Each of the roads that you drive on everyday was at one time, carefully planned. The decision to install a new road takes many months, sometimes years, to plan. There are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. Each of these factors are evaluated through different boards and ultimately, with the state. Even once the decision is made, it can still be many months until the construction takes place. The following factors are considered when building a new road.
What is its benefit or need?
A lot of money, time, and resources go into the build of a new road. These resources are not spent if the road will not provide some sort of a benefit to the city or to local surrounding cities. This is often the reason that the new road is brought up in the first place. It could be overcrowding of a different city road, needed improvements beyond repair, or an expected growth to the city. This is one of the most important factors to consider. When the countries first roads were built, it was thought that it would provide transportation benefits to many.
Inspired by the network of high speed roads that he saw in Germany during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower championed the passing of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. The law funded the first 41,000 miles of paved glory that made up the early U.S. interstate system, which now boats 46,876 miles and runs through all 50 states. The purpose of transportation planning in this case shows that there was a need for this large road project.
Where will the road be placed?
Back when Dwight D. Eisenhower decided to implement a country wide road system, there was much more open land. Today, much of the countries lands are inhabited by either residential or commercial real estate. It can be difficult to find a good place for a new road. Sometimes, an old road will be torn out to put in a new one. Other times, the city will hire people to find open land or to purchase land from owners to complete the road. The road may go over rivers, railroad tracks, or even farmlands.
What type of road will be installed?
Since the first roads were originally built throughout the country, road materials and building techniques have changed. Different types of roads do better in different areas. The city will consider the climate and the amount of traffic expected on the road and will work with geotechnical design firms to create a structural design that will fit with the new road. It is estimated that over one third of America?s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Eventually, traffic may be entirely rerouted to these new roads that tend to have better build techniques, like GPR pavements or GPR pavements.
GBR pavements are a specific technique that is used to evaluate the quality of the pavement. The pavement acts as a protector and when the GPR pavement is placed and tested properly, the road tends to last much longer. The biggest civil engineering companies in the world offer these advanced GPR pavements and are often an important part of city and state road building planning.
America?s roads are in trouble. More than half of America?s interstate miles are at 70% of traffic capacity, and nearly 25% of the miles are strained at more than 95% capacity. Not only is this a problem for traffic, but it also puts extra wear and tear on the roads, causing them to break down much quicker. New roads take a long time to plan and build. By the time these new roads are planned and the construction takes place, it is likely time to entirely repair the already existing roads. Advanced road techniques like GPR pavements help ensure that new roads are installed and paved correctly, helping a little with America?s current roads problem.