Stake logo

Share

Country Roads

A smooth ride home is a multi-million dollar infrastructure cost. In America, a 2 lane road costs up to US$5m per mile to build in inner cities. Visiting your parents in another city? 6-lane interstate highways can cost between US$7m to US$11m per mile.

A smooth ride home is a multi-million dollar infrastructure cost. In America, a 2 lane road costs up to US$5m per mile to build in inner cities. Visiting your parents in another city? 6-lane interstate highways can cost between US$7m to US$11m per mile. For reference, there are over 4million miles of road in America. Resurfacing a road costs around US$300k per lane.

Roads are expensive. Even in some of the most disadvantaged countries like Burkina Faso or Ecuador, roads still cost over US$125k to build per mile. In fact, in 2019, 8% of government spending per capita was spent on road projects in Burkina Faso.

Are they economically worth it? If the alternatives are schools or hospitals or unemployment benefits, is a 5 mile, US$25m road astute spending? Yes, and there’s not much choice. The UK government estimated that every £1 spent on roads brings £4 in benefits to the wider economy; a product of reduced congestion, more connected towns, fewer accidents on top of the construction jobs.

One last thing. You probably don’t want to be taken home via West Virginia’s country roads. 27% of the state’s roads are in need of repair, the worst in America.


Want more?

You know what to do

Insights, trends and company deep dives delivered straight to your inbox.


Stake logo
Over 7,000 5-star reviews
App Store logoGoogle Play logo

Subscribe to our free newsletters

By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy.

Stakeshop Pty Ltd, trading as Stake, ACN 610105505, is an authorised representative (Authorised Representative No. 1241398) of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd (Australian Financial Services Licence No. 337927) ('Sanlam') and an authorised representative (Authorised Representative No. 1241398) of Airwallex Pty Ltd (Australian Financial Services Licence No. 487221) ('Airwallex'). Stake is not authorised by Airwallex under Airwallex’s AFSL to arrange for clients to be issued with securities as Airwallex is not authorised under its AFSL for this purpose. Stake is not authorised by Sanlam under Sanlam’s AFSL to arrange for clients to be issued with a non-cash payment facility as Sanlam is not authorised under its AFSL for this purpose. Stake SMSF Pty Ltd (‘Stake Super’) is not licensed to provide financial product advice under the Corporations Act. This specifically applies to any financial products which are established if you instruct Stake Super to set up a self managed super fund (‘SMSF’). When you sign up to Stake Super, you are contracting with Stake SMSF Pty Ltd who will assist in the establishment of a SMSF under a ‘no advice model’. You will also be referred to Stakeshop Pty Ltd to enable your trading account and bank account to be set up in order to use the Stake Website and/or App. Stakeshop Pty Ltd will also run marketing and promotions to you under. For more information about SMSFs, see our SMSF Risks page.The information on our website or our mobile application is not intended to be an inducement, offer or solicitation to anyone in any jurisdiction in which Stake is not regulated or able to market its services. At Stake and Stake Super, we’re focused on giving you a better investing experience but we don’t take into account your personal objectives, circumstances or financial needs. Any advice given by Stake is of a general nature only. As investments carry risk, before making any investment decision, please consider if it’s right for you and seek appropriate taxation and legal advice. Please view our Financial Services GuideTerms & ConditionsPrivacy Policy and Disclaimers  before deciding to invest on or use Stake or Stake Super. By using our website or service in any way, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. All financial products involve risk and you should ensure you understand the risks involved as certain financial products may not be suitable to everyone. Past performance of any product described on this website is not a reliable indication of future performance. Stake and Stake Super are registered trademarks in Australia.

Copyright © 2024 Stake. All rights reserved.