Fix-it-First - Preservation

Well-maintained roads are essential for safe, efficient transportation, for both automobiles and public transit.  Potholes, cracks in the roads, and frost heaves all contribute to less safe driving conditions and exact a significant financial toll on auto-users.  (In neighboring Michigan it is estimated that motorists pay $300 million per year for car repair resulting from poor road conditions.)

A Fix-it-First road policy would ensure that we protect past investments in roads, which is the responsibility of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT.)  It would also help reduce the long-term costs of repair by slowing the deterioration of existing roads.

One danger of not implementing a Fix-it-First policy is the ‘Concrete Triangle.’  Major repair is more expensive than minor repair, which is more expensive than maintenance.  Yet, once the need arises, major repair on highway ‘A’ cannot be neglected because of safety concerns.  Therefore, minor repair and maintenance on highway ‘B’ are then neglected because of a limited budget.  This leads to the need for major repair on highway ‘B’ in the future.  When the next budget cycle comes around, we are back in the situation we started with, except highway ‘B’ gets major repair and the maintenance and repair of highway ‘A’ is neglected.

This cycle need not occur because the lifespans of roads and the schedules for maintenance and repair are well documented and predictable.  Therefore, it should be easy to systematize funding so that there is always money available at the right time for scheduled repair.  For example, Wisconsin Department of Transportation schedules indicate that the original pavement of a concrete road will last 24-30 years, followed by 10-15 years of ‘patching’ and ‘grinding,’ followed by 18 years of resurfacing before a full reconstruction.  (Similar figures are available for asphalt roads.)

Repair needs increase substantially as a road ages.  However, if preventive maintenance measures, such as applying protective coatings and patching cracks and holes, are not taken, then water reaches the foundation of the road, weakening the structure, and shortening the time before more expensive repair or full reconstruction work is needed. Every $1.00 of early maintenance that is postponed leads to repairs that cost $4.00 to $5.00.

(Source:  STPP Transportation Decoder #9; also Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin)

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