OPINION:
When President Trump says he hates “no good” roads, he gets no argument from us. We hate them too.
Of course, all drivers in America hate them, do what they can to avoid them and curse them when their tires fall victim to them. Yet when cities such as the District of Columbia have frigid winters with snow and sleet, and then vehicles weighing up to 80,000 pounds (the city’s cutoff weight) drive down the streets, combined with typical traffic, day after day, year after year, there will be problems.
On Aug. 13, the president said, “The roads are better in Armenia than they are in Washington, D.C. It’s embarrassing.” The solution: concrete roads.
In terms of strength and resistance, concrete roads are capable of handling heavy vehicle loads common in cities like the District and corridors nationwide. They also resist rutting and shoving, particularly in high-traffic areas such as intersections, bus lanes and roundabouts.
Concrete provides a skid-resistant, durable surface, and its lighter color improves nighttime visibility, reducing lighting demands and enhancing safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Concrete can be effectively applied, and lanes can be reopened to traffic quickly with minimal inconvenience to drivers.
It’s also cost-effective. Although construction costs may vary, concrete’s lower life-cycle maintenance costs make it one of the most affordable solutions for road agencies. In fact, more than 50% of pavement life-cycle costs occur after a road first opens. Durable surfaces and lasting treatments, such as quality overlays, protect taxpayer dollars and deliver sustained system performance.
In terms of concrete pavements in cities like the District, innovations in such pavement construction allow for faster, more efficient and higher-quality delivery, helping agencies meet modern demands. Concrete pavements also recover quickly from extreme weather events, such as flooding and fires, enabling faster reopening for emergency response and community access. They last for decades with minimal maintenance, offering unmatched performance and a high return on taxpayer investment.
However, concrete is no one-trick pony. Evidence of this is in plain view. Concrete, made with cement, is everywhere; we all use it and benefit from it daily. It’s not a stretch to say that in today’s world, concrete is as essential for modern-day life as food and water.
Concrete is used to construct our homes, keeping our families and ourselves safe from the elements. Concrete infrastructure also helps bring clean water into our homes. In addition, we never give a second thought before driving across concrete bridges high above bodies of water.
Concrete structures are often taken for granted in our daily lives, but society would not be able to function without them. The cement and concrete industry contributes more than $140 billion annually to the U.S. economy and directly and indirectly employs more than 600,000 people. Americans working in this business take great pride in the materials they manufacture, as it’s a tremendous responsibility. They are the backbone of this nation’s infrastructure, which serves all Americans.
Mr. Trump says the best deals are the investments that pay off in the long run. That was why he chose concrete to build Chicago’s Trump International Hotel & Tower. At 92 stories, it’s the tallest concrete building in the U.S. and is built almost entirely of reinforced cast-in-place concrete.
Whether it’s an iconic skyscraper, new data centers to help the president in his efforts to win the global artificial intelligence race or the roads within a 3-mile radius of the White House, concrete remains the best solution.
• Mike Ireland is the president and CEO of the American Cement Association, Laura O’Neill Kaumo is the president and CEO of the American Concrete Pavement Association and Joe Roche is the president and chief financial officer of the National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association.
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