Growing U.S. Freight Demands Require Significant Investment

WASHINGTON—In 10 years, an additional 1.8 million trucks will be on the road; in 20 years, for every two trucks today, another one will be added. Already bottlenecks on major highways used by truckers every day are adding millions of dollars to the cost of food, goods, and manufacturing equipment for American consumers. As a result, according to a new report released on July 8, the transportation system that supports the movement of freight across America is facing a crisis.

At joint news conferences in Des Moines, IA; Memphis, TN; and Harrisburg, PA, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released “Unlocking Freight,” an analysis of America’s freight system that finds the nation’s highways, railroads, ports, waterways, and airports require investments well beyond current levels to maintain—much less improve—their performance. The report identified key projects in 30 states that would improve freight delivery and dependability, and offered a three-point plan to address what is needed to relieve freight congestion, generate jobs and improve productivity.

AASHTO President and Mississippi DOT Executive Director Larry L. “Butch” Brown said, “The simple fact is no transportation, no economy; they are inseparable. We must invest to maintain and strengthen the American ‘transconomy.’”

At the Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Valley Conference of State Highway and Transportation Officials (MVC) in Des Moines, Mr. Brown said, “Congress must invest in all transportation modes; from waterways to roads and rails to get us where we need to be as a competitive nation. Millions of jobs and our nation’s long-term economic health depend on it.”

Despite more long-distance freight being moved by intermodal rail, the report found that trucks will still carry 74 percent of the load. On average, 10,500 trucks a day currently travel some segments of the Interstate Highway System. By 2035, this will increase to 22,700 commercial trucks for these portions of the Interstate, with the most heavily used segments seeing upwards of 50,000 trucks a day. Yet between 1980 and 2006, traffic on the Interstate Highway System increased by 150 percent while Interstate capacity increased by only 15 percent. The report also identified the 1,000 miles of most heavily traveled highways used by trucks.

This is part of the July 1, 2010 online edition of Construction News.

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