DOLLAR NEEDS TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE U.S. ROADS

A recent study by the General Motors Research Laboratory measured highway maintenance and restoration needs that must be met by local, state, and federal highway programs. The study focused on several questions: (a) How much money is needed to preserve pavement conditions on the major U.S. highway systems? (b) What are the implications of current expenditure levels for future highway conditions? and (c) How much will it cost in future years to restore the nations highways to their current levels? The study used both 1975 and 1980 pavement conditions as standards against which to evaluate needed expenditures, estimated pavement deterioration rates of a system-by-system basis, provided estimates of future road conditions that help evaluate the probable impact of current expenditure levels, and considered the impact of inflation on expenditures. The study used a mathematical model of the pavement deterioration and improvement processes as a markov chain. The details of the study and the results are briefly summarized. The shortfall between the actual and needed expenditures has been greatest (as a percentage) on the interstate highway system, and the decline in pavement condition has been more rapid on this than on other systems. The shortfall on the arterial highway system represents a smaller percentage of expenditures but is much larger in dollars. An estimated $1.5 billion will be spent on capital improvements on the collector highway system in 1981.

• Digital Copy:
  • Purchase a digital copy of this publication for $25 USD
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07386826
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Phillips, B A
  • Beaman, R T
• Publication Date: 1981-3

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 2-5
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research News
  • Issue Number: 93
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0738-6826

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Deterioration; Driver rehabilitation; Expenditures; Federal government; Highway maintenance; Highways; Improvements; Inflation; Local government; Maintenance management; Markov chains; Mathematical models; Pavements; State government; Streets
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Maintenance costs; Rehabilitation
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Collector distributor roads
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Pavements; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00334037
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 16 1981 12:00AM