Letter to the Government Accountability Office

The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro
Comptroller General of the United States
U.S. Government Accountability Office
441 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20548

Dear Mr. Dodaro:

I am writing to request the Government Accountability Office (GAO) perform a study to investigate the life cycle costs and benefits of incorporating innovative materials in pavements. The House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's long-term surface transportation reauthorization proposal will address the need for innovative solutions to help bring our Nation's transportation infrastructure to a state of good repair. The use of innovative materials in pavements has the potential to help address issues within the pavement system that affect the long-term performance of infrastructure. 

In light of our country's current fiscal environment, Federal surface transportation funding must do more with less and encouraging states to use the best materials and methods with their Federal funding is one way to accomplish this goal. The study should seek to understand the benefits of using these materials to provide a more cost-effective pavement with longer life expectancy.

Because there is ample academic, industry, and state department of transportation information publicly available that the GAO can use to complete the study, the study should incorporate existing research and data concerning the use of innovative materials in pavement systems, such as the addition of geosynthetic materials in pavement systems.  Additionally, the study should focus on the following: the reduction of long-term maintenance costs, lowering pavement rehabilitation costs, and overall improvement of pavement performance as related to the use of innovative materials in pavement systems.  Once completed, this study will help state departments of transportation better understand the viability of these innovative materials and utilize their Federal funding in a more cost-effective manner.