work on their buildings. There are substantial differences in the types of equipment, work force skills, and other inputs required by establishments in this sector. To highlight these differences and variations in the underlying production functions, this sector is divided into three subsectors. Subsector 236, Construction of Buildings, comprises establishments of the general contractor type and for-sale builders involved in the construction of buildings. Subsector 237, Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction, comprises establishments involved in the construction of engineering projects. Subsector 238, Specialty Trade Contractors, comprises establishments engaged in specialty trade activities generally needed in the construction of all types of buildings. Force account construction is construction work performed by an enterprise primarily engaged in some business other than construction for its own account, using employees of the enterprise. This activity is not included in the construction sector unless the construction work performed is the primary activity of a separate establishment of the enterprise. The installation and the ongoing repair and maintenance of telecommunications and utility networks is excluded from construction when the establishments performing the work are not independent contractors. Although a growing proportion of this work is subcontracted to independent contractors in the Construction sector, the operating units of telecommunications and utility companies performing this work are included with the telecommunications or utility activities. |
| 237 | Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 3-digit subsector | The Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction subsector comprises establishments whose primary activity is the construction of entire engineering projects (e.g., highways and dams), and specialty trade contractors, whose primary activity is the production of a specific component for such projects. Specialty trade contractors in the Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction subsector generally are performing activities that are specific to heavy and civil engineering construction projects and are not normally performed on buildings. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, or maintenance and repairs. Specialty trade activities are classified in this subsector if the skills and equipment present are specific to heavy or civil engineering construction projects. For example, specialized equipment is needed to paint lines on highways. This equipment is not normally used in building applications so the activity is classified in this subsector. Traffic signal installation, while specific to highways, uses much of the same skills and equipment that are needed for electrical work in building projects and is therefore classified in Subsector 238, Specialty Trade Contractors. Construction projects involving water resources (e.g., dredging and land drainage) and projects involving open space improvement (e.g., parks and trails) are included in this subsector. Establishments whose primary activity is the subdivision of land into individual building lots usually perform various additional site-improvement activities (e.g., road building and utility line installation) and are included in this subsector. Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the types of structures that they construct. This classification reflects variations in the requirements of the underlying production processes. |
| 2373 | Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 4-digit industry group | The Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction subsector comprises establishments whose primary activity is the construction of entire engineering projects (e.g., highways and dams), and specialty trade contractors, whose primary activity is the production of a specific component for such projects. Specialty trade contractors in the Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction subsector generally are performing activities that are specific to heavy and civil engineering construction projects and are not normally performed on buildings. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, or maintenance and repairs. Specialty trade activities are classified in this subsector if the skills and equipment present are specific to heavy or civil engineering construction projects. For example, specialized equipment is needed to paint lines on highways. This equipment is not normally used in building applications so the activity is classified in this subsector. Traffic signal installation, while specific to highways, uses much of the same skills and equipment that are needed for electrical work in building projects and is therefore classified in Subsector 238, Specialty Trade Contractors. Construction projects involving water resources (e.g., dredging and land drainage) and projects involving open space improvement (e.g., parks and trails) are included in this subsector. Establishments whose primary activity is the subdivision of land into individual building lots usually perform various additional site-improvement activities (e.g., road building and utility line installation) and are included in this subsector. Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the types of structures that they construct. This classification reflects variations in the requirements of the underlying production processes. |
| 23731 | Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 237310. |
| 237310 | Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the construction of highways (including elevated), streets, roads, airport runways, public sidewalks, or bridges. The work performed may include new work, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and repairs. Specialty trade contractors are included in this industry if they are engaged in activities primarily related to highway, street, and bridge construction (e.g., installing guardrails on highways). Illustrative Examples: Airport runway construction Highway line painting Causeway construction Painting traffic lanes or parking lot lines Culverts, highway, road, and street, construction Pothole filling, highway, road, street, or bridge Elevated highway construction Resurfacing, highway, road, street, or bridge Guardrail construction Sign erection, highway, road, street, or bridge |
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Classification References
- 01Constructing tunnels--are classified in Industry 237990, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction;
- 02Highway lighting and signal installation--are classified in Industry 238210, Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors;
- 03Painting bridges--are classified in Industry 238320, Painting and Wall Covering Contractors;
- 04Road decommissioning or removing culverts or bridges--are classified in Industry 238910, Site Preparation Contractors;
- 05Constructing parking lots, private driveways, sidewalks, or erecting billboards--are classified in Industry 238990, All Other Specialty Trade Contractors; and
- 06Providing road cleaning or snow removal services--are classified in Industry 488490, Other Support Activities for Road Transportation.
Index Items
Abutment construction
Airport runway construction
Airport runway line painting (e.g., striping)
Asphalt paving (i.e., highway, road, street, public sidewalk)
Bridge approach construction
Bridge construction
Bridge decking construction
Causeway construction
Concrete paving (i.e., highway, road, street, public sidewalk)
Construction management, highway, road, street and bridge
Culverts, highway, road and street, construction
Curbs and street gutters, highway, road and street, construction
Elevated highway construction
Grading, highway, road, street and airport runway
Guardrail construction
Highway construction
Highway line painting
Logging road construction
Oil field road construction
Overpass construction
Painting lines on highways, streets and bridges
Painting traffic lanes or parking lots
Parking lot marking and line painting
Parkway construction
Pavement, highway, road, street, bridge or airport runway, construction
Pothole filling, highway, road, street or bridge
Repair, highway, road, street, bridge or airport runway
Resurfacing, highway, road, street, bridge or airport runway
Road construction
Runway, airport, line painting (e.g., striping)
Sidewalk, public, construction
Sign erection, highway, road, street, or bridge
Street construction
Surfacing, highway, road, street, bridge or airport runway
Tarring roads
Traffic lane painting
Trestle construction
Underpass construction
How Item Can Help
Highway construction companies use the Warehouse Management System to track heavy materials and trackable components, ensuring just-in-time delivery prevents site bottlenecks.
The Order Management System streamlines the coordination of complex, multi-phase projects by providing a single source of truth for design changes and material requests.
Transportation Management Systems optimize the delivery routes for oversized structural steel and precast bridges, reducing fuel costs and delivery times across remote job sites.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 237310.
American Public Works Association
National trade association for the construction industry serving public clients and public infrastructure.
US Department of Transportation
Federal government agency responsible for overseeing highways, streets, and bridge construction standards.
Associated General Contractors of America
Leading industry organization providing resources and advocacy for general contractors including road and bridge construction.
