[NoahsDove]

Obama is just paying off the Union workers that supported him. This is how it's done in Chicago, pay to play pay-o-la.

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'L')ANSING, Mich. (AP) - Some Michigan counties have turned a few once-paved rural roads back to gravel to save money.

More than 20 of the state's 83 counties have reverted deteriorating paved roads to gravel in the last few years, according to the County Road Association of Michigan. The counties are struggling with their budgets because tax revenues have declined in the lingering recession.

[Ferretlover]

Just love these demand destruction threads!
Depends on:
a) the changing weather patterns,
b) earth movements,
c) what type of vehicles are/will use the roads (cars, semis, tanks),
d) how often the roads are used, and
e) quality of materials used to pave the roads.
I suppose we Could throw in military action at some point in the future (ie: asphalt and bombs don't mix).
Did I leave anything out?

[vision-master]

The parkways already have around here.

[nobodypanic]

how long until we begin 'mining' the asphalt on the highways to burn? i mean it's very low hanging fruit. i think we might be saved!

[Grautr]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('nobodypanic', 'h')ow long until we begin 'mining' the asphalt on the highways to burn? i mean it's very low hanging fruit. i think we might be saved!

[The_Toecutter]

If maintaining the roads for as low cost per mile per year were the goal, concrete would likely see a lot of use... contractors do not like that, of course, and the companies who vie for contracts to build these roads like a good moneymaking racket.

That, and the trucking industry could either be unsubsizied so as to pay for their share of the road wear relieving an impossible burden from the taxpayer(an 18-wheeler accounts for thousands of times more road wear than a passenger car), or the large shipping trucks could be removed from the road altogether and replaced with rail wherever possible, saving the roads further.

Being that either of the above things are unlikely, if we have complete collapse with no recovery, I'd give the roads about 10 years of use left before they become too dangerous to use... assuming they go unmaintained in the next 2-3 years...

[hillsidedigger]

In the year 2028.

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('The_Toecutter', 'I')f maintaining the roads for as low cost per mile per year were the goal, concrete would likely see a lot of use... contractors do not like that, of course, and the companies who vie for contracts to build these roads like a good moneymaking racket.

That, and the trucking industry could either be unsubsizied so as to pay for their share of the road wear relieving an impossible burden from the taxpayer(an 18-wheeler accounts for thousands of times more road wear than a passenger car), or the large shipping trucks could be removed from the road altogether and replaced with rail wherever possible, saving the roads further.

Being that either of the above things are unlikely, if we have complete collapse with no recovery, I'd give the roads about 10 years of use left before they become too dangerous to use... assuming they go unmaintained in the next 2-3 years...

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('The_Toecutter', 'I')f maintaining the roads for as low cost per mile per year were the goal, concrete would likely see a lot of use... contractors do not like that, of course, and the companies who vie for contracts to build these roads like a good moneymaking racket.

That, and the trucking industry could either be unsubsizied so as to pay for their share of the road wear relieving an impossible burden from the taxpayer(an 18-wheeler accounts for thousands of times more road wear than a passenger car), or the large shipping trucks could be removed from the road altogether and replaced with rail wherever possible, saving the roads further.

Being that either of the above things are unlikely, if we have complete collapse with no recovery, I'd give the roads about 10 years of use left before they become too dangerous to use... assuming they go unmaintained in the next 2-3 years...

[alokin]

That is not only the case in America. I think roads are getting worse every year. Not that this is a problem to me, but it shows that the governments most loved projects lots of cars on lots of roads cannot be sustained any more.

[PhebaAndThePilgrim]

Good day from Pheba:
Our gravel road needs fresh gravel every few months. The past two years the county road dept. has changed from higher grade white gravel to lower grade red/brown gravel. The lower grade gravel gets ground down quickly.
An average country blacktop roads needs to be resurfaced about once every three years.
Roads take a lot more maintenance than people realize.
I am wondering how our strange weather patterns of late will be affecting the roads.
Six inches of rain in the last week. The same weather pattern from last year is repeating. It is not normal to have this much rain in Missouri; Especially this time of year.
I think the roads will start falling apart at an alarming speed as soon as the funds to maintain them are depleted.
Pheba.

[hillsidedigger]

From now on road abandonments and closures will be more common than new road construction particularly in remote and wild areas

and it is very good.

[Revi]

The roads are already falling apart around here. The next few years will be worse. The Legislature here in Maine only appropriated enough to coat 1/3 of the roads that need regular maintenance. We have a lot of roads in the boonies here. They will turn back into dirt soon.

[rangerone314]

Interesting... I had a dream years ago that I was walking up on I-83 and it was debris strewn and run down and breaking apart, trees & vines had grown up close to the sides

[anador]

yeah... how long? well last time I checked a major expressway bridge collapsed last year.

We are already here.

[evilgenius]

Last year the pace of construction north of Denver on I-25 was more hectic and wide ranging than it is today.I drive up there as part of my job and I must say, I saw more work going on last year. Unless they have switched to daytime work they are doing less than before. Last year every night was taken up with road closures except Sunday. Saturday seems clear this year.

This could be due to something secular, the road work may almost be done. I-25 is but one road in a big state, Colorado. Even with stimulus money coming in that needs to be spent it isn't important enough to divert resources from other projects that need to be done.

The lack of work could also be due to indecision about whether or not to attempt to somehow transfer the money they are getting from the Feds for highway work over to other projects for which it was not intended.You know, pet projects and pork.

I think pet projects are more common here than pork, simply because there is less money available within our local politics than much bigger states. More money equals a greater fascination with all things swine. This distinction, not being so consumed in our election process by money. is not necessarily anything from which we could be said to always benefit from. When stimulus money comes unglued it isn't a good idea to channel it into projects that are dead ends foisted upon the citizenry by politicians that got more power than they knew what to do with. That money ought to be going where it can be scientifically measured to bring in the highest economic multiplier effect. Long term road projects bring a lot of money into a local economy via an increased hotel occupancy and the need for men in such a situation to pay the highest price for everything around them, from meals to most non-movie theater entertainment.

Now, can you see how difficult it is to abandon roads and automobiles. The politicians will do it if they can, until they need to placate the people with some work that they can see getting done. A poorer people in a world made around the existence of the car will in fact be on to their representatives more forcefully when all that stands between them and welfare is the ability to drive and get paid. These are not meshing forces, not unless you force them to with the nuclear detonating shaped charge of peak oil.

[anador]

I was driving on route 1-95 tonight and I was reminded of something that I have always wondered about.

Are street lamps really necessary on highways?

There are occasional segments of 95 that are lit, followed by much longer stretches of unlit road. I can understand the need for light on a street with theoretical pedestrians, but why on one in which they are not allowed?

They cause glare, make signs harder to read, and are inferior than the illumination provided by headlamps on cars.

Since most of the highway is considered safe with no lamps, how is it justified to light the road for no reason?

Look at the disadvantages section of this article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_light

How much could the city save in power if they turned off the lamps?: I realize sodium vapor lamps are highly efficient as compared to incandescent lamps, but its got to be a substantial sum.

[timmac]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'H')ow much could the city save in power if they turned off the lamps?: I realize sodium vapor lamps are highly efficient as compared to incandescent lamps, but its got to be a substantial sum.

[pup55]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')re street lamps really necessary on highways?