The Nation’s Most Wasteful Highway Projects

The Highway Boondoggles report, an annual release from the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), highlights the most “wasteful or unnecessary” highway projects in the nation. According to the report, “In FY 2023, as of the end of May, states had committed $26.6 billion in highway and bridge formula funds to support over 19,300 new projects, on top of the $53.5 billion invested in more than 29,000 projects in FY 2022.” The funding comes in part from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

The seven projects listed in the report are projected to cost over $15.9 billion and, the report adds, “will harm communities and the environment, while likely failing to achieve goals such as reducing congestion or improving safety.” 

The report notes that “Expanding a highway sets off a chain reaction of societal decisions that ultimately leads to the highway becoming congested again – often in only a short time.” Road expansion also creates long-term costs. “In addition to the one-time costs of construction, these projects will cost taxpayers billions of dollars over the years to maintain, saddling future generations with expensive maintenance needs.”

The report makes recommendations for reducing auto dependency and downsizing unnecessary projects, advising that transportation agencies should “Adopt fix-it-first policies that reorient transportation funding away from highway expansion and toward repair of existing roads and investment in other transportation options.”