The Interstate Highway System faces “increasing congestion, unprecedented levels of travel – particularly by large trucks – and insufficient funding to make needed repairs and improvements,” according to a new report by the TRIP group in the AASHTO Journal.
TRIP said 12% of the country’s interstate lanes are in poor or mediocre condition, while 3% of its bridges are structurally deficient, and another 18% are functionally obsolete.
"The system is increasingly congested, with truck travel growing at a rate twice that of overall interstate travel," TRIP said. "And, while the nation's interstates tend to be in better condition than other roads and bridges, the aging system lacks the required funding for needed improvements and repairs."
In its opening section the TRIP report said: "If Americans are to continue to enjoy their current level of personal and commercial mobility on Interstate highways and bridges, the nation will need to make a commitment to identifying a long-term funding source to support a well-maintained Interstate Highway System able to meet the nation's need for additional mobility.
AASHTO Journal has the full story here.