SEGMENT REPORTING (Segment Financial Disclosure) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues		$ 977,490	$ 1,094,715	$ 1,030,763	$ 787,328	$ 872,974	$ 1,008,140	$ 956,825	$ 754,728	$ 3,890,296	$ 3,592,667	$ 3,422,181
Gross profit		243,291	$ 305,516	$ 291,775	$ 159,979	239,706	$ 304,209	$ 292,184	$ 164,718	1,000,561	1,000,817	857,533
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization										305,965	284,940	274,823
Capital Expenditures	[1]									464,233	344,941	304,024
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		146,646				268,019				146,646	268,019	285,210	$ 141,273
Total assets		9,504,891				8,471,475				9,504,891	8,471,475	8,301,632
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues										4,143,653	3,813,130	3,616,298
Total assets	[2]	9,112,326				8,046,371				9,112,326	8,046,371	7,995,691
Aggregates [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	[3]									3,096,094	2,961,835	2,777,758
Gross profit										860,021	873,118	755,666
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization										245,151	236,472	228,466
Capital Expenditures	[1]									421,989	297,737	269,014
Total assets	[2]	8,409,505				7,589,225				8,409,505	7,589,225	7,540,273
Aggregates [Member] | Intersegment sales [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues										(253,357)	(220,463)	(194,117)
Asphalt [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues										622,074	512,310	530,692
Gross profit										91,948	97,682	78,225
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization										25,400	16,797	16,378
Capital Expenditures	[1]									12,970	29,002	8,111
Total assets	[2]	426,575				259,514				426,575	259,514	251,716
Concrete [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues										417,745	330,125	299,252
Gross profit										46,117	26,543	20,152
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization										13,822	12,129	11,374
Capital Expenditures	[1]									25,176	10,047	19,053
Total assets	[2]	271,818				192,673				271,818	192,673	198,193
Calcium [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues										7,740	8,860	8,596
Gross profit										2,475	3,474	3,490
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization										677	774	679
Capital Expenditures	[1]									78	534	0
Total assets	[2]	4,428				4,959				4,428	4,959	5,509
Other Segments [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, accretion and amortization										20,915	18,768	17,926
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital Expenditures	[1]									4,020	7,621	7,846
Total assets		$ 245,919				$ 157,085				$ 245,919	$ 157,085	$ 20,731

[1] Capital expenditures include capitalized replacements of and additions to property, plant & equipment, including capitalized leases, renewals and betterments. Capital expenditures exclude property, plant & equipment obtained by business acquisitions.

[2] 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.

[3] Includes product sales, as well as freight, delivery and transportation revenues, and other revenues related to aggregates.