Page:America's Highways 1776–1976.djvu/490

The report continued, “Construction to the standards recommended will certainly be expensive beyond the common experience in building most of the ordinary existing roads and streets, but the merit of the expenditure is to be judged not by such a comparison but rather by the value of the advantages to be gained in traffic facilitation, in reduced costs of vehicle operations, and in lowered accident rates.”^[1]

As noted earlier, the 1958 and 1961 estimates, each totaling $41 billion in cost, formed the basis for the 1961 Act. In compliance with statutory requirements, additional cost estimates were submitted to Congress in 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, and 1975. Future estimates are to be submitted in January 1977.

In each of the reports to Congress, information was submitted regarding the difference in total costs reported. With the changes in the statutory requirements as to the total system concept and the enactment of new environmental and sociological requirements, it was expected there would be introduced elements of cost not considered in the initial estimates. These increased costs were not “overruns” or “errors” in previous estimates, but were rather, a reflection of changing construction prices and changes in law enacted by Congress in recognition of changing public need, including design changes for mobility, safety, and environmental requirements.

Table 2 categorizes the major influences affecting total costs and shows the cost increase in each category. Some elements of the 1973 highway legislation are yet to be implemented, and the permissive substitution of System segments and cost in urban areas will be reflected in the highway and mass transit construction programs in urban areas. These changes will affect the construction cost on the Interstate System.

Table 2—Interstate System cost estimates, increases by cost categories
(Millions of dollars)

Category No.	Description of cost category	Estimate cost increase by years
		1965 over 1961	1968 over 1965	1970 over 1968	1972 over 1970	1975 over 1972	Total
1	Unit price increase	$1,135	$1,875	$2,395	$3,825	$5,870	$15,100
2	Engineering cost increase	161	385	350	125	515	1,536
3	Right-of-way values—relocation assistance, homes and businesses	693	890	910	250	1,060	3,803
4	Statutory design year change—added lanes, 4-lane minimum, etc.	739	675	320	100	515	2,349
5	Statutory mileage increase, major System adjustments, etc.	941	930	4,155	−235	30	5,821
6	Added interchanges and grade separation structures	289	990	240	185	160	1,864
7	Increase in roadway design, bridge width, tunnel clearances	445	1,245	3,265	1,015	2,355	8,325
8	Additional safety elements on new and on completed sections		1,530	335			1,865
9	Increased social, economic and environmental requirements	1,207	555	285	515	1,110	3,672
10	Mass transit—fringe parking provisions of 1970 Act				125		125
11	Construction project overruns					257	257
	Subtotal[N 1]	5,610	9,075	12,255	5,905	11,872	44,717
	Total Estimate 1961 = $41,000[N 1]	$46,800	$56,500	$69,870	$76,300	$89,200

1. The arithmetic disparity between the addition of these last two entries is the element of cost involved in categories of State highway planning and research, FHWA administration and research, and in contingency items. These are listed in the reports to Congress.

484

1. Id.