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The Effects of Road Construction

Road construction yields many benefits and consequences. Ultimately, the goal of road construction is to facilitate swift, convenient transport and promote economic development. For commuters, however, the delays and traffic jams experienced during construction can sometimes seem to negate the potential benefits involved.

  1. Traffic Delays and Detours

    • Congestion can occur during periods of construction.

      Typically, road construction is enacted with the intent of repairing and expanding roadways to accommodate greater traffic flow when finished, but these future advantages come at the price of temporary delays and congestion. During road construction, delays occur along busy thoroughfares as available traffic lanes are either reduced or completely closed. Detours alleviate some of the resulting congestion, but may also divert a high level of traffic into residential streets and roadways that are not equipped to accommodate it.

    Human Displacement

    • Reroutes and new construction can displace residents. For example, residents of the Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, were displaced during the 1950s in order to allow the construction of Interstate Highway 94. The state declared eminent domain on property owned by about 650 homeowners and other property owners, scattering the neighborhood's residents and breaking up the community. As of 2010, some former residents felt that the community had still not recovered.

    Economic Outcomes

    • Constructio employs workers from a variety of sectors and skill levels.

      Road construction projects contribute to employment in a number fields, both directly and indirectly. Construction workers, site engineers and equipment operators all work directly on a road construction site, while suppliers and others contribute to the project from off site. These include steelworkers, miners, truck drivers, engineers and urban planners. The indirect economic outcomes of road construction are far-reaching. If a bridge goes up, for example, not only are steelworkers employed, but so are ore and coal miners who produce the raw materials.

    Ecological Effects

    • Road construction can damage natural habitats.

      There are many environmental concerns surrounding new road construction. When previously uninhabited areas are developed and roads are constructed, indigenous species can suffer. Some wildlife may have no natural fear of traffic, and injury or death due to poorly timed crossings can diminish populations. Pollution from auto emissions can also harm plant and animal life. Finished roads can fragment and isolate animal populations, and paved roads increase the amount of impervious surface in watershed, which can alter water quantity and quality, stream channel morphology and ground water levels.

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