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PROJECT DETAILS

Project Type
Faculty-Initiated Research
Project Dates
06/01/2015 - 08/31/2017
Principal Investigators
Institution
Project Status
Complete

The users of the roadway systems in the United States have been suffering from the poor condition levels of these systems for approximately the last two decades. When the Infrastructure Report Cards published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) are examined, it can be seen that the overall condition of the roads has been fluctuating between a grade of "D-" and a "D+" since 1998 (ASCE 1998, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013). In fact, according to the latest report card, approximately one-third (32%) of the major roads in the U.S. are in poor or mediocre conditions (ASCE 2013). The condition level of roadways in the State of New York is reported to be worse than the national average, as 60% of the roads are in the State of New York are in poor or mediocre conditions. It is further added that 42% of the major urban highways in the U.S. are congested, resulting in large amounts of wasted fuel, emissions, delays, and lost time. Congestion of highways has two major impacts on the management of roadways: 1) Deterioration rate of the roadways in congested areas are expected to be higher as a result of increased usage; 2) User costs are higher in congested areas as a result of maintenance, repair, and reconstruction activities. Consequently, utilization of innovative maintenance, repair, and reconstruction activities, which have the potential to improve the overall condition level of the roadways in consideration of their economic, social, and environmental impacts, is gaining significance.