The Operations Cost Trap

The ICC interchange with US 29 

For years experts have warned how eventually maintenance of ever larger road networks will eat up any ability to build something or neglect maintenance. Now the dilapidated status of our infrastructure is legendary and political attempts of increasing the available resources through taxes are tepid or non existent.

Concrete has been falling off Maryland highway bridges: If Maryland's new DOT Secretary Rahn wants to emphasize maintenance over new construction it should include a review of how maintenance-intensive new highway projects are. From what I can see, the bridge orgies of the ICC or the new I-95/I-695 interchange will cost huge amounts to maintain and will bankrupt us in the future. They are like a Hummer that gets 8 miles a gallon whereas the old interchange was like a 1985 Toyota Tercel, slow but 40mpg; a non existing ICC didn't cost anything at all.

When will we see a LEED standard for infrastructure, especially roadways?

The new I-95 interchange with the beltway north of Baltimore
(photo: Jeffrey Sauers)