# US Interstates - maintenance **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2025, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390 "2025-08-22T11:22:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/21 "2025-09-02T23:41:05Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I will add that the mowing crews bill by the “berm-mile”, one of the more obscure units of measurements. And the mowing budget, just like the snowplowing budget, is set and spent under constraints that have only a passing acquaintance with needs driven by weather AND climate. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/22 "2025-09-02T23:48:05Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > When was the last time we actually built a new highway in this country? When I-93 in NH was widened (2010-2014) all the new bridges were built wide enough to keep all lanes open while doing repairs. The same for Rt 3 in MA. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/23 "2025-09-02T23:49:06Z")
We can replace your wise contribution with > The [whatever governmental level] budget for [whatever topic] is set and spent under constraints that have only a passing acquaintance with the needs of [whatever topic]. Sad but true. Most of what’s difficult or hopeless about government is down to this needs / resources disconnect. If we had a constituution that required government spending meet the needs we’d live in a completely different society. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/24 "2025-09-03T00:08:12Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > When was the last time we actually built a new highway in this country? It seems like decades. In California, we have solved the whole median maintenance thing by repurposing them as new lanes. New ones have been regularly built here in the Chicago area over the past decades. The southern extension of [I-355](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_355) (from I-55 to I-80) was completed in 2007. The [Elgin-O’Hare Tollway (Illinois 390)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Route_390) has been gradually expanded over the course of the last 30 years. In 2027, its eastern terminus will be completed, reaching the western edge of O’Hare’s property, and connecting with the new [I-490](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_490_(Illinois)) (also currently under construction), which will be a bypass around the western side of O’Hare, connecting I-90 to I-294. Meanwhile, up in Wisconsin, where I grew up, U.S. 41, from Milwaukee to Green Bay, was improved and widened in a major project over the past 15 years, and rechristened as [Interstate 41](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_41) in 2015; continued widening and improvements are still ongoing. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/25 "2025-09-03T00:39:07Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > There’s some new highways going in in the South. Freeways, not just a two lane road. I can’t remember specifics off-hand, but some in Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. Probably other states too. The one in NC I’m thinking of is I-42, which is still under construction. > **[Interstate 42](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_42)** > > Interstate 42 (I-42) is a partially completed Interstate Highway in the US state of North Carolina, currently existing in two separate segments in the eastern part of the state, totaling up to 31.5 miles (50.7 km). The completed and signed segments of I-42 currently run from I-40 eastwards along the 9.8-mile (15.8 km) Clayton Bypass to an interchange with Business US 70 southeast of Clayton. The Interstate resumes again along the Goldsboro Bypass, running for 21.7 miles (34.9 km) north of Golds... ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/26 "2025-09-03T04:16:32Z")
Well, here’s a link to their presentation [Wentzville](https://www.modot.org/projects/interstate-70-roadway-realignment-st-charles) It appears that they are replacing the bridge. A temp shoofly bridge will allow traffic flow on the RR while a new bridge is built. They’ve cleared a lot of trees and dirt on the South side of the area. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/27 "2025-09-03T11:59:27Z")
Cool. Thanks. MODot always seemed a pretty competent and forward-thinking agency. Ref @vbob, one rarely funded to do all of what was asked of it. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/28 "2025-09-03T12:26:47Z")
The northern arm of I-294 has undergone a massive reconstruction that has been going on for a few years. It’s being widened to 5 lanes, and new ramps constructed and old ramps redesigned for better traffic efficiency. I define “the northern arm” as anything north of the 95th street exits. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/29 "2025-09-03T13:34:12Z")
I’m surprised somebody local hasn’t mentioned it that I could find, but the amount of interstate / freeway widening going on continuously in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroblob has to be seen to be believed. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/30 "2025-09-03T14:37:07Z")
I’ve never lived in DFW, but I have in-law family there that we visit with sone regularity so have significant exposure to the metro’s freeway maintenance approach. There’s always several repair, remediation, or improvement projects ongoing at any given time. It would be unusual to see them doing notably more of this type of activity at an specific moment, but I suppose it could happen (like with an infusion of money for projects, for instance). ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/31 "2025-09-03T14:41:38Z")
The thing is, most places assign the sausage-making to the elected officials with input from the professionals running the various governmental departments. Having seen it from the inside, it’s absolutely a problem of a lot of need intersecting limited funding. I mean, everyone wants super awesome libraries, but everyone also wants lots of well paid, competent cops. And we also want the city IT department to have robust security and customer facing applications. And we want the homeless people taken care of, as well as the trash picked up on time, code violations identified and penalized, and so forth. But there’s only so much money to go around. So the pros submit their budgets, and the elected types make their best decisions, albeit fundamentally political ones, about how the money will be budgeted and spent (they’ve typically got oversight over the actual spending not just the budgeting). Stuff like mowing is often lower priority due to those political constraints. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/32 "2025-09-03T14:44:07Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > The northern arm of I-294 has undergone a massive reconstruction that has been going on for a few years. It’s being widened to 5 lanes, and new ramps constructed and old ramps redesigned for better traffic efficiency. I define “the northern arm” as anything north of the 95th street exits. Technically the “central” stretch of 294, as the construction project extends as far north as O’Hare, but 294 continues further north, up to the Lake/Cook county line. The whole project started in 2018, and has another two full years before it’s finally done in 2027. I drive on 294 frequently, and I have to say, I’m really tired of driving through the construction zone at this point. > **[Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project - Illinois Tollway](https://agency.illinoistollway.com/projects/tri-state/central-tri-state-reconstruction)** > > The Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) is being reconstructed from Balmoral Avenue to 95th Street to provide congestion relief, reconstruct old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390/33 "2025-09-03T15:31:53Z")
> [@bump](#): > > But there’s only so much money to go around. So the pros submit their budgets, and the elected types make their best decisions, albeit fundamentally political ones, about how the money will be budgeted and spent (they’ve typically got oversight over the actual spending not just the budgeting). Yep. The American public has champagne taste in government services but is only willing to fund a beer budget to buy all the champagne with. Then they blame largely imaginary “waste” in government for the service shortfall their own irrationality causes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-interstates-maintenance/1022390.md?page=1)