This article appeared on the ellsworthamerican.com
The longstanding rule of thumb for reconstructing roadways was that it cost $1 million to construct 1 mile of road.
But, like nearly everything, variables are involved — and costs have risen. Road construction, like everything bought and sold, is sensitive to inflation. According to construction analytics, the Federal Highway Administration cost index increased 17 percent from 2010 to 2017, stayed flat from 2015 to 2017 and increased 15 percent in 2018-19. The 3- to 4-percent inflation predicted for 2020 will likely come in higher, as construction costs across the board increased quite a bit higher during last year. And, how the pandemic will affect supply and costs of materials for 2021 is yet to be known.
“We used to say it would cost a million dollars a mile to reconstruct a typical road, but it’s more than that now,” Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) regional engineer John Devin said. “You’re probably anywhere from 1½ to 2 million when you start getting into the more urban/rural stuff. Things are very site-specific.”
He added, “If you’re dealing with rock, [that] drives the cost way up.”
For four- or six-lane highways, the cost skyrockets to as high as $4.5 million, said Andy Bickmore, director of the Results and Information Office at MDOT. He estimated the average cost for state rural roads at about $3.5 million.
For city-maintained roads, the Public Works Department estimated costs in August of 2019 for reconstructing 1 mile of road at $750,000 to $1.25 million for rural “collector” roads, not including utilities such as water and sewer lines. Those numbers have not yet been updated for 2021, Public Works Director Lisa Sekulich said.
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