As always, traffic safety is a first priority for U.S. transportation officials. Although the upcoming administration has talked about the need to stimulate the economy through the rebuilding of roads and bridges, cost will continue to be an important issue for the transportation industry. This is partly due to the massive task ahead in bringing our infrastructure into top-performing condition. In the area of bridges alone, according to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, more than a quarter of the United States' almost 600,000 bridges are deficient, and more than $65 billion could be invested immediately in a cost-beneficial way to replace or otherwise address existing bridge deficiencies. A 2008 AASHTO study, "Bridging the Gap: Restoring and Repairing the Nation's Bridges," puts the price tag to repair and modernize all of the nation's bridges at almost $140 billion.
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