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Conditions and Performance Report. Appendix A.

Conditions and Performance Report
Appendix A—Interstate Needs

Conditions and Performance Chapter Listing

Conditions and Performance Home Page


Introduction

Background


Current Conditions and Performance

Projected Conditions and Performance in 2007

Resources Needed to Maintain and Improve the Interstate System

Addressing Interstate System Needs

 

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Projected Conditions
and Performance in 2007

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The future condition of the Interstate system is a function of several factors, including the current condition of the system, projected travel growth, and the level of future investment. This study uses current condition data, performance data, and travel growth projections from the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) database to predict what impact different levels of investment over the 10-year period from 1998 through 2007 would have on the Interstate system. Data from the National Bridge Inventory are used to project future Interstate Bridge conditions.

Since rural and urban Interstate data are available, and the characteristics of rural and urban Interstate routes are different, this study examines them separately. Investment requirements for highway preservation, bridge preservation and system expansion are separately identified, to facilitate more detailed analysis of physical conditions separate from operational performance. This section includes nine analyses of projected Interstate conditions and performance. The first examines the impact that different levels of investment for highway reconstruction and 3R (restoration, rehabilitation, and resurfacing) would be expected to have on rural Interstate pavement conditions. The second analysis adds widening improvements, and describes the combined effect that pavement improvements and widening improvements would be expected to have on the operational performance of rural Interstate highways. The third and fourth analyses contain comparable material for urban Interstate highways. The fifth and sixth analyses combine the earlier analyses, and examine rural/urban tradeoffs. The seventh and eighth analyses project future rural and urban bridge conditions. The ninth analysis combines the separate highway and bridge analyses and serves as the starting point for the identification of the resources required to maintain and improve the Interstate system, which is discussed in the next section.

Each separate analysis includes a table and chart showing the potential impacts of a range of different investment levels. Each table identifies the effects of continuing to invest at 1997 levels in constant dollar terms over the next 10 years, and the investment required to achieve certain performance targets. Since highway capital spending is expected to grow in constant dollar terms as TEA-21 is implemented, this section includes a simple forecast of 10-year funding levels, which is referenced in each of the analyses of future conditions and performance.

The highway condition and performance forecasts utilize the Highway Economic Requirements System (HERS), while the bridge analysis is based on the Bridge Needs and Investment Process (BNIP). These models were generally utilized in this analysis in the same manner as was used to develop the investment requirements in Chapter 7. There are differences in the results however, since Chapter 7 presents average annual values for a 20-year analysis, while this study is based on a 10-year analysis. Note that all dollar values cited in this section are stated in constant 1997 dollars.

 

 
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