The recent bridge collapse garnered much needed attention for the safety of our bridges, but we must not forget our highways. 

The collapse of the I35W bridge in Minneapolis was a terrible tragedy. In the wake of the incident, public attention has been focused on bridges, particularly on the fact that a quarter of America’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

It is very healthy that public attention has been brought to the need for investing in bridges. But we need to broaden the public’s view, because the greater tragedy may be what this incident does not bring to public attention: The fact that more than one-third of America’s 40,000 highway deaths every year — or 13,000 fatalities — are attributable to poor road conditions. These deaths typically occur one or two at a time, so they don’t attract the headlines. But I concur with what the U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue said in a recent speech, when he called it “a national scandal of shocking proportions.”

Lack of investment in our infrastructure is a huge issue. While our competitors in China spend 9% of their Gross Domestic Product on infrastructure, and India spends 5%, the U.S. spends less than 2%.

Consider these facts:

- One-third of major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.
- Poor road conditions cost motorists $54 billion in repairs every year, about $275 per motorist.
- Rough pavement surfaces contribute to poor fuel economy.
- The weight load carried on urban highways increased by half between 1995 and 2005.
- The weight load carried on rural highways has increased 7 and a half times since 1970.
- The number of tractor-trailer truck miles has doubled since 1980 to more than 145 billion miles traveled annually.
- Congestion delays in the 85 top metropolitan areas cost the average traveler 47 hours annually.
- Congestion delays also keep engines idling, wasting fuel and sending pollutants into the atmosphere.

Increased traffic, more weight, heavier loads, and a lack of adequate maintenance have pushed pavements to the breaking point. The federal gas tax, which helps pay for pavement maintenance, has not been increased since 1993. Highway construction costs have increased 50% since 1999. The Highway Trust Fund will not support additional funding, and maintenance funding has been diverted or substituted at an alarming rate.

Safe pavements

Asphalt can enhance safety for the traveling public through hot-mix asphalt overlays that increase skid resistance on worn-out roads. Highly skid-resistant, non-polishing aggregates can be selected for the surfacing rather than wasting them in the lower layers.

New pavement markings on fresh asphalt provide superior contrast, an added safety feature.

Mike Acott, President, National Asphalt Pavement Association.

Open-graded friction courses offer improved safety. The porous nature of OGFC allows immediate drainage of water from the pavement and a significant reduction of splash and spray from road vehicles. Improved skid resistance and enhanced driver visibility are key safety features. One recent study by the Texas Department of Transportation of a road near San Antonio, Texas showed that this type of asphalt reduced wet-weather accidents by 50%.

Smooth, wide, skid-resistant HMA pavements also reduce fatalities and injuries. By simply widening the lanes to 12 feet, particularly those on two-lane roads, accidents can be reduced from 12 to 40%. HMA pavements can be quickly constructed. Thus, HMA is the number one choice for road widening.

It is also the first choice for adding other pavement safety features such as realignment, paved shoulders, rumble strips, and additional lanes.

Construction work zones pose a danger to workers and drivers. To address safety concerns, HMA construction techniques are becoming more customer-oriented so that construction time is reduced and traffic flows safely through the work zone. Currently, the National Asphalt Pavement Association is working with other associations, government agencies, and unions to promote work-zone safety. The resulting user-focused training has been well received and widely distributed to highway workers and companies.

Our industry has shown its commitment to promoting safety as we build long-lasting pavements. The hot-mix asphalt industry is made up of many people who truly care about the product we produce. But we need help, in the form of proper funding, for our industry to continue to build the safe, long-lasting pavements that the public demands. If everyone in the industry plays a role, no matter how small, it will give Congress the support it needs to make the tough decisions.  Let’s make it clear to Congress and to other elected officials the need to take action now to stop the neglect of a national treasure — the highways that we depend on for our way of life.