Time to Complete Highway Projects

According to FHWA, and based on its professional judgment, planning, gaining approval for, and constructing a federally funded major highway project that involves new construction and has a significant environmental impact typically takes from 9 to 19 years. However, these projects constitute about 3 percent of all federally funded projects, according to FHWA. Many Events May Affect Project Completion Time

Not surprisingly, officials in federal and state agencies and other knowledgeable organizations indicate that larger, more complex or controversial projects take longer to complete than is usual for most highway projects. This is because large, complex projects are subject to more requirements, involve more federal stakeholders, and attract more public interest. Federal and state transportation officials and transportation engineering organizations identified the timely resolution of environmental issues as providing the greatest opportunity for reducing the time it takes to complete highway projects. Initiatives to Improve the Timely Completion of Highway Projects

Federal and state agencies have undertaken several initiatives to improve completion times for highway construction projects. Generally, the impact of these initiatives is unclear because of the brevity of time they have been in place.
What GAO Found

The United States is the most mobile nation on the planet. Constructing, improving, and repairing roads and bridges is fundamental to meeting the nation's mobility needs to facilitate commerce, national defense, and pleasure use and to promote economic growth. Therefore, it is important that highway projects using federal financial support are completed in as timely a manner as possible. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and based on its professional judgment, it typically takes from 9 to 19 years to plan, gain approval for, and construct a new, major federally funded highway project that has significant environmental impacts. However, these projects constitute only 3 percent of all federally funded projects, according to FHWA. Officials in federal and state agencies and other knowledgeable organizations indicate that delivering larger, more complex or controversial projects may take longer to complete than is typical for most highway projects. In addition to needing more time because of their size and complexity, they often take longer to complete because they must comply with more federal and state requirements and because of the public interest that they may generate. Federal and state agencies have undertaken several initiatives to improve completion times for highway construction projects. Most of these initiatives address opportunities for reducing the time required to obtain environmental approvals.