Many Roads in U.S. Unsafe, AAA Says
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NEW YORK — The American Automobile Assn. said Wednesday that the federal government isn’t spending enough to maintain the nation’s deteriorating roads and bridges, threatening the lives of motorists and travelers.
The 39 million-member association cited federal statistics that say:
* More than a third of the major roads are in immediate need of repair. About 80,000 miles of highway are in “poor” condition, meaning they need work to restore their serviceability, and almost 160,000 miles are “mediocre,” meaning they will soon need improvements.
* Twenty-five percent of the 570,000 bridges are “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete.” The former means the bridges are closed or restricted to light vehicles because of deterioration; the latter means the bridges are unsafe for the volume or type of traffic they carry.
AAA calculates that it would take $53 billion a year just to maintain current conditions, but only $35 billion is being spent.
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