"We want a truck to make a round trip in one hour. That's how to be competitive," said Darrell Smith, a project manager for Budrovich Excavating, of south St. Louis County.

The contractor hauled 500,000 cubic yards of dirt from the MetroLink site to another MetroLink site in Wellston.

"They needed fill dirt to get out of a flood plain," Smith said.

Most contractors try to find a place for their dirt within a 20-mile radius. Given the time and fuel costs, that is the distance they believe is within an acceptable cost to be competitive.

"Dirt's a commodity," said Smith. "Sometimes you can make a little money on it, and sometimes you have to get rid of it."

Dirt disposal has even gone high-tech. There's a website, fillbroker.com, where contractors can post their needs to get rid of dirt or to bring in dirt.