SEGMENT REPORTING (Segment Financial Disclosure) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 652,881,000		$ 775,183,000	$ 696,078,000	$ 504,554,000	$ 574,886,000		$ 687,616,000	$ 648,890,000	$ 499,851,000	$ 2,628,696,000		$ 2,411,243,000		$ 2,406,909,000
Delivery revenues											142,013,000		156,067,000		157,641,000
Total revenues	680,246,000		813,568,000	738,733,000	538,162,000	608,431,000		728,861,000	694,136,000	535,882,000	2,770,709,000		2,567,310,000		2,564,550,000
Gross profit	117,347,000		158,983,000	132,895,000	17,655,000	79,206,000		126,923,000	105,939,000	21,958,000	426,880,000		334,026,000		283,869,000
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization											307,108,000		331,959,000		361,719,000
Cash items	193,738,000					275,478,000					193,738,000		275,478,000		155,839,000		47,541,000
Total assets	8,259,143,000					8,126,599,000					8,259,143,000		8,126,599,000		8,229,300,000
Capital expenditures
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	284,600,000					95,800,000					284,600,000		95,800,000		97,900,000
Identifiable assets
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	7,985,100,000	[1]				7,746,600,000	[1]				7,985,100,000	[1]	7,746,600,000	[1]	7,950,800,000	[1]
Aggregates [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											1,713,600,000		1,581,200,000		1,591,400,000
Gross profit											413,300,000		352,100,000		306,200,000
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization											224,800,000		240,700,000		267,000,000
Aggregates [Member] | Capital expenditures
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	253,000,000					77,000,000					253,000,000		77,000,000		67,600,000
Aggregates [Member] | Identifiable assets
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	7,006,700,000	[1]				6,717,300,000	[1]				7,006,700,000	[1]	6,717,300,000	[1]	6,837,000,000	[1]
Aggregates [Member] | Segments revenues
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											1,899,000,000		1,729,400,000		1,734,000,000
Aggregates [Member] | Intersegment sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											(185,400,000)		(148,200,000)		(142,600,000)
Concrete [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											471,700,000		406,400,000		374,700,000
Gross profit											(24,800,000)		(38,200,000)		(43,400,000)
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization											33,000,000		41,300,000		47,700,000
Concrete [Member] | Capital expenditures
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	13,100,000					9,200,000					13,100,000		9,200,000		6,300,000
Concrete [Member] | Identifiable assets
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	370,100,000	[1]				412,300,000	[1]				370,100,000	[1]	412,300,000	[1]	461,100,000	[1]
Concrete [Member] | Segments revenues
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											471,700,000		406,400,000		374,700,000
Asphalt Mix [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											393,400,000		378,100,000		399,000,000
Gross profit											32,700,000		22,900,000		25,600,000
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization											8,700,000		8,700,000		7,700,000
Asphalt Mix [Member] | Capital expenditures
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	17,100,000					7,200,000					17,100,000		7,200,000		16,100,000
Asphalt Mix [Member] | Identifiable assets
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	195,000,000	[1]				218,900,000	[1]				195,000,000	[1]	218,900,000	[1]	234,900,000	[1]
Asphalt Mix [Member] | Segments revenues
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											393,400,000		378,100,000		399,000,000
Cement
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											50,000,000		45,500,000		41,800,000
Gross profit											5,700,000		(2,800,000)		(4,500,000)
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization											18,100,000		18,100,000		17,800,000
Cement | Capital expenditures
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	200,000					1,200,000					200,000		1,200,000		3,200,000
Cement | Identifiable assets
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	413,300,000	[1]				398,100,000	[1]				413,300,000	[1]	398,100,000	[1]	417,800,000	[1]
Cement | Segments revenues
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											97,300,000		84,600,000		71,900,000
Cement | Intersegment sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales											(47,300,000)		(39,100,000)		(30,100,000)
Other unallocated
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization											22,500,000		23,200,000		21,500,000
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	80,300,000	[1]				104,500,000	[1]				80,300,000	[1]	104,500,000	[1]	122,700,000	[1]
Corporate | Capital expenditures
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ 1,200,000					$ 1,200,000					$ 1,200,000		$ 1,200,000		$ 4,700,000

[1] Certain temporarily idled assets are included within a segment's Identifiable Assets but the associated DDA&A is shown within Other in the DDA&A section above as the related DDA&A is excluded from segment gross profit.