What is the Best Time for Highway Construction and Why?

The best time for highway construction is usually at night because the volume of traffic is much less than during the day. In addition, highway construction workers can complete the work more quickly and safely with less traffic, which leads to cost savings and increased efficiency. Factors such as weather conditions may also play a role in the timing of new road construction or preventive maintenance work.

About the Highway System

The highway system in the United States is the backbone of our society. It allows people to travel easily and safely for work, school, recreation and a host of other purposes. In addition, the highway system is critical to the efficient movement of all the goods and services that companies and consumers require to accomplish their own production, goals, objectives, and tasks.

According to the American Road Transportation and Builders Association (ARTBA), this country has more than 4.1 million miles of public highways and nearly 615,000 bridges. In 2015, these roads and bridges carried almost 3.1 trillion vehicle miles of travel.

Why Does Road Construction Typically Happen at Night?

Road construction typically occurs at night because the traffic volumes are lower during those hours. As a result, the impact that construction has on the local community is lessened and the safety and production efficiency of construction works is improved. In fact, the New York City Department of Transportation reports that night work is completed two to three times faster than the same work done during the day.

Interesting Facts About Road Construction

While most of us complain about road construction when it directly affects our lives, it’s a critical part of allowing our modern society to operate effectively. Consider the following facts reported by ARTBA:

Needed Repairs

Across the country, nearly one-fifth of all major highways need repaving or significant repairs to remain safe. The more roads that fall into this category, the more likely governments will need to deal with emergency maintenance issues.

Deficient Bridges

More than 47,052 of the bridges in the United States are technically “structurally deficient” and require significant maintenance.

Congestion Costs

Roughly $160 billion is spent by U.S. drivers due to congestion and delay. That translates to 6.9 billion hours sitting in cars and 3.1 billion gallons of fuel consumed due to this issue.

Price Increases

About $28 billion of that total congestion cost was related to the U.S. trucking industry. That boosts the cost of fleet maintenance for these companies, which gets passed along to consumers. That means higher prices for many goods and services.

Rhode Island Struggles

According to ARTBA, Rhode Island has the worst roads and bridges in the country. More than half of its highways are in poor or mediocre condition, and nearly one-quarter of its bridges are designated as structurally deficient.

History of Highway System

In June 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid  Highway Act of 1956. This bill prompted the original creation of a 41,000-mile highway system. It was a step that some considered long overdue as Henry Ford’s production of cars began in 1908. Motorized cars were growing in popularity rapidly and dirt roads were simply not a viable long-term solution.

Originally, private companies like car manufacturers and gas station owners footed the bill of creating the nation’s roadways in hopes of long-term profits. Eventually, these private companies convinced the government that roadways were a public concern and need, which shifted funding over to public money. Today, federal and state governments share the expense of building and maintaining our highway system.

Who Approves Road Construction?

Local, state and federal government officials all play a role in approving road construction projects. According to the Congressional Budgeting Office, the officials who have the best information and incentives for particular road projects should approve funding and construction. For example, the federal government typically approves interstate highway projects and repairs because it wants to promote projects that have broad geographic benefits. However, local government officials should determine which community roads and projects take the highest priority for that particular area.

Who Pays for Road Construction?

Ideally, those who use the highways and roadways should foot the majority of the bill for highway construction projects. In some larger cities with a great deal of traffic, toll systems collect money from users, and taxes on gasoline would be another source for funding transportation-related projects. However, the reality is that these means of income generation are simply not enough.

According to the Frontier Group, nearly half the funds used to build and maintain highways comes from general taxes, like income and sales taxes. In 2012, $69 billion of highway spending came from general funds.

This trend has increased over time. A Frontier Group report should that in the 1960s, road user fees paid for nearly three-fourths of road construction and maintenance. Today, that has shifted to a nearly even split, and as a result of inflation, slower growth in driving and more fuel-efficient cars, that shift is likely to continue.

Conclusion

Our highway and road systems are critical to our modern society. As the country’s original roadways and highways reach half-a-century of usage, emergency and preventive maintenance costs will continue to increase, while at the same time, growing cities will work to build new highways. The balance of these projects will become a greater issue in the upcoming years.