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all levels of government should invest a minimum of $123 billion during 2013 in highway improvements just to maintain current physical and performance conditions on the nation's highways and bridges. This would grow to $130 billion by 2016 if highway construction costs grow at the same rate as the projected overall inflation rate.

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961
I thought that would get your attention.
The truth is simple, there are no roads in the United States that would allow you to take a super car to its limit.
The actual truth is that there are no roads in the United States that you could safely take any car to its limit, unless its limit was 80 miles per hour.
When Eisenhower introduced the Interstate Highways Bill, he envisioned the American version of the Autobahn.
Today our highways are in disrepair, highway bridges are, for the most part, structurally deficient and there is no plan to remedy the situation.
This is not just a problem on the highways, there are towns that are going back to dirt roads because it is cheaper, they cannot afford to pave roads.

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all levels of government should invest a minimum of $123 billion during 2013 in highway improvements just to maintain current physical and performance conditions on the nation's highways and bridges. This would grow to $130 billion by 2016 if highway construction costs grow at the same rate as the projected overall inflation rate.

source
IN 2009 it was estimated to repair all parts of the American Public Infrastructure, Highways, water and sewage treatment, dams etc would cost 2.2 trillion dollars.
There has been one interstate highway bridge that failed in recent years, and others are going to.
The United States is slipping backward when it comes to the infrastructure.

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961
Today our highways are in disrepair, highway bridges are, for the most part, structurally deficient and there is no plan to remedy the situation.

quote:

all levels of government should invest a minimum of $123 billion during 2013 in highway improvements just to maintain current physical and performance conditions on the nation's highways and bridges. This would grow to $130 billion by 2016 if highway construction costs grow at the same rate as the projected overall inflation rate.

source

IN 2009 it was estimated to repair all parts of the American Public Infrastructure, Highways, water and sewage treatment, dams etc would cost 2.2 trillion dollars.

There has been one interstate highway bridge that failed in recent years, and others are going to.

The United States is slipping backward when it comes to the infrastructure.

quote:

ORIGINAL: jlf1961

I thought that would get your attention.

The truth is simple, there are no roads in the United States that would allow you to take a super car to its limit.

The actual truth is that there are no roads in the United States that you could safely take any car to its limit, unless its limit was 80 miles per hour.

When Eisenhower introduced the Interstate Highways Bill, he envisioned the American version of the Autobahn.

Today our highways are in disrepair, highway bridges are, for the most part, structurally deficient and there is no plan to remedy the situation.

This is not just a problem on the highways, there are towns that are going back to dirt roads because it is cheaper, they cannot afford to pave roads.

quote:

all levels of government should invest a minimum of $123 billion during 2013 in highway improvements just to maintain current physical and performance conditions on the nation's highways and bridges. This would grow to $130 billion by 2016 if highway construction costs grow at the same rate as the projected overall inflation rate.

source

IN 2009 it was estimated to repair all parts of the American Public Infrastructure, Highways, water and sewage treatment, dams etc would cost 2.2 trillion dollars.

There has been one interstate highway bridge that failed in recent years, and others are going to.

The United States is slipping backward when it comes to the infrastructure.

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ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

quote:

ORIGINAL: jlf1961
I thought that would get your attention.
The truth is simple, there are no roads in the United States that would allow you to take a super car to its limit.
The actual truth is that there are no roads in the United States that you could safely take any car to its limit, unless its limit was 80 miles per hour.
When Eisenhower introduced the Interstate Highways Bill, he envisioned the American version of the Autobahn.
Today our highways are in disrepair, highway bridges are, for the most part, structurally deficient and there is no plan to remedy the situation.
This is not just a problem on the highways, there are towns that are going back to dirt roads because it is cheaper, they cannot afford to pave roads.

quote:

all levels of government should invest a minimum of $123 billion during 2013 in highway improvements just to maintain current physical and performance conditions on the nation's highways and bridges. This would grow to $130 billion by 2016 if highway construction costs grow at the same rate as the projected overall inflation rate.

source
IN 2009 it was estimated to repair all parts of the American Public Infrastructure, Highways, water and sewage treatment, dams etc would cost 2.2 trillion dollars.
There has been one interstate highway bridge that failed in recent years, and others are going to.
The United States is slipping backward when it comes to the infrastructure.

Wasn't at least part of the Federal Gas Tax earmarked for infrastructure maintenance? WTF have they been doing with that?

I have a friend who is over in Germany working (for his US employer), and he simply raves about how smooth the Autobahn is. According to him, the cement underlay is 9' thick to prevent heaving. Can you imagine how much it would cost to redo the Interstate Hwys? I wonder if this is another failure of the "instant gratification" and/or "do it cheaper" mentality.

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ORIGINAL: Rule

I have a proposition: Release all prisoners except those on death row. The released prisoners will A) Save on expenses for prisoners, and B) Get a job, earn money and pay taxes. These taxes and saved expenses can be used to hire the unemployed prison guards to repair the roads.

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ORIGINAL: gosportmike

Complaining about the roads misses the real point. Most people who buy these cars are not properly trained professional drivers. They are wannabe Brad Pitt or James Bond. At top speed they would be sitting inside a poorly guided missile waiting to explode. The idea of driving this fast while sharing the road with lots of untrained amateurs ( normal drivers) would terrify a grand prix driver because they understand the risks. The usual supercar driver does not.

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ORIGINAL: Powergamz1

"When Eisenhower introduced the Interstate Highways Bill, he envisioned the American version of the Autobahn."

He envisioned an interstate system that would allow the Department of Defense to transport large amounts of material anywhere in the country faster than trains. Detroit saw it as a version of the Autobahn, and a good reason to sell more cars so that people could move around needlessly.

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ORIGINAL: erieangel

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ORIGINAL: Powergamz1

"When Eisenhower introduced the Interstate Highways Bill, he envisioned the American version of the Autobahn."

He envisioned an interstate system that would allow the Department of Defense to transport large amounts of material anywhere in the country faster than trains. Detroit saw it as a version of the Autobahn, and a good reason to sell more cars so that people could move around needlessly.

That's is just how he sold the idea to fellow Republicans--good for national defense because military can move about easier. He didn't envision that argument to be the main use of the interstate highway system.

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Alright, so Eisenhower had a good idea.

Then why the hell hasnt anyone since then made an effort to keep the system up to standards to handle the current and future loads of traffic.