Why AWP Supports Infrastructure Week

Infrastructure Week (May 13-20) is a national week of education and advocacy. The goal of the week is to bring together American businesses, workers, elected leaders, and everyday citizens around one message in 2019: Let’s #BuildForTomorrow. 

While many (ok, most!) drivers complain about new highway lane construction, road and bridges work, signaling and routing projects, it’s very clear that a healthy infrastructure keeps our economy moving and helps ensure everyone’s safety.

AWP supports Infrastructure Week as part of our commitment to safety and to making America’s roads better, one work zone at a time. Infrastructure Week is about creating awareness among the public at large. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to say, we appreciate the work done in every work zone, on every job site, every day.

Paving the way for a brighter future is hard work. And infrastructure investments do indeed pave the way.

Positive Returns On Investment for Highway Construction

A recent study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates that the economic benefits of improving any segment of the U.S. highway network exceed the estimated construction and maintenance costs – and the return on investment is substantial. For about three-quarters of all highway segments, adding 10 additional lane-miles generates benefits valued at between $10 million and $20 million.

For some highway segments, however, the returns are much larger. The gains tend to be largest in areas where roads connect large economic hubs where few alternative routes exist.

Staffing hundreds of worksites every day with highly trained, safety conscious traffic control professionals, AWP crews may not make the most visible contribution to tomorrow’s infrastructure, but we are proud to do our part “behind the scenes” in those infrastructure improvements.

Building On Our Commitment to Safety

We know that safer road construction and infrastructure improvements benefit everyone (workers, drivers, pedestrians) with fewer accidents, and we know that the initiatives we are putting in place today pave the way for safer, more efficient infrastructure and infrastructure workers. That’s why we support Infrastructure Week, and that’s why we’re committed to our work, every day, all year long.