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Major highway and road projects in the US are often completed with minimal fuss. You don't really hear about these, because they go off smoothly. The difference

Major highway and road projects in the US are often completed with minimal fuss. You don't really hear about these, because they go off smoothly. The difference may perhaps be that there's plenty of experience and precedent in doing these, both in government and industry, as road projects are constantly executed. Major rail construction has basically been absent in the US for a generation or more. Does the lack of experience and support, combined with a general reluctance to bring in foreign expertise, explain the difference? Maybe. The Texas HSR project may be instructive, as it's bringing in a Japanese firm.

jcranmer 7y ago
> Major highway and road projects in the US are often completed with minimal fuss. You don't really hear about these, because they go off smoothly. The difference may perhaps be that there's plenty of experience and precedent in doing these, both in government and industry, as road projects are constantly executed. ... yeah, I don't think that's true. Major road projects in the US often have exactly the same kinds of hemorrhaging cost overruns and other issues that rail projects do: look at Seattle's Alaska Way Viaduct replacement project, the Bay Area's Bay Bridge replacement project, or Boston's Big Dig for infamous cost overruns that are measured in large integer multiples. The major difference, I believe, is that there is often massive public pressure to force through road projects when they hit snags, whereas rail projects tend to get cancelled at first opportunity.
- zeroonetwothree 7y ago
  That's only a small number of the hundreds of major road projects. Most of them you don't hear about because nothing interesting happens. FWIW, my experience with smaller-scale local projects in my area is that they are completed generally on time, competently, and achieve the desired aims.
- phlakaton 7y ago
  On the flip side, the reconstruction of LA freeways after the Northridge earthquake was a resounding success, finishing a month or more ahead of schedule. How? By offering financial incentives to complete early. ;-) This describes in more detail how it was done: https://www.epi.org/publication/bp166/ https://www.epi.org/publication/bp166/
LargoLasskhyfv 7y ago
Hmhmmumblemumble Houston Harvey Flooding Hagibis Flooding Nagano Shinkansen... You mean like this? [1] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/13/national/ten-trains-used-hokuriku-shinkansen-line-sustain-damage-yard-flooded/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/13/national/ten-tr... 10 out of 30 down until further notice.

jcranmer 7y ago

> Major highway and road projects in the US are often completed with minimal fuss. You don't really hear about these, because they go off smoothly. The difference may perhaps be that there's plenty of experience and precedent in doing these, both in government and industry, as road projects are constantly executed. ... yeah, I don't think that's true. Major road projects in the US often have exactly the same kinds of hemorrhaging cost overruns and other issues that rail projects do: look at Seattle's Alaska Way Viaduct replacement project, the Bay Area's Bay Bridge replacement project, or Boston's Big Dig for infamous cost overruns that are measured in large integer multiples. The major difference, I believe, is that there is often massive public pressure to force through road projects when they hit snags, whereas rail projects tend to get cancelled at first opportunity.

zeroonetwothree 7y ago
That's only a small number of the hundreds of major road projects. Most of them you don't hear about because nothing interesting happens. FWIW, my experience with smaller-scale local projects in my area is that they are completed generally on time, competently, and achieve the desired aims.
phlakaton 7y ago
On the flip side, the reconstruction of LA freeways after the Northridge earthquake was a resounding success, finishing a month or more ahead of schedule. How? By offering financial incentives to complete early. ;-) This describes in more detail how it was done: https://www.epi.org/publication/bp166/ https://www.epi.org/publication/bp166/

LargoLasskhyfv 7y ago

Hmhmmumblemumble Houston Harvey Flooding Hagibis Flooding Nagano Shinkansen... You mean like this? [1] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/13/national/ten-trains-used-hokuriku-shinkansen-line-sustain-damage-yard-flooded/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/13/national/ten-tr... 10 out of 30 down until further notice.