In the rest of the country, it s known as getting what we paid for. And, so far, it s working. Our increased federal investments will make an important difference to the quality of our roads. Today, over a quarter of all road miles have pavement in poor or mediocre condition, about a third of all bridges need replacement or repair, and traffic congestion creates regular delays for commuters and freight shipments on many urban freeways. The new pavements, strengthened bridges, added merge lanes, paved shoulders and other improvements made possible by TEA 21 funding will result in fewer highway crashes and less congestion, thus saving lives, time and money.
Good roads are particularly critical to American business.
In essence, our highways have taken the place of warehouses, which lowers production costs and keeps U.S. products price-competitive. But the only way this modern production system can continue to work is if we build and maintain a top-quality road network. TEA 21 will help us do that. Motorists and businesses across America should celebrate this first anniversary of TEA 21. It represents an important commitment to the taxpayers.