Should it be a requirement that if a road project were to be started that it must have a deadline?

Question

I think that any road construction project should be started and ended within 10 months and that no construction should occur during July & August (the hot months). I think all construction should be complete including getting the orange barrells off the road within 10 months from start. Road construction is constantly going on and causes more trouble with shutting down lanes than having had start the project. All road projects should be worked on 24/7 until done. What do you think?

Answer 1

The simple way to tackle this is to fine companies for being late past a certain date and providing an incentive for finishing early. From a story I wrote --- Katrina wrecked the I-10 bridge that connected New Orleans and Slidell. Huge sections were broken off by the storm and made for great television shots. Repairs were expected to be expensive and lengthy. Yet the New York Times reports that with the carrot of a bonus and the stick of fines, the contracted agency was able – with “creative thinking, dedication and no small amount of luck” - to open two lanes of the highway in October. As a reward, the company received a $1.1 million bonus, the most it could have received. --- If this isn't proof that work can be finished in a timely manner, I don't know what is.

Answer 2

Road construction is a necessary evil. They usually do it in the summer because they get better results on the concrete and asphalt which don't work too well in cold weather. That being said, construction companies get away with murder because the incompetents writting the contracts and bids don't know how to crack the whip. The road designers seem a lot more interested in making sure that the contracts make a profit than the danger to the motorist. I know that road construction is a brutal and dangerous job, but if someone did a better job of project management, there would be fewer problems. My biggest beef is with the huge time cushions they give these guys to get the work done. That sloppiness leads to poor work flow.

Answer 3

Why would you want no construction projects taking place in July and August? These 2 months have the lightest traffic volumnes.

As for road construction, it's a way of life. Here in NYC, ongoing road construction happens all the time. Otherwise, do you want the same roads you depend on to travel, to fall apart?

Answer 4

No look at the BIG DIG in Boston people there know it will never end! Once the road is widened people move in and the road needs work again. just fix a road bad winter and it needs fixing again. But in LA CA. earthquake damaged road incentives for early completion the 405 freeway was repaired in 3 months not two years like estimated. Contractor made an extra 27 million Out there one day with out a major artery the patent dies commerce grinds to a halt.

Answer 5

Me living in a big city and it's growing trust me I hate going into to road construction. It should only take me 30 min. to get to work but it takes me almost an hour with traffic. I believe it should take only 6 months and like you said 24/7. Good question!!!

Answer 6

Absolutely! Unfortunately, the projects do have timeline restrictions when the project is let and bid upon. Problem is everybody is so crooked and the loopholes are so big, nobody is held responsible. The least of the government and contractors concerns is inconvenience to we taxpayers. There ain't NOTHING on the up-and-up.

Answer 7

Not with unions working on them, they never finish on time, Google the Big Dig, and see what a mess that is, and it has cost 14B dollars in 15 years, almost a billion dollars a year, do the math, it's a ridiculous amount per second.

Answer 8

i think you are a kook!!!