The Dodge report says construction totals $1.5 billion for thefirst six months of this year in comparison to $2.1 billion for thesame time period last year. This is an early indicator of aconstruction slowdown in Colorado and other mountain states, RobertA. Murray, Dodge's vice president of economic affairs, toldGlobeSt.com.

"The mountain states, in general, showed strength early on, andit could be they are among the first to start to slip," says theLexington-MA-based executive. "Essentially, they are settling backafter some very robust growth. ... but it is my sense that giventhe general health of the economy and the mountain states, I do notthink it is a severe drop."

Murray believes stricter rules from municipalities on commercialdevelopers also could be playing a role in the slowdown. ''That isa growing movement across the country, actually," he says.