Rough Roads. Fix Them Now or. Rough Roads Ahead

Transcription

1 Rough Rods Ahed Fix Them Now or Py for It Lter Rough Rods Ahed

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3 Wht s Wrong with Our Rods? Killer potholes. In flsh they cn dislodge hubcp, shred tire, or even worse, cuse driver to lose control of cr. But they cn lso be symptom of much deeper problem deteriorting pvement tht tkes much more to repir thn simple ptch. As fundmentl s our trnsporttion system is to our dily lives, our highwys nd bridges re ging, under-funded nd indequte to meet the demnds we plce upon them tody, much less the future. And cross Americ motorists re pying the price. For stte deprtments of trnsporttion, preserving the condition nd performnce of the trnsporttion system we hve built is the top priority. In Pennsylvni, for exmple, work will begin lter this yer on more thn 240 projects to repir nd improve 608 miles of highwy nd 399 bridges. The projects will be finnced with $1 billion in federl economic-stimulus money combined with bout $2 billion in federl nd stte funds. This represents the most the Pennsylvni Trnsporttion Deprtment hs ever committed to construction in single yer. New technology, mterils, nd procedures re helping extend the life of our highwys nd bridges. Sttes re lso spending smrt by mking the investments needed to keep rod in good repir, rther thn pying more lter to ddress greter deteriortion. But the needs re enormous nd poor-qulity pvement is reflected in the incresed operting costs tht motorists must py. This report, developed by AASHTO in conjunction with TRIP, ntionl trnsporttion reserch group, documents the preservtion needs of the ntion s highwys nd the solutions tht cn be pplied. As we look to the next uthoriztion of federlid surfce trnsporttion progrms, rebuilding nd improving our ntion s core trnsporttion structure must be fundmentl gol. Allen D. Biehler Secretry, Pennsylvni Deprtment of Trnsporttion President, AASHTO Rough Rods Ahed iii

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5 Tble of Contents Executive Summry vi Introduction: Highwys to Everywhere x Chpter 1 Rough Rods Fcing the Fcts Chpter 2 Investing to Sve Americ s Highwys Chpter 3 The Interstte System An Aging Economic Engine Chpter 4 Trucks nd Highwys Working Together to Move Freight Chpter 5 Mnging Highwys s n Investment Chpter 6 Rebuilding for the Future Appendices Endnotes Rough Rods Ahed, Fix Them Now or Py for It Lter, is joint product of AASHTO, the Americn Assocition of Stte Highwy nd Trnsporttion Officils, nd TRIP. AASHTO is the Voice of Trnsporttion representing Stte Deprtments of Trnsporttion in ll 50 sttes, the District of Columbi nd Puerto Rico. A nonprofit, nonprtisn ssocition, AASHTO serves s ctlyst for excellence in trnsporttion. TRIP is ntionl highwy reserch group bsed in Wshington, DC. These ssocitions grtefully cknowledge the work of Christine Becker of Christine Becker Assocites, nd Frnk Moretti, Director of Policy nd Reserch, TRIP, for their efforts in developing this report. Thnks, too, to the Federl Highwy Administrtion nd the mny stte DOTs who contributed their informtion nd photogrphs for this report. Cover photo: Vlerie Sinco Copyright 2009, by the Americn Assocition of Stte Highwy nd Trnsporttion Officils. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United Sttes of Americ. This book, or prts thereof, my not be reproduced in ny form without written permission of the publishers. Rough Rods Ahed v

6 Executive Summry ROUGH ROADS AHEAD: SAVING AMERICA S HIGHWAYS Americ s $1.75 trillion public highwy system is in jeoprdy. Yers of wer nd ter, unrelenting trffic, n explosion of hevy trucks, deferred mintennce, hrsh wether conditions, nd soring construction costs hve tken their toll on Americ s rods. While the Americn Reinvestment nd Recovery Act of 2009 will provide $27 billion for highwy projects, tht money will brely mke dent in highwy mintennce, preservtion, nd reconstruction needs. The recent AASHTO Bottom Line report documented the need for ll levels of government to invest $166 billion ech yer in highwys nd bridges. More thn hlf of tht mount would be needed for system preservtion. Sving Americ s highwys demnds more thn shortterm stimulus funds nd quick fixes bsed on vilble funding. It will require greter nd smrter investment of trnsporttion dollrs to ensure new nd better trnsporttion progrm. ROUGH ROADS LEAD TO HIGHER COSTS Only hlf of the ntion s mjor rods re in good condition, bsed on n nlysis of recent Federl Highwy Administrtion dt. The sitution is worse in high trffic, urbn res where one in four rods is in poor condition. In some mjor urbn centers, more thn 60 percent of rods re in poor condition. A Snpshot of Rough Rods Only hlf of the ntion's mjor rods re in good condition. One in four urbn rods is in poor condition. Mjor urbn centers hve the roughest rods some with more thn 60 percent of rods in poor condition. Rurl rods re in better condition thn urbn rods. In 2007, 60 percent of rurl rods were in good condition. Overll, 72 percent of the Interstte Highwy System is in good condition. But ge, wether conditions nd burgeoning trffic prticulrly multi-xle trucks re eroding ride qulity. In eight sttes, 20 percent of the Interstte highwys were rted s mediocre or poor. The Americn public pys for poor rod conditions twice -- first through dditionl vehicle operting costs nd then in higher repir nd reconstruction costs. For the verge driver, rough rods dd $335 nnully to typicl vehicle operting costs. In urbn res with high concentrtions of rough rods, extr vehicle operting costs cn be s high s $746 nnully. Sustining deteriorting rods costs significntly more over time thn regulrly mintining rod in good condition. Costs per lne mile for reconstruction fter 25 yers cn be more thn three times the costs of preservtion tretments over the sme 25-yer period. CHALLENGES FACING AMERICA S HIGHWAYS Unrelenting trffic is tough on rods. Trffic growth hs fr outpced highwy construction, prticulrly in mjor metropolitn res. The number of miles driven in this country jumped more thn 41 percent from 1990 to 2007 from 2.1 trillion miles in 1990 to 3 trillion in Nerly 66 percent of tht driving pssed over urbn rods, which re showing the most wer nd ter. In some prts of the county, drmtic popultion growth vi Rough Rods Ahed

7 Courtesy of Missouri Deprtment of Trnsporttion. hs occurred without much of n increse in rod cpcity, plcing enormous pressure on rods tht, in mny cses, were built 50 yers go. Soring construction costs during the pst five yers re strining stte nd locl budgets. By the summer of 2008, sphlt prices were up 70 percent, concrete 36 percent, nd steel 105 percent. Diesel fuel, used to operte hevy construction equipment, sored 305 percent, including 63 percent jump in one yer. Over time, these higher costs hve eroded sttes purchsing power on construction projects. In the pst few months, however, the economic recession ppers to hve moderted some of these costs. In fct, mny bids for stimulus projects re coming in below engineers estimtes. The explosion of freight truck trffic is punishing ging highwys. The Interstte system is bering the brunt of truck trffic nd showing the impct. Tody, on verge, every mile of Interstte highwy sees 10,500 trucks dy. More thn 80 percent of freight tonnge moving cross the United Sttes is crried by trucks driving on the 50-yer-old Interstte system. Mnging highwy system is like plying chess. You hve to look t the whole bord, the whole system, not just the next move. Sure we do rective things, but our best strtegy is when we look down the rod eight yers or more, look t every section of rod, nd budget to keep those rods in good condition. Gry Ridley, Director, Oklhom Deprtment of Trnsporttion Rough Rods Ahed vii

8 Investment hs not kept up with mintennce nd preservtion needs. Delyed nd deferred mintennce leds to higher repir nd reconstruction costs py me now or py me more, lots more, lter. Michign DOT Director Kirk L. Steudle sid, It is importnt to slow the rte of decline in the good rod so tht it stys in good shpe rther thn slipping into fir or poor condition. Spending $1 to keep rod in good condition precludes spending $7 to reconstruct it once it hs fllen into poor condition, he dded. But soring construction costs, tight budgets, nd incresing needs mke it hrd for sttes to sustin preservtion progrms. Tht is why most sttes re using their stimulus funds to mke up for lost time from deferred mintennce nd preservtion. Highwy Mintennce Needs Exceed Avilble Funds Keeping good rods in good condition is the most cost-effective wy to sve Americ s highwys. But the needs re high nd the vilble funding limited. For exmple: Oregon needs $200 million nnully over the next 10 yers to mintin rods t the current levels. It hs $130 million vilble nnully. Texs needs $73 billion during the next 22 yers to mintin current conditions. The Deprtment is spending $900 million per yer nd losing ground. Rhode Islnd needs $640 million nnully to preserve its highwy system nd hs only $354 million vilble ech yer. Stimulus funds will fill in some of the gps. Oregon will use hlf of its $224 million of stimulus funds for pvement resurfcing nd preservtion projects. Texs is spending $800 million in stimulus funds to stbilize pvement nd bridge conditions for the next few yers. Rhode Islnd will use its $137 million primrily for preservtion nd mintennce projects. The extr funds provide bout 5 percent of the projected shortfll in preservtion funds over the next 10 yers. South Dkot s stimulus lloction will provide bout one yer s worth of preservtion funding to help with the bcklog of needs. Courtesy of Pennsylvni DOT. viii Rough Rods Ahed

9 STRATEGIES FOR SAVING AMERICA S HIGHWAYS Use the best mterils throughout the life of rod. From filling pothole to reconstructing mjor highwy, using mterils designed to meet specific climte nd trffic conditions will extend the service life of rod nd reduce costs over the long run. Reserch into new mterils, constnt monitoring of pvement conditions, nd mtching mterils to trffic nd wether conditions ll contribute to long-term durbility of rod. Keep good rods good. Mintining rod in good condition is esier nd less expensive thn repiring one in poor condition. Achieving tht gol involves crefully plnned nd consistently funded pvement preservtion progrm tht mkes proctive improvements in good rods to keep them good. You cn spend too much time nd money chsing fter potholes while wtching the system fll frther nd frther behind, sid Pennsylvni DOT Secretry Allen Biehler. Crete Multi-Modl Freight Strtegy. Ensuring tht rods cn hndle the projected growth in freightbering trucks involves more thn building sturdier rods. It will require commitment to multi-modl freight strtegy tht my include (1) building network of dedicted truck lnes; (2) expnding ril cpcity to sustin its shre of freight movement; (3) fixing bottlenecks nd reducing congestion in metropolitn res; (4) improving conditions from ports nd distribution centers to the Interstte nd ril systems; nd (5) funding model tht includes freight-relted user fees to implement the strtegy. View highwys s public ssets to be mnged rther thn projects to be fixed. Asset mngement is comprehensive pproch to ensuring the most cost-effective return on investments for operting, mintining, upgrding, nd expnding trnsporttion systems. It strts from the ssumption tht the nerly 4 million miles of public rods re vluble ntionl sset, essentil to the vitlity of the Americn economy. Invest to sve Americ s highwys. When the Interstte system ws first designed in the 1940s, lines were put on mp to describe the vision for country connected by network of limited ccess highwys. Plnners sid this is wht we wnt it to look like. Now let s figure out how to py for it, sid Oklhom DOT Director Ridley. Now we work in the reverse. We sy here s how much money we hve, nd let s decide wht we wnt to do with tht. Tht pproch doesn t produce the best decisions. Rebuilding for the future requires ntionl commitment to significnt nd sustined investment in trnsporttion infrstructure bsed on vision of wht we wnt our trnsporttion system to look like in the 21st century nd beyond. It is time for greter nd smrter investment of trnsporttion dollrs to ensure new nd better trnsporttion progrm. Are we there yet? No but we cn be. We s stewrds of the trnsporttion system hve no choice but to drive home the messge tht mintining n cceptble condition for our highwys preserving the system is vitl to our country s future. Allen D. Biehler, AASHTO President; Secretry, Pennsylvni Deprtment of Trnsporttion Rough Rods Ahed ix

10 Highwys to Everywhere A well-connected highwy system, mintined in good condition, is criticl to the ntion s economy. With current vlue of $1.75 trillion, preserving the system of rods nd highwys so they lst for genertions nd meet chnging needs should be top priority for ll levels of government. Even with continued growth in public trnsit, enhnced ril services, nd ntionl commitment to reduce greenhouse gs emissions from vehicles, rods remin vitl component of the system tht moves people nd goods throughout the country. Rods re essentil to everydy life. Nerly 24 million children 55 percent of the country s kindergrten through high school popultion ride 450,000 school buses 180 dys per yer. Every yer, 50,000 mbulnces mke 60 million trips tht is n verge of 164,000 trips per dy. A fire deprtment responds in one or more vehicles to fire lrm in the United Sttes every 20 seconds. Trucks in the United Sttes crry 32 million tons of goods vlued t $25 billion every dy. The country s 240 million registered vehicles trvel more thn 2.9 trillion miles nnully. Those vehicles nd the people who drive nd ride in them, rely on the ntion s nerly 4 million miles of public rods from Interstte highwys to neighborhood streets to get somewhere to do something. Highwys re bckbone of Americn life connecting people, goods, nd services. But mny rods, prticulrly in metropolitn res nd popultion growth centers, re in poor condition. Yers of wer nd ter, unrelenting trffic, n explosion of hevy trucks, wether conditions, nd delyed mintennce becuse of tight budgets nd soring construction costs hve tken their toll on Americ s rods. Despite the recent downturn in trvel in 2008, the number of miles driven on the ntion s rodwys hs incresed 41 percent from 1990 to Lrge commercil truck trffic, which plces significnt stress on pvements, hs incresed 50 percent during the sme timefrme. In some prts of the country, drmtic popultion growth with miniml cpcity expnsion hs plced enormous pressure on highwys. For exmple, in Uth, between 1990 nd 2007, popultion grew by 47 percent nd miles driven by 71 percent but highwy cpcity grew by only 4 percent. (1) Trnsporttion officils cross the country re focusing on how to preserve nd protect their prt of this ntionl sset by building smrter, investing in systemtic mintennce progrms, nd using new technologies to produce longer-lsting rods. This report exmines the condition of Americ s rods nd wht it will tke to sve them. x Rough Rods Ahed

11 THE NATION S HIGHWAYS BY THE NUMBERS Totl miles of public rods 3,967,159 Totl miles of rods by ownership Federl 128,378 miles (3.2 percent) Stte 783,643 miles (19.8 percent) Locl 3,055,138 miles (77 percent) Totl miles of rurl nd urbn rods Rurl - 2,939,042 (74 percent) Urbn - 1,028,107 (26 percent) Totl Interstte Highwy miles 47,000 Annul miles driven in crs nd trucks 2.9 trillion Percent of miles driven on urbn rods 65.6 percent Tons of freight moved on Americ s highwys nnully 15 billion Erly History of United Sttes Rod Building 1625 Erliest known pved Americn rod Pemquid, Mine 1795 First engineered Americn rod Phildelphi to Lncster toll turnpike 1823 First mcdm rod constructed in Americ Mrylnd 1872 First sphlt pved rods in North Americ Pennsylvni Avenue in Wshington, DC, nd Fifth Avenue in New York, NY 1893 First rurl brick rod Ohio 1906 First bituminous mcdm rod Rhode Islnd Hmmond Surfce Streets, Hmmond, Indin Rough Rods Ahed xi

12 Courtesy of Missouri DOT. PennDOT workers power wsh bridge structure. Keeping the expnsion res nd joints of bridges free of debris nd slt ccumultion from winter services is criticl mintennce function. Courtesy of Pennsylvni DOT. xii Rough Rods Ahed

13 Chpter 1 Rough Rods Fcing the Fcts Potholes re the poster child for rough rods. They re nuisnce, source of wer nd ter on vehicle suspensions nd tires, nd sfety risk. They cn lso be indictors of serious rod deteriortion. The trveling public vlues smooth rods. In ddition to ride qulity, smooth rods improve fuel efficiency, reduce vehicle wer nd ter, improve driver sfety, nd lst longer. But how smooth rod needs to be to keep the public hppy cn vry widely. The Missouri Deprtment of Trnsporttion (MoDOT) relied on public opinion to shpe its Smooth Rods Inititive. Key elements of the Missouri Smooth Rods Inititive were: SMOOTHER pvements were resurfced, where needed. SAFER striping nd delinetion improvements were mde t ll sites in the progrm. SOONER the entire progrm for improving 2,300 miles of rodwy ws completed in only two yers. MoDOT Director Pete K. Rhn sid citizen input helped set priorities for trnsporttion investments. For exmple, we thought mowing ll rights of wys regulrly ws very importnt. The citizens told us it wsn t high priority for them, Rhn sid. Nerly 900 citizens prticipted in series of rod rllies to help the stte determine how rough ws too rough. Citizens rode in vns with modertor who trcked their comments s they ssessed ride qulity long the wy. Wht we thought ws rough ride sometimes wsn t, Rhn sid. We pln to use second round of vn ssessments for our continuing smoothness progrm. The progrm ws lunched fter voters pssed n inititive by 4 to 1 mrgin to fund improvements in the stte s highwy system. Phse I improved 2,300 highwy miles tht ccount for 60 percent of ll trffic on the stte system, producing n 18 percent increse in Interstte smoothness over two-yer period. Phse II Better Rods, Brighter Future is ddressing the reminder of the stte s 5,600-mile mjor highwy system. The gol is to bring 85 percent of Missouri s mjor highwy system up to good condition. A pothole is like tooth cvity. Left untreted it gets more decyed, more pinful, tkes more time nd money to cre for, nd sometimes you end up hving to urgently cll in specilist. But like cvities, potholes cn be prevented. The Fine Art of Pothology: Preventing nd Repiring Potholes Better Rods, Mrch 2009 Rough Rods Ahed

14 RATING YOUR RIDE Sttes generlly use the Interntionl Roughness Index (IRI) to rte rod conditions. Those rtings re used to monitor pvement performnce nd schedule mintennce nd rehbilittion plns. Rods with low IRI rtings re the smoothest. Rods with higher IRI rtings re likely to hve crcked or broken pvements nd my show significnt distress in their underlying foundtions. To get ntionl perspective on rod conditions, the Federl Highwy Administrtion (FHWA) collects dt from sttes nnully nd summrizes ride conditions using four ctegories good, fir, mediocre, nd poor. The ctegories re bsed prtly on study tht mesured driver rections to vrious rod conditions. (2) Here s wht the most recent dt shows: Only hlf of the ntion s mjor rods Intersttes, freewys, nd other mjor routes re in good condition. Unfortuntely, 13 percent re in poor condition. Rurl rods re smoother nd in better condition thn urbn rods. In 2007, 61 percent of rurl rodwys were in good condition. Overll, 72 percent of the Interstte Highwy System is rted in good condition. But, ge, wether conditions, nd burgeoning trffic re eroding ride qulity in mny sttes. In eight sttes, more thn 20 percent of the Interstte highwys were rted s mediocre or poor. One in four urbn rods which crry the brunt of ntionl trffic re in poor condition. Rod conditions in urbn res ctully improved between 2002 nd 2006, but declined in 2007, when 26 percent were reported in poor condition. Fctors tht my hve contributed to higher percentge of rough rods include ging of urbn rods, unrelenting trffic, hevier trucks crrying freight lods, nd deferred or delyed mintennce becuse of tight budgets nd soring construction costs. (3) Mjor urbn centers hve the roughest rods more thn 60 percent of the rods in the Los Angeles, Sn Jose, Sn Frncisco-Oklnd, nd Honolulu res provide poor-qulity ride. (4) Pvement Conditions of Urbn nd Rurl Arteril Highwys in 2007 Rurl Urbn All Mjor Rods Poor 4% 26% 13% Mediocre 15% 27% 20% Fir 20% 11% 16% Good 61% 36% 51% Source: TRIP nlysis of FHWA dt. Rough Rods Ahed

15 URBAN ROADS MOST TRAVELED The condition of the ntion s mjor urbn rodwys is of prticulr concern to the ntion s motorists becuse these rods nd highwys re the most hevily trveled in the ntion. In 2007, 66 percent of the ntion s vehicle trvel ws crried by its urbn rods nd highwys. (5) Percentge of Mjor Urbn Rods with Pvements in Poor Condition, 2002 to Source: TRIP nlysis of Federl Highwy Administrtion dt. Although rod deteriortion is often ccelerted by freeze-thw cycles found most often in the ntion s northern sttes, the urbn res with the highest shre of poor pvement conditions in the ntion ctully include urbn res from vriety of regions. Rough Rods Ahed

16 Urbn res (popultion 500,000 or more) with highest shre of rods in poor condition, 2007 Includes stte, city, nd county rteril networks in cities nd surrounding suburbs Urbn Are Pct. Poor Los Angeles 64 Sn Jose 61 Sn Frncisco - Oklnd 61 Honolulu 61 Concord, CA 54 New York - Newrk 54 Sn Diego 53 New Orlens 49 Tuls 47 Plm Springs - Indio, CA 47 Riverside - Sn Bernrdino, CA 44 Bltimore 44 Scrmento 44 Omh 41 Oklhom City 41 Sn Antonio 38 Mission Viejo, CA 37 Albuquerque 36 Phildelphi 36 Detroit 36 Source: TRIP nlysis of Federl Highwy Administrtion dt. Rod conditions for urbn res with popultions of 500,000 or greter cn be found in ppendix A. Rod condition dt for urbn res with popultions from 250,000 to 499,000 cn be found in ppendix B. Rough Rods Ahed

17 Courtesy of Ntionl Concrete Pvement Technology Center. THE COST OF ROUGH ROADS The Americn public pys for poor pvement conditions twice first through dditionl vehicle operting costs, nd then in higher costs to restore pvement to good condition. Driving on rough rods ccelertes vehicle deprecition, reduces fuel efficiency, nd dmges tires nd suspension. TRIP estimtes tht for the verge driver, rough rods dd $335 nnully to typicl vehicle operting costs. In urbn res with high concentrtions of rough rods, extr vehicle operting costs re s high s $746. (6) Generlly, lrger vehicles hve greter increse in operting costs due to rough rods. This cost estimte is developed using model tht fctors in verge number of miles driven nnully nd AAA s 2008 vehicle operting cost dt. (7) Reserch on the impct of rod conditions on fuel consumption by the Texs Trnsporttion Institute (TTI) is lso fctored into the methodology. (8) Rough Rods Ahed

18 Urbn Ares with Highest Additionl Vehicle Operting Costs Due to Rough Rods, 2007 Includes cities nd surrounding suburbs with popultions of 500,000 or more Urbn Are Additionl Costs Los Angeles $746 Sn Jose $732 Sn Frncisco - Oklnd $705 Tuls $703 Honolulu $688 Sn Diego $664 Concord, CA $656 New York - Newrk $638 Riverside - Sn Bernrdino, CA $632 Oklhom City $631 Scrmento $622 New Orlens $622 Plm Springs - Indio, CA $608 Omh $592 Bltimore $589 Albuquerque $576 Mission Viejo, CA $571 Sn Antonio $529 Detroit $525 Phildelphi $525 Source: TRIP nlysis bsed on Federl Highwy Administrtion dt. A STITCH IN TIME Age, wether, moisture, trffic, hevy trucks, nd delyed mintennce cuse rods to deteriorte. Old rods eventully wer out prticulrly ones tht were built 50 or more yers go with less sophisticted construction mterils nd lower trffic expecttions. Moisture, freezing, thwing, nd poor dringe lso contribute to crcks, ruts, potholes, nd foundtion deteriortion. Potholes form when moisture from rin or snow works its wy into rod surfces nd the foundtion bed, creting openings nd crcks in the pvement tht grdully grow lrger s trffic psses over the surfce. Rod surfces t intersections re especilly vulnerble, since slow-moving, stopping or strting trffic prticulrly hevier vehicles cuses higher levels of pvement stress. Rough Rods Ahed

19 Birth of Pothole Potholes begin fter rin or snow seeps into crcks nd down into the soil below the rod surfce. The soil turns into mud nd with no support, hole cn form under the pvement. Repeted freezing nd thwing or hevy trffic cuses the ground to expnd, pushing the pvement up. As tempertures rise, the ground returns to norml level but the pvement often remins rised. This cretes gp, or hollow spce between the pvement nd the ground below it. When vehicles drive over this cvity, the pvement surfce crcks nd flls into the hollow spce, leding to the birth of nother pothole. Courtesy of Michign Deprtment of Trnsporttion. Rough Rods Ahed

20 Rods hve five life cycle stges from initil design to disintegrtion nd filure. Actions tken t ech stge cn ffect the long-term durbility of the rod s well s mintennce nd preservtion costs. Higher qulity investments erlier in the life of the rod will sve money over the long run becuse mintining rod in good condition is less expensive thn repiring or rebuilding one in poor condition. (9) Reconstructing rod tht hs reched Stge 5 costs significntly more thn preserving rod t Stge 3. Life Cycle of Rod 1 Design This stge dels with dimensions, type of mterils, thickness of bse nd top surfces, nd the dringe system. Investments mde t the design stge ffect the long-term durbility of the pvement surfce. If, however, sufficient funding is not vilble to upgrde the design, the rod strts out nd stys mediocre. 2 Construction A high-qulity construction process produces longer-lsting pvement surfce. 3 Initil Deteriortion During the first few yers of use, the rod surfce strts to experience some initil deteriortion cused by trffic volume, rin, snow, solr rdition, nd temperture chnges. At this stge, the rod ppers in good condition, providing smooth ride. Preservtion strtegies during Stge 3 will sustin the smooth ride, preserve the foundtion, extend the life, nd reduce the need for costly reconstruction lter on. 4 Visible Deteriortion At Stge 4, visible signs of distress such s potholes nd crcking occur. Repirs mde t this stge using overlys nd milling to eliminte ruts will restore smooth ride nd extend the life of the rod. 5 Disintegrtion nd Filure Rods not mintined t Stge 3 nd repired t Stge 4, eventully will fil nd need costly reconstruction. Once rod s foundtion disintegrtes, surfce repirs hve n incresingly short life. Courtesy of Pennsylvni DOT Rough Rods Ahed

21 How Are Pvement Conditions Rted? Every yer the Federl Highwy Administrtion (FHWA) gthers dt on the condition of the ntion s mjor rods, including those mintined by federl, stte, or locl governments. This report presents the conditions on ll rteril routes, including Intersttes nd limited-ccess freewys, s well s other mjor streets nd routes within nd between urbn res. Most of these routes hve t lest four lnes, lthough some key two-lne urbn nd rurl rods, clssified s rteril routes re included. Rting Your Ride Sttes use the Interntionl Roughness Index (IRI) to rte rod conditions, lthough some lso rte by the Present Servicebility Rting (PSR ). The FHWA compiles these dt to crete n ssessment of pvement conditions, rting the rods s poor, mediocre, fir or good. The FHWA findings re bsed prtly on study tht mesured driver rections to vrious rod conditions to determine wht level of rod roughness ws uncceptble to most drivers. (10) Drivers on rods rted s poor re likely to notice tht they re driving on rougher surfce, which puts more stress on their vehicles. Rods rted s poor my hve crcked or broken pvements. These rods often show significnt signs of pvement wer nd deteriortion nd my lso hve significnt distress in their underlying foundtion. Rod or highwy surfces rted poor provide n uncceptble ride qulity nd re in need of resurfcing nd some need to be reconstructed to correct problems in the underlying surfce. Rods rted s being in either mediocre or fir condition my lso show some signs of deteriortion nd my be noticebly inferior to those of new pvements, but cn still be improved to good condition, with cost-effective resurfcing or other surfce tretments, which will extend the rods service life. The FHWA hs found tht rod surfce with n IRI rting below 95 provides good ride qulity nd is in good condition; rod surfce with n IRI from 95 to 119 provides n cceptble ride qulity nd is in fir condition; rod surfce with n IRI from 120 to 170 provides n cceptble ride qulity nd is in mediocre condition; rod with n IRI bove 170 provides n uncceptble ride qulity nd is in poor condition. (11) There is point in the life of rod where you spend more money for less result. It is like homeowner who knows he needs new roof, but keeps ptching it to sve money. You end up spending wy more money ptching thn it would tke to instll new roof or build new highwy. Pete K. Rhn, Director, Missouri Deprtment of Trnsporttion Rough Rods Ahed

22 Pvement Conditions by Stte, 2007 Includes ll Arteril Routes, including Intersttes, freewys, nd mjor urbn routes Stte Percentge Poor Mediocre Fir Good Albm Alsk Arizon Arknss Cliforni Colordo Connecticut Delwre Florid Georgi Hwii Idho Illinois Indin Iow Knss Kentucky Louisin Mine Mrylnd Msschusetts Michign Minnesot Mississippi Missouri Montn Nebrsk Nevd New Hmpshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Crolin North Dkot Ohio Oklhom Oregon Pennsylvni Rhode Islnd South Crolin South Dkot Tennessee Texs Uth Vermont Virgini Wshington West Virgini Wisconsin Wyoming U.S. Averge 13% 20% 16% 51% Source: TRIP nlysis bsed on Federl Highwy Administrtion dt 10 Rough Rods Ahed

23 Additionl Vehicle Operting Costs Due to Rough Rods, by Stte, 2007 Stte Additionl Costs Source: TRIP Albm $162 Alsk $324 Arizon $207 Arknss $302 Cliforni $590 Colordo $292 Connecticut $313 Delwre $282 Florid $126 Georgi $44 Hwii $503 Idho $318 Illinois $297 Indin $242 Iow $383 Knss $318 Kentucky $187 Louisin $388 Mine $250 Mrylnd $425 Msschusetts $301 Michign $370 Minnesot $347 Mississippi $394 Missouri $410 Montn $195 Nebrsk $278 Nevd $227 New Hmpshire $250 New Jersey $596 New Mexico $279 New York $405 North Crolin $251 North Dkot $238 Ohio $209 Oklhom $457 Oregon $166 Pennsylvni $346 Rhode Islnd $473 South Crolin $262 South Dkot $319 Tennessee $180 Texs $336 Uth $176 Vermont $308 Virgini $249 Wshington $266 West Virgini $280 Wisconsin $281 Wyoming $230 United Sttes $335 Rough Rods Ahed 11

24 Courtesy of Mississippi DOT. PennDOT workers engge in crck seling to keep moisture from penetrting beneth the rod surfce. In Pennsylvni, which hs vigorous freeze-thw cycle ech winter, keeping moisture out of the re beneth rod surfces is criticl mintennce step. Courtesy of Pennsylvni DOT. 12 Rough Rods Ahed

25 Chpter 2 Investing to Sve Americ s Highwys Building for the future requires ntionl commitment to significnt nd sustined investment in trnsporttion infrstructure. In the end, everything ties bck to money, nd we need to invest enough to preserve this importnt sset, sid Oklhom DOT Director Gry Ridley. But the needs re high: The Oregon DOT needs $200 million per yer to mintin current performnce levels over the next 10 yers compred with current investment level of $130 million. The Texs DOT estimtes tht $73 billion will be required during the next 22 yers to mintin current conditions. Tody, the deprtment is spending $900 million per yer nd losing ground. Officils sy ech one percent drop in good or better pvement condition is nother 1,900 lne miles to fix nd n dditionl $760 million in needs. The Rhode Islnd DOT needs $639.5 million nnully to preserve its highwy system. The stte hs only $354 million vilble ech yer to meet the need leving n nnul funding gp of $285 million. Albm needs n immedite investment of $1.4 billion to bring bout 4,000 miles of deficient rodwys to n dequte performnce level. For Intersttes, 70 miles must be resurfced ech yer to mintin current levels t cost of $140 million per yer. The FY 2009 Interstte mintennce pproprition is $120 million. The Pennsylvni DOT pegs its need t $2.19 billion per yer to mintin the entire stte highwy system t desired preservtion cycles. Tht estimte does not include the current bcklog of substndrd pvements. Envision future with more trnsporttion choices nd efficiency thn ever before. The strnglehold of congestion will be loosened by driving shorter distnces, riding trnsit, nd better utilizing our highwys. Strtegic investment in new lnes, new corridors, nd new cpcity for ll modes will remove bottlenecks nd connect Americ nd the world. Trnsporttion: Invest in Our Future Americn Assocition of Stte Highwy nd Trnsporttion Officils, 2007 Rough Rods Ahed 13

26 The Nebrsk Deprtment of Rods estimtes it will need $270 million nnully to preserve its highwy system. Fced with declining revenue nd growing needs, NDOR decided to mke sset preservtion its top priority to keep rods nd bridges t current performnce levels. No funding will be llocted to cpitl improvements until ll preservtion needs hve been met. Soring construction costs during the pst five yers re further strining highwy investment budgets. Asphlt prices re up 70 percent; concrete 36 percent; steel 105 percent; nd diesel fuel, which is used to operte hevy construction equipment, sored by 305 percent including 63 percent jump in one yer. (12) While price trends hve leveled s result of the economic downturn, overll the purchsing power of trnsporttion dollr will hve declined by 80 percent from 1993 to Percentge (%) Percentge Reduction in Purchsing Power Between THE BOTTOM LINE FOR INVESTMENT Reserch conducted for the Americn Assocition of Stte Highwy nd Trnsporttion Officils (AASHTO) concludes tht the verge requirement for ll cpitl investments for highwys nd bridges is $166 billion nnully through Other recent ntionl studies commissioned by Congress project nnul investment needs of similr mgnitude, rnging from $130 billion to $240 billion though These levels re significntly higher thn the $78 billion invested in highwy cpitl improvements by ll levels of government in According to the 2006 Conditions nd Performnce Report by the U.S. Deprtment of Trnsporttion, some 52 percent (or $36.4 billion) of trnsporttion cpitl spending by ll levels of government in 2004 ws dedicted to system rehbilittion. 14 Rough Rods Ahed

27 STIMULUS PROVIDES SHORT-TERM RELIEF Indequte levels of trnsporttion funding hve resulted in n immense bcklog of redy-to-go but unfunded projects in the sttes. A December 2008 AASHTO survey identified more thn 5,000 projects vlued t $64 billion tht sttes could hve underwy within 180 dys. In Februry 2009, President Brck Obm signed the Americn Reinvestment nd Recovery Act of 2009 tht provided $48 billion for trnsporttion infrstructure s mens of stimulting the ntion s severe economic decline. Of tht mount, $27.5 billion ws mde vilble for highwy projects. Becuse of the need to push money into the economy through job cretion, sttes hve pplied good shre of their funding for the bcklog of preservtion needs, sid AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley. Resurfcing projects, for exmple, extend the life of highwys, nd cn be implemented very quickly to benefit mny res of stte, he explined. The South Dkot DOT sid the stimulus money will provide bout one yer s worth of preservtion funding to help with its bcklog of needs. Although this helps in the short-term, it is not long-term solution, sid South Dkot DOT Director of Plnning nd Engineering Joel M. Jundt. Virtully ll of the Rhode Islnd DOT s $137 million in economic recovery funding is devoted to preservtion nd mintennce projects resurfcing, bridge rehbilittion, striping, gurdril, nd trffic projects. The extr funds represent bout 50 percent of the stte s funding shortfll for 2009 or bout five percent of the shortfll for the next 10 yers. The Idho DOT is using its stimulus lloction to py for projects tht would not be possible without extr federl funding. The projects include mjor highwy widening, bridge replcement/reloction/relignment, nd pvement restortion. The $431 million tht the Mrylnd DOT received will help offset some of the $1.3 billion reduction in the stte s highwy cpitl progrm. The funds will be used primrily to keep rods in the best shpe possible until the economy nd federl nd stte revenues recover. The Albm DOT will spend $225 million on system preservtion projects on non-interstte routes, $70 million for n Interstte reconstruction project, nd $8 million for bridge replcement nd widening. The Texs DOT is using significnt prt of its stimulus funds to get its pvement preservtion progrm bck on trck fter three yers of losing ground. Overll, pvement conditions in Texs were improving when the stte spent $1.7 billion per yer for rehbilittion nd mintennce. Tody, Texs spends bout $900 million per yer nd hs not been ble to keep up with needed investments. Eight hundred million dollrs in stimulus funds will help Texs stbilize pvement nd bridge conditions for the next few yers. Resurfcing projects extend the life of highwys, nd cn be implemented very quickly to benefit mny res of stte. John Horsley, Executive Director, AASHTO Rough Rods Ahed 15

28 Courtesy of Albm DOT. Quick ction by the Florid DOT nd FHWA enbled replcement of the I-10 Escmbi By Bridge on n ccelerted schedule fter it ws destroyed in 2004 hurricne. Courtesy of Florid DOT. 16 Rough Rods Ahed

29 Chpter 3 The Interstte System An Aging Economic Engine The Interstte Highwy System hs mde drmtic difference in how people nd goods move cross the country. The 47,000-mile system sves time, money, nd lives, nd hs plyed criticl role in improving business productivity. Construction of the Interstte system creted jobs nd produced new rods tht expnded mobility for Americns. More importntly, the Interstte system helped crete nd continues to sustin the economy tht hs grown during the lst 50 yers. The initil investment in jobs during construction of the Interstte is fr overshdowed by the economy tht grew over the pst 50 yers s direct result of tht construction, sid Gry Ridley, Director, Oklhom Deprtment of Trnsporttion. Tht s why preserving this sset is essentil to our economic future. TRAFFIC AND TRUCKS CAUSE WEAR AND TEAR Although most Interstte highwys tody provide good qulity ride, the system is showing its ge lrgely becuse of drmtic growth in cr nd truck trffic. The 47,000 miles of Interstte highwy represent only one percent of totl highwy milege in the United Sttes, but crry 24 percent of ll trffic. Trffic growth during the pst 50 plus yers hs fr outpced ny growth projections mde during the initil plnning stges. Much of the increse is due to truck trffic. On verge, every mile of the Interstte system sees 10,500 trucks dy. By 2035, tht number is expected to double, incresing to 22,700 trucks dy for ech mile of Interstte highwy. (13) The surge in truck trffic on Interstte highwys nd its impct on trffic nd rod conditions re mjor fctors in ssessing the future of the Interstte Highwy System. When construction begn in the 1950s, the U.S. econ- Our unity s ntion is sustined by free communiction of thought nd by esy trnsporttion of people nd goods. The ceseless flow of informtion throughout the Republic is mtched by individul nd commercil movement over vst system of interconnected highwys crisscrossing the country nd joining t our ntionl borders with friendly neighbors to the north nd south. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Februry 1955 Rough Rods Ahed 17

30 Intersttes: Intersttes Sve Time, Money, nd Lives Reduce totl U.S. motor fuel consumption by 9.7 billion gllons nnully Sve Americns more thn $320 billion nnully nd more thn $1,100 per person in time nd fuel Reduce the cost of trnsporting goods which sves bout $380 billion nnully nd $1,300 per person in consumer costs Sve the verge person 70 hours of time nnully Are twice s sfe s trvel on other rodwys becuse of sfety fetures tht include minimum of four lnes, gentler curves, pved shoulders, medin brriers, nd rumble strips Source: The Interstte Highwy System Sving Lives, Time, nd Money TRIP, June 2006 omy ws lrgely self-contined. Tht hs chnged drmticlly. The percentge of GDP represented by foreign trde incresed from 13 percent in 1990 to 26 percent in 2000, nd is expected to hit 35 percent in More thn 80 percent of freight tonnge is generlly crried by trucks driving on the Interstte Highwy System. Trffic growth during the pst 50 yers hs been so gret tht most of the expnsion cpcity plnned when the Interstte system ws built hs been used up. As result, wht ws once wide open rodwy is now incresingly congested. Bottlenecks cused by stretched-to-the-limits Interstte interchnges dely commerce, cost consumers time nd money, nd further erode the Interstte network. In some prts of the country, the leps in productivity nd mobility tht were hllmrks of the Interstte for much of its 50-yer life re disppering. Interstte interchnges in metropolitn res show the strin of trffic lods most drmticlly. For exmple, the Mrquette Interchnge in Milwukee, Wisconsin, ws built in 1968 for $33 million to crry 155,000 vehicles per dy. It quickly begn crrying 300,000 vehicles per dy before construction begn on new interchnge t projected cost of $810 million. Completed three months erly in August 2008, the project is expected to be $10 million under budget. The Wisconsin DOT rebuilt the Mrquette Interchnge to include bridges with life-spn of 75 yers. The project illustrtes not only the cost of mjor interchnge reconstruction, but lso the need to both preserve nd renew such structures to meet trffic needs tody nd into the future. Yet nother exmple of mjor Interstte replcement project is the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on Interstte 95 just south of Wshington, DC. By the yer 2000, the 45-yer-old bridge hd become notorious bottleneck, crrying more thn 200,000 vehicles dy, when it ws built to ccommodte only 75,000 vehicles dy. The new Woodrow Wilson Bridge ws completed in 2008 t cost of $2.5 billion, nd ws delivered on time nd on budget. The new structure expnds the bridge from 6 lnes to 12, two of which will be reserved for use by trnsit. Its new cpcity of 300,000 vehicles dy is expected to ccommodte trffic growth for mny yers to come. INVESTING IN THE INTERSTATE S FUTURE Sttes mnge the Interstte Highwy System, nd they invest significnt resources nd reserch into preserving nd restoring these criticl highwys. But they cn t do it lone. In 1956, the ide of federlly defined, 18 Rough Rods Ahed

31 Truck lnes on the New Jersey Turnpike just outside of New York City. Courtesy of New Jersey DOT. built, nd owned system ws rejected in fvor of the federl stte prtnership tht evolved nd strengthened over 50 yers. Continuing to invest in restoring, rebuilding, nd expnding the Interstte system is n importnt component of comprehensive highwy preservtion strtegy for the 21 st Century. Bridges: The Interstte system hs more thn 55,000 bridges, mny of which re reching 40 to 50 yers of ge. Bridges nd other structures of this ge usully require substntil rehbilittion, nd in nother 20 to 30 yers, require replcement. Pvement: The Intersttes hve pproximtely 210,000 lne-miles of pvement. As these pvement structures rech 40 nd 50 yers of life, mjor portions will need to hve their foundtions completely reconstructed. Interchnges: The Interstte system hs lmost 15,000 interchnges, nd mny do not meet current opertionl stndrds, creting bottlenecks or sfety problems. Some of the most significnt congestion on the system occurs t mjor interchnges not designed to crry the volumes of trffic tht currently use them. Future trffic will only excerbte these problems. Lne expnsion s prt of rehbilittion is needed to improve freight logistics, reduce urbn congestion, ctch up to popultion growth centers, nd connect growing metropolitn regions. Rough Rods Ahed 19

32 Absent significnt expnsion in the Interstte system, incresed trffic, prticulrly in metropolitn res, nd drmtic growth in freight volumes will led to more congestion nd more wer nd ter. Consistent pvement preservtion strtegies, crefully monitored performnce mesurements, nd technologicl dvncements cn only do so much on rodwys tht re stretched fr beyond cpcity. To obtin clerer picture of coming investment requirements, AASHTO hs recommended tht the U.S. DOT nd stte DOTs jointly undertke two comprehensive needs ssessments of the Interstte Highwy System: To identify the costs of rebuilding or replcing the existing bridges, pvement foundtions, nd interchnges; nd To identify long-term, system-wide expnsion needs. STATES FOCUS ON INTERSTATES Preserving nd reconstructing Interstte highwy milege is top priority in every stte. Missouri DOT Director Pete K. Rhn sid there is huge need to reconstruct much of his stte s Interstte system. In Missouri, reconstruction of Interstte 70, mjor cross-country route, is projected to cost $3.4 billion, nd Interstte 44, nother ntionl corridor, will cost $4 billion to rebuild. We re holding them together with biling wire nd bubble gum through overlys nd other repirs, Rhn sid. But we get less nd less life out of rehbilittion tretments becuse the foundtion needs to be rebuilt. An initil overly might produce seven yers of smooth rides, but fter while, potholes, crcks, nd rutting will pper within three yers. The Pennsylvni DOT hs 128 miles or 10 percent of its Interstte system in need of mjor rehbilittion nd reconstruction. Funding is in plce to complete work on 77 of those miles. The Iow DOT hs severl mjor Interstte rehbilittion nd reconstruction progrms underwy including: A $45 million project to grde, pve, nd construct 10 new bridges long with rodwy improvements on the Interstte system interchnge ner Des Moines. The three-yer project, which is nering completion, will improve overll interchnge trffic opertions nd meet existing nd expected short-term trffic growth. The stte went with less costly short-term solution becuse funds were not vilble for totl reconstruction. Addition of one lne in ech direction to 7.3-mile segment of Interstte 80 long with replcement of the entire originl 46-yer-old pvement t cost of $96.5 million. Courtesy of Pennsylvni DOT. 20 Rough Rods Ahed

33 The Oregon DOT is rehbilitting nine miles of pvement on segment of Interstte 84 in the estern prt of the stte. The section ws originlly built in the 1960s nd hs been resurfced three times to ddress dmge from incresed trffic nd environmentl conditions. Becuse truck trffic generlly uses the slow lne in this rurl prt of Oregon, the $27 million project will reconstruct tht lne which is in poor condition with new concrete pvement, nd resurfce the existing fst lnes with sphlt pvement. This blck nd white pvement type hs been successfully used in three other loctions in Oregon. The Nebrsk Deprtment of Rods is working on six-lne reconstruction of Interstte 80 between Omh nd Grnd Islnd, the stte s two lrgest cities, which serves thousnds of trvelers dily. Upgrding from four to six lnes will improve sfety nd ese congestion in the stte s fstest growing corridor. The $37 million project will be completed in mid This project is one component in needed but unfunded reconstruction of the entire length of I-80 in Nebrsk t projected cost of $100 million per yer. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge hs successfully esed trffic on mjor Est Cost bottleneck. Courtesy of Eye Construction, Inc. The Interstte System will never be finished becuse Americ will never be finished. Frncis C. Frnk Turner, Federl Highwy Administrtor, Richmond Times-Disptch, August 19, 1996 Rough Rods Ahed 21

34 A truck on the wrm-mix test trck t the Ntionl Center for Asphlt Technology. Courtesy of Ntionl Asphlt Pvement Assocition/ Asphlt Pvement Allince. 22 Rough Rods Ahed

35 Chpter 4 Trucks nd Highwys Working Together to Move Freight Trucking is the bckbone of the ntion s freight trnsporttion system trnsporting virtully everything we et, drink, or buy. And trucks drive on highwys, streets nd rods. Nerly 80 percent of the 15 billion tons in goods trnsported through the ntion s freight system in 2005 ws crried on trucks. Freight tonnge moved in the United Sttes is projected to nerly double over the next 30 yers with trucks tking 84 percent of the growth. (14) With this expected growth, creting low-cost, efficient, nd relible freight system becomes incresingly criticl to the country s economic helth. And preserving the highwy network is vitl piece of the long-term freight strtegy for the ntion. But mjor chllenges lie hed: Incresing trffic congestion is costing the freight trnsporttion network nerly $8 billion per yer. Higher trnsporttion costs men higher consumer prices. Incresed truck trffic contributes to wer nd ter on highwys. Pvement dmge is relted to truck s xle lods rther thn the totl truck weight. A truck with more xles will hve less weight per xle nd, therefore, crete less pvement dmge. Highwys nd trucks need to coexist successfully for the good of Americ s economy. To chieve tht gol, comprehensive ction gend to meet the country s freight needs is essentil, including: Fixing freight bottlenecks; Mintining durble highwy surfces; nd Improving ccess to ports, irports, nd distribution centers. From ny perspective the freight trnsporttion chllenge is formidble. Meeting it will require resolve nd resources. Not meeting it will be mjor ntionl filure. Lrry L. Butch Brown, Executive Director, Mississippi Deprtment of Trnsporttion Rough Rods Ahed 23

36 FREIGHT BOTTLENECKS COST CONSUMERS Bottlenecks occur when trffic routinely bcks up becuse volumes exceed cpcity of the rodwy. The worst bottlenecks re t or ner freewy-to-freewy interchnges. Freight bottlenecks re found on highwys tht serve mjor interntionl gtewys such s the Ports of Los Angeles nd Long Bech, Cliforni, t mjor domestic freight hubs such s Chicgo, nd in mjor urbn res where trnscontinentl freight lnes intersect congested urbn freight routes. Trffic congestion mens incresed trvel times, incresed costs, nd less relible pick up nd delivery times for truck opertors. Freight bottlenecks cuse nerly 250 million truck hours of dely nnully, costing direct users bout $7.8 billion. (15) To mke up for trffic delys, shippers dd more trucks, which, in turn, cretes more congestion. Eventully these incresed costs of doing business re pssed on to consumers. BUILDING MORE DURABLE PAVEMENTS TO SUPPORT TRUCK TRAFFIC Reserch into developing pvement mterils nd construction prctices to provide more durble rod surfces tht cn tolerte incresed trffic lods including trucks is prt of the solution. Exmples of dvnced reserch include the use of geosynthetic reinforced soil, wrm mix sphlt, polymer-bsed sphlt binders, nd dmixtures to improve the strength nd workbility of Portlnd cement concrete. Terry Button hs been driving the rods in his trucks for more thn 29 yers. An independent trucker bsed in Rushville, NY, Button drives up nd down the Est Cost delivering hy to delers nd suppliers. Button, who serves on the Bord of Directors for the Owner Opertor Independent Drivers Assocition, sid the repercussions of rough rods re devstting for truckers. Smooth pvement not only ffects his bottom line, it lso mens sfer ride. Smooth rides re criticl for truckers. It s esier on the equipment, esier on your helth. Becuse with ll the bumps, things wer out fster, ir ride suspension hngers come off, bll joints wer out. Some night you might be going round curve nd something snps, nd your sfety is t risk. Button sid he sees rough rods in every stte. Rod smoothness vries gretly sometimes county to county. We hve to mke this priority for this country. If we don t hve good trnsporttion, we cn t get food to mrket, nd there s nothing more importnt thn tht. DEDICATED TRUCK LANES Mny sttes re looking t dding truck-only lnes to their Intersttes to reduce congestion, improve sfety, nd move goods fster. Seprting trucks from regulr utomobile trffic cn improve highwys nd reduce truckcused wer nd ter on other rodwys. The only completely seprted truck lnes tht currently exist re 30-mile segment of the New Jersey Turnpike. Cliforni nd Texs lso hve short segments of truck-only lnes. The biggest obstcle to brod use of truck-only lnes is cost. For exmple, one stte study estimted tht constructing new truck-only lne longside n existing rurl Interstte highwy would cost pproximtely $2.5 million per lne-mile, plus lnd nd cquisition costs. (16) The FHWA estimtes tht the cost of new highwy lne miles in rurl res rnges from $1.6 million to $3.1 million in rurl res nd $2.4 million to $6.9 million in urbn res. The truck-only price tg rises red flgs when sttes look t long lists of reconstruction nd expnsion needs t time when highwy construction funds re limited. As result, higher fuel txes, user fees, nd tolls re options tht sttes hve considered to py for dedicted truck lnes. 24 Rough Rods Ahed

37 Courtesy of Cliforni DOT. COMMERCE CORRIDORS FOR EFFICIENT FREIGHT MOVEMENT Exclusive truck lnes t the stte level re subset of bigger strtegy needed to move freight more efficiently nd preserve the ntion s highwys. Other elements being recommended by mny groups, including AASHTO re: fix highwy truck bottlenecks; improve intermodl ccess to ports nd distribution centers; fund interntionl gtewys, nd dd cpcity to priority trde corridors including ntionl network of truck-only lnes. The progrm would be funded by freight-relted user fees outside the Highwy Trust Fund, with the federl government providing coordintion nd the sttes nd Metropolitn Plnning Orgniztions (MPOs) overseeing the plnning. Rough Rods Ahed 25

38 Courtesy of Pennsylvni DOT. PennDOT workers ly replcement dringe pipe s prt of rod mintennce project. Proper dringe for strems tht cross beneth rods is criticl mintennce step. Courtesy of Pennsylvni DOT. 26 Rough Rods Ahed

39 Chpter 5 Mnging Highwys s n Investment With n estimted vlue of $1.75 trillion, highwys, streets, nd rods re n sset to be mnged nd preserved rther thn project to be built or fixed. Mnging this vluble sset depends on: An investment in pvement preservtion; An orgniztionl commitment to sset mngement; Advncements in mterils, mintennce techniques, nd technology; nd Sustined finncil investment. PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LOTS MORE LATER Good rods cost less. Tht is why pvement preservtion is such n importnt prt of sset mngement. The gol is to extend the service life of rods before they need mjor rehbilittion or replcement. Mintining rod in good condition is esier nd less expensive thn repiring one in poor condition. Costs per lne mile for reconstruction fter 25 yers cn be more thn three times the cost of preservtion tretments over the sme 25 yers nd cn extend the expected service life of the rod for nother 18 yers. Timing is everything in pvement preservtion. If rehbilittion is done too erly, pvement life is wsted. If it is done too lte, the rod my require dditionl costly repir work. Pennsylvni DOT Secretry Allen D. Biehler sid the decision to use lrge portion of highwy funds for system preservtion is one of the biggest chllenges fcing trnsporttion leders tody. We s trnsporttion stewrds of the system hve no choice but to drive home the messge tht mintining n cceptble condition for our highwys preserving the system is vitl to our country s future, Biehler sid. There is no more fundmentl trnsporttion cpitl investment thn system preservtion keeping existing infrstructure in good condition. If preservtion investment is deferred, costs increse drmticlly, leding to the sying py me now or py me more lots more lter. Wshington Deprtment of Trnsporttion Highwy System Pln Rough Rods Ahed 27

40 PAVEMENT PRESERVATION IS COST EFFECTIVE Pvement Condition Excellent Good Fir Poor Very Poor Typicl Pvement 40% Drop in Qulity 75% of Life Deteriortion 40% Drop in Qulity Spending $1 on pvement preservtion before this point... 12% of Life...elimintes or delys spending $6 to $14 on rehbilittion or reconstruction here Time (Yers) Source: Ntionl Center for Pvement Preservtion. Our focus is fix it first pying ttention to bsic dy-to-dy prctices tht help us be more successful. Otherwise, you cn spend too much time nd money chsing fter potholes while wtching the system fll frther nd frther behind. In Pennsylvni, less thn 10 percent of the trnsporttion budget is currently dedicted to expnsion compred with more thn 20 percent in recent yers. The Oregon DOT hs chip-sel preservtion progrm to tret bout 780 lne miles of highwy t cost of $7 million per yer. The progrm complements the deprtment s $125 million preservtion progrm, which resurfces bout 1,000 lne miles during the sme period. The chip-sel progrm lowers the nnul cost to mintin good pvement by incresing the time between higher-cost resurfcing tretments. Over the long-term, the preservtion strtegy will sve $16 million per yer in resurfcing costs. The Nebrsk Deprtment of Rods recently implemented Pvement Optimiztion Progrm (POP) to mnge its highwy network nd llocte funds to keep the system t its current performnce level. POP uses current pvement conditions, pvement deteriortion rtes, nd cost/benefit rtios to develop budget scenrios to ensure effective lloction of funds. The deprtment uses two recently purchsed pthwy profilers to collect dt bout the severity nd extent of pvement distress to ssist in mking investment decisions. The Michign DOT uses network pvement strtegy tht provides mix of fixes to extend the life of the rod. The three types of fixes re: reconstruction nd rehbilittion; cpitl preventive mintennce; nd rective mintennce. Decisions bout which fix to use re bsed on n ssessment of the current pvement conditions nd projection of the number of yers before it will require reconstruction or rehbilittion using mesure known s remining service life (RSL). 28 Rough Rods Ahed

41 Tight budgets force cretive strtegies for sustining pvement preservtion plns. In Wshington Stte, the DOT hs identified the need for $1.7 billion in concrete pvement restortion but less thn $20 million per yer hs been budgeted. To compenste for reduced funding, WSDOT uses trige strtegy investing first in pvements whose life cn be gretly extended if treted immeditely, nd deferring work on pvements tht need complete replcement. The strtegy improves nd extends the life of the gretest number of lne miles with vilble funds. Despite budget constrints nd soring construction costs, pvement conditions hve continued to improve over the yers. Shifting from Worst-First to Best-First Investments How do you sell the ide tht spending money on rod tht looks to be in good condition is better ide thn spending it on one tht is bumpy, rutted, rough, nd obviously in need of repir? Very crefully, sys Michign DOT Director Kirk L. Steudle, who believes the shift from worst-first to best-first is good strtegy for long-term sset mngement. It is importnt to slow the rte of decline in the good rod so tht it stys good rther thn slipping into fir or poor condition. Steudle dded tht spending $1 to keep rod in good condition precludes spending $7 to reconstruct it once it hs fllen into poor condition. Michign lwys works on five-yer horizon in its pvement preservtion progrm so, he sid, it is importnt to show where plns to fix tht poor rod fit into the schedule. It is esy to fll into the worst-first strtegy, prticulrly when money is tight, he sid. But tht s when stying focused on keeping good rods good nd minimizing the mount of deteriortion is even more importnt. MANAGING TRANSPORTATION ASSETS Asset mngement is strtegic pproch to mnging infrstructure. It focuses on mintining the condition nd performnce of public ssets using business nd engineering prctices to llocte resources bsed on relible informtion nd well-defined objectives. The highwy system is owned by the public. Our dily focus is on preserving this sset tht the public hs entrusted to us. In mny cses, we re not doing s good job s we could. Gry Ridley, Director, Oklhom Deprtment of Trnsporttion Rough Rods Ahed 29

42 Asset mngement is very brod concept tht focuses on getting the best return on the investment we put into our trnsporttion system, sid Kirk T. Steudle, Director of the Michign Deprtment of Trnsporttion nd Chir of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Asset Mngement. It isn t computer softwre progrm, finnce nd ccounting prctices, or pvement preservtion progrm. Asset mngement includes ll tht nd more. We need to focus on operting, mintining, upgrding, nd expnding the entire sset with which we re entrusted in the most cost-effective nd efficient wy possible, Steudle sid. The Michign DOT Asset Mngement progrm encompsses ll the physicl trnsporttion ssets in the stte, including more thn 9,700 miles of rod, 5,679 bridges, 450,000 signs, 4,025 trffic lights, 8 million liner feet of gurdrils, 83 rest res, 13 trvel informtion centers, 85 rodside prks, 27 scenic turnouts, nd more. The progrm is built round five mjor functions: policy gols nd objectives; informtion nd dt collection; plnning nd progrmming; progrm delivery; nd monitoring nd reporting. Steudle sid the progrm begins with setting brod policy bout the current condition of the sset nd then setting gol for where you wnt tht sset to be within specific time frme. For Michign, the gol ws to increse the condition of ll its rods nd highwys, moving from 65 percent of stte rods in good condition in 1997 to 90 percent in Pvement preservtion ws the primry tool for chieving tht gol. The deprtment met its 90 percent gol nd improved to 92 percent in A similr gol-driven sset mngement process is now underwy for the stte s bridges. Michign hs sttewide Trnsporttion Asset Mngement Council, which brings together ll the gencies in the stte tht hve jurisdiction over rods. Its purpose is to broden the use of trnsporttion sset mngement throughout the stte nd ensure tht groups re working together, shring methodology, collecting the sme dt, nd speking the sme lnguge. Other stte DOTs re developing sset mngement progrms s well. The Wshington Stte DOT relies on dt collection, nlysis, nd innovtive reporting methods to mnge its trnsporttion ssets, which include 20,000 lne miles of stte rods nd 3,000 bridges. The deprtment uses dt not only to ssess project costs nd benefits, but lso to nlyze trdeoffs in llocting limited funds between preservtion nd improvement progrms nd between highwy construction nd highwy mintennce. The deprtment s Mesures, Mrkers, nd Milestones report is criticl prt of the system, linking performnce mesures to overll strtegic objectives. The stte s efforts to communicte its performnce led to public support for two funding increses five-cent gs tx increse in 2003 nd nine-cent gs tx increse in The Uth DOT, which mnges 6,000 miles of highwy, uses dtims CT softwre to support its sset mngement, bridge mngement nd pvement mngement systems. The systems help the deprtment identify the most efficient use of funding bsed on the current condition of the sset nd vilble funding for preserving it. Becuse of recent funding limittions, however, the sset mngement model recommends work tht hs to be done insted of the work tht should be done. 30 Rough Rods Ahed

43 Courtesy of the Ntionl Asphlt Pvement Assocition/Asphlt Pvement Allince. TOOLS FOR SUCCESSFUL PAVEMENT PRESERVATION Successful pvement preservtion requires relible tools for monitoring pvement conditions nd the best mterils to get the longest life from the rods. A number of different types of selers nd rejuventors re vilble bsed on the existing pvement type nd the problem being solved. The most common tretments include chip sels, slurry sels, fog sels, micro-surfcing, thin hot mix sphlt overlys, crck seling, nd joint seling ll designed to mintin or improve pvement condition nd extend its life. The Wshington Stte DOT s Mterils Lb identified these tools for pvement preservtion: Dowel-br retrofits instlled in ging concrete to improve smoothness nd longevity nd help trffic flow smoothly from one concrete slb to the next. Stte officils believe the technique could dd yers to 30-yer-old concrete highwys. Pvement recycling using reclimed sphlt from older, filed pvements nd blending it into new sphlt mix. Wrm-mix sphlt using chemicl dditives tht llow construction t lower tempertures resulting in lower emissions nd improved construction. Bonded concrete overlys on n existing sphlt pvement to dd structure nd provide longer-lsting surfce. Ultr-thin white topping using two-to-four inch thick lyer of concrete over n existing sphlt rod cn be instlled firly quickly with miniml trffic disruption. Rough Rods Ahed 31

44 Relible equipment to ssess nd monitor the condition of pvements is s importnt s the mterils used. The Michign DOT hs used ground-penetrting rdr to ssess conditions tht could ffect pvement life such s locting sink holes, nd mpping technology to help ssess remining service life on pvements. A lptop computer long with GPS receiver re used to trck rod loctions on region mp nd quickly gther dt bout the previous service life rting, historic dt on the rod segment, nd previous fix types. The Mrylnd DOT uses n utomtic rod nlyzer to collect informtion on roughness, rutting, nd crcking s well s skid truck to collect friction dt. The dt is fed into the pvement mngement system to identify trgets for both pvement preservtion nd rehbilittion fixes. Lst summer, the Oregon DOT begn ssessing pvement conditions on portion of the network using vehicle equipped with profiler to mesure roughness nd scnning lsers to mesure rutting. All of the dt ws collected in single pss of one vehicle t norml speeds. Rhode Islnd uses n utomted distress survey to ssess pvement conditions nd clculte crck density tht helps define the pproprite preventive mintennce tretment. In ddition, the RIDOT pvement mngement tem selects 100-foot-long monitoring sections representing ll of the different tretments, stress levels, nd trffic volumes to visully ssess effectiveness of the preservtion strtegy. The Minnesot DOT evlutes its 14,000 miles of highwy nnully using vn equipped with lsers to mesure the smoothness of pvement nd cmers to help engineers evlute the qulity of the pvement. The stte uses three indictors to report nd quntify pvement conditions ride qulity index, which mesures pvement roughness; surfce rting, which mesures pvement distress; nd pvement qulity index. Pothole Killer Stremlines Repirs Deling with potholes is prt of pvement preservtion strtegy. Generlly quick fixes to del with urgent needs like relly big pothole on mjor commuter route my be needed. But quick fixes rrely lst. it blows the pothole clen of ll debris, sprys specil fst dry sphlt emulsion into the hole, nd then pplies n sphlt ggregte mix on top. The entire process tkes bout six minutes. Some cities nd sttes lese rther thn purchse the equipment to reduce the cpitl cost. Pvement tht is mintined in good condition nd is designed for the trffic tht uses it will usully remin pothole free even during the toughest freeze nd thw cycles. Like ny pvement repir processes, good mterils instlled properly will produce the best results. One quick-fix pproch tht does produce longerterm results is the Pothole Killer, n ll-in-one vehicle tht cn repir up to 100 potholes dy with only one driver. A trditionl four-person pothole crew cn ptch bout potholes dy. The Pothole Killer uses three-step process Courtesy of Ptch Mngement Pothole Killers. 32 Rough Rods Ahed

45 BUILDING FASTER, CHEAPER, SAFER Construction strtegies tht speed up building projects without compromising qulity cn reduce trffic disruption, control lbor costs, nd minimize costs to commercil trffic. Reserch shows tht the trveling public is demnding incresed mobility while showing less tolernce for construction delys nd construction-relted congestion. Action strtegies to build fster, cheper, nd more sfely include: Innovtive trffic mngement systems including full rod closures to expnd vilble work time; Accelerted construction mngement techniques to minimize construction time while enhncing qulity nd sfety for mjor multi-phse projects; nd Use of mterils tht reduce project schedules. The Indin DOT s Hyperfix Project in 2003 provides n exmple of successful fst-trck Interstte renovtion. The project involved reconstruction of two hevily trveled Intersttes in Indinpolis. The highwys crried 175,000 vehicles dily compred with design cpcity of 61,000. Becuse of the mgnitude of the reconstruction nd expected trffic delys, the project tem decided to close the highwy completely nd use fst-trck, round-the-clock construction pln. The project ws completed between two mjor rces t the Indinpolis Speedwy, which regulrly drws 250,000 prticipnts who use these highwys. Work ws completed in 55 dys 30 dys hed of schedule, sving txpyers n estimted $1 million in lost wges nd lost productivity for ech dy tht trditionl construction would hve dded. Specil commuter buses nd prking lots were used to keep trffic moving without turning lterntive routes into prking lots. Keys to success included erly plnning, collbortion mong locl, stte, nd federl gencies, nd community support. A series of community meetings were held well before construction begn to ensure tht everyone understood the plns nd lternte commuter options. As result, the public ws prepred for trffic impcts long before blsting, drilling, milling, nd pving begn. The tem wrpped the public fce of the entire project round ctchy brnd nme: Hyperfix. The nme so cptured the imgintion of stkeholders tht it becme prt of locl lnguge nd lore with dvertising billbords nd rdio tlk shows procliming the need to Hypermow the lwn or Hyperfix one s thermostt. One citizen ctully ws inspired to write song tht celebrted the project s dvnces in words nd music. (17) The Missouri DOT chllenges project engineers to use non-trditionl project design methods to develop efficient solutions for tody s needs. DOT officils sy prcticl design is rooted in the principle tht building series of good, not gret, projects will result in gret system. It mximizes the vlue of project by ensuring tht it is the correct solution for its surroundings. (18) Before prcticl design, most projects followed strict guidelines bsed on rod clssifiction type nd trffic volume. Now designers look t projects on cse-by-cse bsis with gol of building to meet bsic needs, rther thn the highest stndrds. Stte officils estimte the new pproch to design hs sved txpyers $400 million in its first two yers. Rough Rods Ahed 33

46 GET IN, GET OUT, STAY OUT Routine mintennce lone cnnot sustin highwys tht hve been in service for nerly 50 yers. In mny cses, pvement foundtions need to be rebuilt to del with the impcts of ge nd to modernize rods to meet current conditions. Longer-lsting mterils cn mke big difference in the life of rod. For exmple: Asphlt perpetul pvements cn be designed nd built to lst longer thn 50 yers without requiring mjor structurl rehbilittion or reconstruction. Longer-lsting sphlt pvement mixes combine smoothness nd sfety dvntges of trditionl sphlt with n dvnced, multi-lyer pving design tht extends the life of rodwy with routine mintennce. (19) Superpve gives highwy engineers nd contrctors tools to design nd construct sphlt pvements tht meet specific climte nd trffic conditions. Although it hs been in use since the 1990s, current reserch focuses on mesuring resistnce to ruts nd crcks to come up with even longer-lsting mixes. Stone mtrix sphlt, which is lso clled Gp-Grde Superpve, is new mix tht cn be used to reduce splsh nd spry nd my hve some vlue in noise reduction. Its min dvntge is its durbility, providing long-lsting pvement surfce. Fst-trck concrete pvement produces the strength benefits of trditionl concrete with much shorter preprtion time mking it possible to be redy for opening in 12 hours or less fter lying. Generlly fst-trck concrete provides good durbility becuse it hs reltively low wter content, which improves strength nd decreses slt permebility which, in turn, contributes to deteriortion. Roller-compcted concrete, nother drier mix, cn be instlled using sphlt pving equipment nd compcted with rollers. It hs the strength to withstnd hevy lods nd cn resist freeze-thw cycles. (20) Courtesy of Ntionl Pvement Assocition/Asphlt Pvement Allince. 34 Rough Rods Ahed

47 Chpter 6 Rebuilding for the Future ARE WE THERE YET? No but we cn be. Improved mngement strtegies, focus on preserving essentil public ssets, better, longer-lsting mterils, new pproches to building highwys fster, cheper, nd sooner ll will help get us there. But it does come down to money. It is time for greter nd smrter investment of trnsporttion dollrs to ensure new nd better trnsporttion progrm. Pennsylvni DOT Secretry nd AASHTO President Allen D. Biehler sid getting there lso involves thinking differently bout highwys, lnd use, nd our wy of life. We need to mintin nd preserve our highwy system first nd then begin to think bout other influences t work globl wrming, greenhouse gs emissions, where we live nd work tht ffect trffic congestion nd our qulity of life, Biehler sid. As fundmentl s it is to our future, our current trnsporttion system is ging, underfunded, nd indequte to meet the demnds of tomorrow. Sttes stnd redy to meet the chllenges with projects tht crete jobs nd bring hope to communities projects tht not only preserve wht we lredy hve but expnd our horizons... Allen D. Biehler, AASHTO President; Secretry, Pennsylvni Deprtment of Trnsporttion Rough Rods Ahed 35