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June 1, 2011 11:10 AM, EDT

Construction spending rose 0.4% in April, the second straight monthly increase, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The increase followed a revised 0.1% gain in March that was smaller than previously estimated, Commerce said.

The April upturn topped economists’ forecasts of a 0.3% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Private construction spending rose 1.7%, while homebuilding spending gained 3.1%.

Public construction spending slid 1.9% as state and local government projects declined.ÌýFederal construction spending fell 2% in April, as it did the previous month.

Construction spending can boost demand for trucking services because spending increases the number of shipments of goods and building materials.