Inventive Maintenance: The Final Miles of the Interstate Highway System Have Been Constructed, but the Work is Far from Over

This is the second article in a series on the Interstate Highway System at 50, and it concentrates on the how engineers and planners are trying to preserve, rehabilitate or reconstruct the 50-year-old system while reducing congestion and juggling funding. As the country has grown up around the interstate system, the job of engineers has become more difficult in some ways: the impact of the roadways on residents, travelers, business and the environment must be factored, and engineers must often work with civic groups and environmental agencies. The article uses examples of construction projects that illustrate the new reality of building and rebuilding the system. It looks at Boston's "Big Dig" and an intersection in Providence, Rhode Island. It discusses a variety of problems facing the interstate system including deficient bridges, deteriorating road surfaces, and the increasing numbers of vehicles using the system.