Summary Report on State Highway Needs in Indiana

A general summary of progress concerning the magnitude and extent of the total physical needs of Indiana's highways was pre­ sented at the 42nd Annual Road School. The report also included a preliminary estimate of the cost of eliminating the physical defi­ ciencies within 15 years. During the past year additional information concerning the needs study has been collected, analyzed, and evaluated. It is now possible to present an accurate summary of the needs of the state administered highways, but the needs of the county and city systems must remain generalized and somewhat subjective because complete data are not presently available. A detailed report of this Needs Study is in preparation and will be published at a later date. The highway fiscal problem has also changed since the previous report. The Federal Highway Act of 1956 contributed significantly to this change. It authorized, on a national basis, over $24.8 billion for the construction of the Interstate System during the period 1957-69, and increased to $2.55 billion the Federal funds available for the other Federal aid systems during fiscal years 1957-59. On the state-level, the General Assembly of Indiana, early in 1957, in­ creased gasoline and diesel fuel taxes from four cents to six cents a gallon. These legislative acts, at the national and state level, will mean more dollars for highway construction and maintenance. Their effect toward elimination of the needs of Indiana highways will be discussed later. In addition to the actual physical needs of the highway, certain needs which cannot be evaluated directly in terms of money were investigated. The study found that the critical shortage of engineers and technicians in the State Highway Department of Indiana can be relieved by the development and use of more efficient equipment