January future construction a mixed bag

The total value of future construction contracts in New Hampshire fell 37 percent in January from the same month the previous year, but activity actually rose in two construction sectors over that period.Future construction contracts totaled $82.4 million in the Granite State in January 2012, down from the $130.3 million recorded in January 2011, according to industry information service Mc-Graw Hill Construction.That 37 percent drop was mostly attributable to the huge year-over-year plunge in nonresidential construction contracts, which totaled $80.6 million in January 2011 but only $9.5 million in January 2012.On the brighter side, the total value of residential and nonbuilding contracts was on the rise year over year. Residential construction contracts totaled $15 million in January 2012, up 18 percent from $12.8 million in January 2011, while nonbuilding contracts — for things like roads, bridges, and sewers — rose 57 percent year over year, from $36.9 million in January 2011 to $57.9 million in January 2012. –KATHLEEN CALLAHAN/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW