Opinion: Paving for the Long Term

By James E. Scapellato, President of Scapellato Group, Charleston, S.C.

When the federal government enacted the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, state departments of transportation rejoiced. Finally, everyone working together had obtained the desperately needed funds to improve America’s overworked highway system.

Motor carriers and private industries also share in the success. They, too, will reap the benefits of smoother rides, increased travel efficiency through major cities and fewer delays — ultimately. However, now that seemingly every road in America is under construction, the blessing has become a double-edged sword.

The myriad projects have brought about lane closures, traffic queues that can take as long as two hours to pass through and a price tag that costs motor carriers hundreds of thousands of dollars: Motor carriers must factor delay costs and opportunity costs, still maintain honest hours of service and somehow realize a profit.

In this bittersweet turn of the century, where does the answer lie?

Simply put, the answer lies in long-term pavement solutions.

American roads are a two-pavement system: asphalt or concrete. This balance is delicate — some roads should be built with asphalt and some with concrete — and professional highway engineers should make the choice, based on life-cycle cost analysis. Nonetheless, I believe that motor carriers should let their voices be heard in support of long-term solutions, whatever the pavement choice.

On many sections of highways, cycles of repair run every seven to 10 years, and it is time for all of us to do our respective parts to see that roads are designed and constructed to last longer. Let’s get in, fix it right the first time and stay out a long time. With the blessing of $175 billion for infrastructure improvements, imagine the nightmare of fixing these highways again in seven to 10 years.

As a consultant for the concrete industry, I reiterate the necessity of a two-pavement system in America, and of long-term pavement solutions, especially for Interstates and other National Highway System routes that carry heavy truck traffic. In cases where concrete has been designated the pavement of choice, the attributes of concrete become evident. As to longevity, concrete boasts an average life expectancy of 30 to 40 years. Over its life-cycle, concrete remains impervious to contaminants such as gasoline, oil, salt and ice, and holds strong against heavy truck and bus traffic loads, even under the harshest weather conditions. With recent advancements in equipment and specifications, concrete pavements provide one of the smoothest rides. In terms of appropriateness, concrete is the choice in bridge decks and physical plant loading areas.

Also at issue is cost and efficiency. While concrete may carry a higher price tag than asphalt in initial costs, in a life-cycle analysis, it wins. The money that is saved in reduced maintenance and longer life can be invested in other capital improvements.

New methods and technology make concrete competitive with asphalt in terms of readiness. With “fast-tracking,” concrete goes down fast, cures quickly and is often ready within hours. Techniques such as concrete overlays, or “whitetopping,” provide long-lasting, low-maintenance solutions to damaged roadways and can provide a stronger weight-bearing surface than the original pavement structure.

In the final analysis, concrete substantially lessens the cycles of highway repair. There is no need for periodic resurfacing, and state DOTs’ maintenance costs should come down proportionately.

For motor carriers, long-term pavements will provide significant savings in fewer delays, improved efficiency for drivers with smoother and stronger roads and greater overall operating efficiency.

Roads are the very lifeline of the motor carrier industry. We achieved the impossible with TEA 21 and got billions of dollars to spend. Now we need to spend the money on the right thing — long-term pavements.