ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015 property
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Payment for acquisition of businesses		$ 284,237,000	$ 89,951,000		$ 0
Cash proceeds from divestiture		721,359,000	51,604,000		21,166,000
Gain on sale of properties and businesses		244,222,000	39,250,000		68,455,000
Purchases of property, plant & equipment		224,852,000	275,380,000		93,357,000
Property, plant & equipment		6,608,842,000	6,933,602,000
Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment		26,028,000	17,576,000		80,829,000
Capital gains with deferred income taxes		661,697,000	725,162,000
Common stock issued in connection with business acquisitions	60,855	715,004
Total consideration		45,185,000	0		0
Goodwill of dispositions			5,195,000	[1]
CALIFORNIA
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Capital gains with deferred income taxes		144,200,000
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Total consideration		331,836,000
Cash paid		284,237,000
Consideration transferred, common stock		45,185,000
Common stock issued in connection with business acquisitions		715,004
Aggregates
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Gain on sale of properties and businesses						168,000	5,790,000
Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment						10,727,000	5,820,000
Goodwill of dispositions			5,195,000	[1]
Concrete
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Goodwill of dispositions			0	[1]
Concrete | Subsequent Event [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities divested								12
Asphalt Mix
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Goodwill of dispositions			0	[1]
Asphalt Mix | Subsequent Event [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired								13
Cement And Concrete [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Cash proceeds from divestiture						721,359,000
Gain on sale of properties and businesses						227,910,000
Supply agreement period						20 years
Contractual Rights
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets recognized		36,921,000
Estimated weighted-average amortization period of intangible assets		40 years
Intangible assets amortization period, tax purposes		15 years
Previously mined and subsequently reclaimed tract of land [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Gain on sale of properties and businesses			9,027,000
Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment			11,261,000
Aggregates sites [Member] | Aggregates | Arizona And New Mexico [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired		5
Aggregates sites [Member] | Aggregates | DELAWARE
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired		2
Aggregates sites [Member] | Aggregates | CALIFORNIA
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired		4
Asphalt plants Member] | CALIFORNIA
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired		2
Land containing 136 million tons of aggregates reserves [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Aggregates reserves acquired			136,000,000
Purchases of property, plant & equipment			117,000,000
One aggregates production facility and four ready-mixed concrete facilities [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Payment for acquisition of businesses			29,983,000
One aggregates production facility and four ready-mixed concrete facilities [Member] | Aggregates
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired			1
One aggregates production facility and four ready-mixed concrete facilities [Member] | Concrete
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired			4
One aggregates production facility and four ready-mixed concrete facilities [Member] | Contractual Rights
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Amortizable intangible assets recognized			5,425,000
Intangible assets amortization period, tax purposes			15 years
Two aggregates production facilities [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Payment for acquisition of businesses			59,968,000
Amortizable intangible assets recognized			3,620,000
Intangible assets amortization period, tax purposes			15 years
Two aggregates production facilities [Member] | Aggregates
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities acquired			2
Volumetric production payment (VPP) [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Gross proceeds from sale of future production			154,000,000
Transaction costs			905,000
Four aggregates production facilities [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Cash proceeds from divestiture			34,743,000
Gain on sale of properties and businesses			21,183,000
Goodwill of dispositions			4,521,000
Withdrawl liability			4,000,000
Four aggregates production facilities [Member] | Aggregates
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities divested			4
One aggregates production facility and its related replacement reserve land [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Cash proceeds from divestiture			5,133,000
Gain on sale of properties and businesses			2,802,000
Goodwill of dispositions			674,000
One aggregates production facility and its related replacement reserve land [Member] | Aggregates
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Number of facilities divested			1
Two tracts of land [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Gain on sale of properties and businesses					41,155,000
Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment					57,690,000
Number of tracts of Land Sold					2
Area of land sold					148
An aggregates production facility [Member] | Aggregates
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Cash proceeds from divestiture					10,476,000
Gain on sale of properties and businesses					5,646,000
Number of facilities divested					1
Area of land sold					197
A percentage of the future production from aggregates reserves at certain owned and leased quarries [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Gross proceeds from sale of future production					75,200,000
Transaction costs					1,617,000
Mitigation Credits [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Gain on sale of properties and businesses					12,342,000
Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment					13,469,000
Real estate [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Gain on sale of properties and businesses					5,979,000
Proceeds from sale of property, plant & equipment					$ 9,691,000
Minimum | One aggregates production facility and four ready-mixed concrete facilities [Member] | Contractual Rights
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Estimated weighted-average amortization period of intangible assets			50 years
Minimum | Two aggregates production facilities [Member]
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]
Estimated weighted-average amortization period of intangible assets			20 years

[1] Refer to Note 19 for additional details.