Building more roads while neglecting to repair older ones is driving U.S. motorists into a financial ditch.

The average American motorist spends $335 extra a year in repairs hastened by roads and bridges that need to be fixed but aren't, says a new "Road Work Ahead" report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups or PIRG, a nonprofit federation of state consumer groups.

That money adds up to about $67 billion a year, the group reports.

The group says U.S. policies and attitudes about roads are shortsighted.

Federal policies and special interest lobbying - along with the appeal of new projects - push new construction over repairs and maintenance. PIRG says federal programs channel money to the states with little direction or accountability required. Congressional earmarks for transportation typically target the next big road project or an expansion.

But repairs and maintenance often get minimized or left in the rear-view mirror.

Drivers are frequenting more than 90,000 miles of deteriorating highways and more than 70,000 deficient bridges, the study notes.

Those roads not only generate a parade of repairs, but they make driving more dangerous and lead to accidents.

NORTHERN ROADS TAKE A BEATING

The states with the highways most in need of repair are Alaska, Rhode Island and New Jersey, according to the report.

Fortunately, Georgia and Florida have some of the nation's best-kept road systems. For instance, 95 percent of Georgia's major roads are in good condition, the report says.

Meanwhile, in Florida, 84 percent of the state's major roads are in good condition with 15 percent considered in fair condition and 1 percent in mediocre condition.

But keeping it that way is challenging, and the forecast for a better national strategy isn't promising under the current system.

The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that it would take $100 billion a year just to keep the federal highway system in the condition it is now. That amounts to almost $30 billion more than is spent now.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?

The study recommends several suggestions and changes in direction with more "fix-it-first" thinking, including:

- Prioritizing highway and bridge maintenance and repair, with benchmarks on progress for states to receive federal funding.

- Requiring states that get federal aid to plan for future maintenance before building new roads.

- Making highway and bridge maintenance more of a conscious federal and national priority.

- Retooling federal aid programs to focus more on repairs and maintenance.

- Holding states more accountable for how they use federal money, rewarding those that make maintenance more of a mission.

- Having states adopt "fix it first" policies, similar to those in Maryland, New Jersey and Illinois, requiring upgrading of existing roadways before building new highways.

The report's recommendations are worth pursuing. With funds getting tighter for transportation needs, officials must think more about balancing repairs with new construction.

Repairs should get more attention if only to ensure that we aren't building ourselves into a bigger financial hole by ignoring them.

Building smarter by factoring in maintenance and repair is even more crucial if our road system is to be the best it can be for the people.

RUNNING BEHIND

Repair needs are mounting for U.S. highways and bridges but are often bypassed for building or expanding new roads. Here's the picture:

- Forty-five percent of federal highways and major roads were in poor, mediocre or fair condition in 2008, the Federal Highway Administration said.

- The worst road conditions were in major cities such as New York, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

- About 12 percent of the nation's bridges have major defects or cracks, the U.S. Department of Transportation says.

Source: ""Road Work Ahead" report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups

 

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