Transportation

Infrastructure Conditions

Infrastructure Condition

Virginia's transportation infrastructure supports business, tourism and economic growth as well as citizens going about their daily business. Increasing population, vehicular travel, and freight throughput increase demands on a system that is not growing relative to the need. This additional strain on the system wears out the facilities, creating the need for continuous maintenance and upgrades.

Why is This Important?

Transportation infrastructure that is not properly maintained will gradually deteriorate and provide increasingly poor service, congestion, and reduced safety levels. Roads with potholes, poorly lit intersections, and shoulders littered with debris will become more congested and increase accidents per mile compared to properly maintained roads. Bridges age with time and can become significant safety hazards. Transit buses and locomotives past federally recommended replacement age are less safe and reliable. Choke points along Virginia's rail lines challenge the ability of the state's rail system to handle anticipated increases in freight movements. Insufficient investment in and modernization of port and airport facilities reduce the ability of these facilities to sustain current levels and perpetuate future economic development opportunities.

How is Virginia Doing?

In 2008, 25.9 percent of Virginia's bridges were functionally obsolete or structurally deficient, placing the state at 29th lowest in the nation for percent of deficient bridges. (Note: Functionally obsolete or structurally deficient bridges are not necessarily unsafe.) Virginia's rate was higher than Tennessee's 20.2 percent, but lower than that of either North Carolina or Maryland, which had 28.7 and 26.3 percent functionally obsolete or structurally deficient bridges, respectively. Arizona was the leading state at 11.2 percent; the national average in 2008 was 25.2 percent.

In other modes of transportation, one in five transit buses and all Virginia Railway Express locomotives are past federally recommended replacement age. Unless the planned improvements for the Craney Island Marine Terminal are implemented, the state-owned facilities at the Port of Virginia will reach full capacity by 2017.

The most recent report by the California-based Reason Foundation further describes the cost-effectiveness of Virginia's highway system. The report ranked the Commonwealth 16th in overall cost-effectiveness of state highways (up from 18th in 2005), compared to Tennessee (19), North Carolina (23), and Maryland (37). North Dakota ranked first in overall performance.

2008 State Rankings for Infrastructure Cost-Effectiveness

State	Ranking
Virginia	16
North Dakota	1
Tennessee	19
North Carolina	23
Maryland	37
Source: Reason Foundation: State Highways-Cost Effectiveness Rankings (based on 2006 data)

Virginia's infrastructure was highly ranked in several categories including rural interstate pavement condition (1st) and capital and bridge disbursements per mile (2nd). However, the report highlighted areas for improvement, such as urban interstate pavement condition (28th) and narrow lanes on rural roads (46th).

What Influences Infrastructure Condition?

The maintenance condition of the existing infrastructure is primarily influenced by four factors: quality of construction, age, usage levels, and maintenance expenditures. When transportation facilities are built, there is a tradeoff between cost and longevity. For example, an increased investment in construction can yield a road or bridge that takes longer to age and is more resistant to the wear and tear caused by more traffic and heavier loads. In addition, regular maintenance can both improve and extend the life span. Recent increases in the price of fuel and raw materials have added substantially to the cost of maintenance. For example, asphalt prices have increased significantly in the past year, and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) expects more increases in the future due to higher oil prices.

What is the State's Role?

State government has the primary responsibility for constructing and maintaining transportation infrastructure in Virginia. VDOT is the state agency responsible for construction and maintenance of road infrastructure, and must choose the material and construction techniques used in construction, making tradeoffs between cost and service life and between repair and replacement. VDOT uses an asset monitoring system to accurately assess maintenance needs and to establish priorities from among those needs. The Department of Aviation, Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Virginia Port Authority have either complete or shared responsibilities for maintaining airports, transit facilities and ports, respectively.