New methods and technology make concrete competitive with asphalt in terms of readiness. With fast-tracking, concrete goes down fast, cures quickly and is often ready within hours. In the final analysis, concrete substantially lessens the cycles of highway repair. There is no need for periodic resurfacing, and state DOTs maintenance costs should come down proportionately. For motor carriers, long-term pavements will provide significant savings in fewer delays, improved efficiency for drivers with smoother and stronger roads and greater overall operating efficiency.
Roads are the very lifeline of the motor carrier industry.
We achieved the impossible with TEA 21 and got billions of dollars to spend. Now we need to spend the money on the right thing long-term pavements. By Mr. Scapellato, former director of the Office of Motor Carrier Research and Standards in the Federal Highway Administration, is now a consultant to the Southeast chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association.