Interstate Deteriation - is it just me?

I15 from I10 to the I215 interchange in So Cal was rebuilt less that 10 years ago, It has become a motocross track again in a short span of time. It is being rebuilt again.

I have driven roads in Michigan where they are absolutely coming apart. But, the weather is harsh, and the trucks are MUCH heavier, 13 axles at over 160000 lbs? So in FL and CA where the climates are much milder, why the heck do they get so bad so quickly? Bad engineering? or no maint? I hate slamming my RV down the road with******bounding in the cabinets.

Welfare workers? How about all the cons locked up getting three hots and a cot on our dime. Two words, Chain Gang.

paulj wrote:

bob_nestor wrote:
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The Romans in ancient times built roads that are still in use today. ...

In use, in what sense? As walking paths? for chariots and marching legions? or 40' RVs?

A simple Wikipedia search turns up the statement that: The courses, and sometimes the surfaces of many Roman roads survived for millennia. Some are overlaid by modern roads.

bob_nestor wrote:
..
The Romans in ancient times built roads that are still in use today. ...

In use, in what sense? As walking paths? for chariots and marching legions? or 40' RVs?

Recently crews installing new water lines in a Seattle suburb uncovered buried logs, evidently part of logging road laid across a swampy area. The wood was still in good shape, so they chose to leave them (except for cutting a trench for the pipe). So in a sense that old corduroy road is still in use today. But that doesn't mean it is functionally adequate for today's traffic.

Even if they had built Interstates in the the late 1950s with a '100 yr lifespan' in mind, it does not mean they would be adequate for current traffic loads, much less today's safety standards.

Germany had, around WW2 days 3000 km of autoban. Now it has 12,000km.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_autobahns

Most sections of Germany's autobahns are modern, containing two or three lanes in addition to an emergency lane (hard shoulder). A few other sections remain in an old state, with two lanes, no emergency lane, and short slip-roads and ramps.

dbbls wrote:
The US interstate roads were built with a life expediency of 25 years. The goal was to build them as fast as they could. They all far exceed the 25 year life span. Hopefully the ones being rebuilt are being built to a higher standard. The Autobahn in Germany was built to a 100 year life expediency.

The Romans in ancient times built roads that are still in use today. Some of their water aqueducts are still standing too. They did better engineering (understood how to layer different size rocks, developed concrete, etc), but they also probably had a lot less bureaucracy and a lot fewer documented requirements. Although one they had still exists today - the space between the paths had to match the spacing of wheels on a Roman War Chariot. Even today that spacing is maintained on our railroad tracks. The first Government mandated military spec!

paulj wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
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I agree. Let's get able bodied men on welfare and unemployment out working and repair our infrastructure....

We are past the days when highway work can be done with shovel and pick by unskilled labor.

Point well taken. I am not a road builder so I don't know.

There must be something these men can do besides sit around the house all day and collect taxpayers (read working man) money.

Dog Folks wrote:
....
I agree. Let's get able bodied men on welfare and unemployment out working and repair our infrastructure....

We are past the days when highway work can be done with shovel and pick by unskilled labor.

larry barnhart wrote:
Everything in the USA is going down the drain. Roads included.
chevman

I agree. Let's get able bodied men on welfare and unemployment out working and repair our infrastructure. We need another CCC.

dbbls wrote:
... The Autobahn in Germany was built to a 100 year life expediency.

so Germany doesn't have to spend anything on highway maintenance - at least not until 2035....

It's really bad when the complete sections of I-75 threw Monroe County in MI were completely replaced in the last 20 years and now have the right lanes undriveable due to the concrete sections sinking down in some areas several inches. Then 0n I-275 which was resurfaced less than 15 years ago the right lane is blocked off in several areas due to the road falling apart, been patch several times but doesn't take long to fall apart again. It's a shame when the replaced sections of the highway fall apart in just a few years.

The US interstate roads were built with a life expediency of 25 years. The goal was to build them as fast as they could. They all far exceed the 25 year life span. Hopefully the ones being rebuilt are being built to a higher standard. The Autobahn in Germany was built to a 100 year life expediency.