Road and transportation builders send funding report to lawmakers

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) recently sent its new publication on the U.S. transportation system to members of Congress to encourage them to find a long-term funding source for the Highway Trust Fund.

The ARTBA said the publication, Economy-Driven: Innovations Driving the ROI in U.S. Transportation Infrastructure, demonstrates how innovative design and construction techniques, cutting-edge technologies, new materials, safety products, and state-of-the-art heavy equipment are being deployed by the public and private sectors to deliver critical and cost-effective transportation projects.

The publication, which features 25 short case studies, also was sent to more than 30,000 transportation design and construction professionals nationwide to call their attention to the value and benefits of transportation infrastructure investment. In the Pennsylvania example, the use of accelerated bridge construction allows work to continue on-site and off-site so that when the deck is re-assembled at the job site it reduces traffic disruptions, provides a safer environment for workers and motorists, and increases productivity.

ARTBA warned that similar state transportation projects could be in jeopardy if Congress does not act soon to find a long-term permanent solution for the Highway Trust Fund. The latest authorization of federal highway and public transit funding expires May 31. The trust fund is the source, on average, of 52 percent of highway and bridge capital investments made by state governments annually.

ARTBA President Pete Ruane said Congress has created so much uncertainty with its 32 short-term funding extensions that state transportation departments have little choice but to delay or cancel scheduled highway and transit improvement projects every year.

“This jeopardizes private sector jobs and makes capital investment and hiring decisions more risky,” Ruane said. "It's time for Congress and the president to honestly explain the federal transportation investment situation to the American people and ask for their help in solving the nation's mobility problems.”