There are two ways to manage an existing transportation infrastructure: continuous maintenance at adequate levels, and periodic radical reconstruction. ββββββββββ βββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββ βββββββ βββββββββββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββββββ ββ ββββββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββ ββββββββ
Why are highways rarely maintained continuously when doing so is cheaper than rebuilding them periodically?
Any hypothesis resolving this discrepancy will state another difference between continuous maintenance and radical reconstruction that explains why continuous maintenance is rare. This difference will make continuous maintenance unattractive or unattainable despite its lower cost in the long run.
Analysis by LukeWilson
Which one of the following, ββ βββββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββββ ββ βββ βββ βββββ βββββββββββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββ ββββββββ
Since different parts ββ βββ ββββββββββββββ ββββββββββββββ βββ βββ ββββββββββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββ ββ βββββββββββ βββββββ ββββββββββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββββ
When funds for ββββββββββββββ ββββββββββββββ βββββββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββ βββ βββββββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββββββββ
If continuous maintenance ββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββββββββββββββ βββββββ βββ ββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββββββ ββββ βββββ βββββ βββββ ββββ ββ βββββββββββ βββ ββββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββββββββ
Radical reconstruction projects ββββ ββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββββ
For long periods, βββ ββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββββ βββββ ββββββββ βββββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββ ββββββββ βββββββββββ