This is a good example of policy you get when the people making policy don't understand (or understand but don't want to understand) physics but do understand t

This is a good example of policy you get when the people making policy don't understand (or understand but don't want to understand) physics but do understand that the transportation lobby is well-funded and well-connected. On one hand they get a bunch of kickbacks for their reelection war-chest and some roads fail 5 years after their re-election is over anyway and someone else will be blamed for it. On the other hand they directly fund their opponent who is unlikely to turn down those dollars, possibly fail in their reelection bid, and successfully save some roads that everyone will just assume would have lasted anyway. It's not hard to see that it's practically impossible for any other outcome, the system is practically designed to create this kind of situation.