Lansing, June 27, 2006 – For the last 50 years, Michigan’s Interstate Highway System has remained the most critical link in the state’s transportation network, saving Michigan residents $27.6 billion annually - $2,728 per person- in safety benefits, saved time, reduced fuel and lower consumer costs. But some of the benefits of Michigan’s Interstate Highway System may erode unless the state can secure additional funds for needed maintenance and widening projects, according to a new report released today by TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research group.

The TRIP report, entitled “Saving Lives, Time and Money: A report on the condition, impact, use and future needs of Michigan’s Interstate Highway System,” estimates that the additional safety features of the Interstate Highway System have saved approximately 5,900 lives in Michigan since 1956. In addition to saving lives, improved traffic safety provided by the Interstate system saves each Michigan resident $74 annually ($747 million statewide) in reduced healthcare costs and costs associated with lost productivity due to traffic crashes. Michigan’s Interstate Highway System also saves the average resident $1,311 annually ($13.3 billion statewide) in the value of saved time and fuel, and saves $1,343 per resident ($13.6 billion statewide) in reduced consumer costs for apparel, food, housing and transportation.

“Michigan’s Interstate’s have provided tremendous safety, time and economic benefits over the last 50 years. But without an additional investment in maintaining and expanding the system, the state may see some of those benefits slip away,” said William M. Wilkins, TRIP’s executive director.

According to the TRIP report, ten percent of Michigan’s Interstate pavements are in poor condition and an additional 27 percent are in mediocre condition. Twenty-two percent are in fair condition and the remaining 41 percent are rated in good condition. Sixteen percent of Michigan’s Interstate bridges are rated structurally deficient and 12 percent are rated functionally obsolete.

More than one-third – 36 percent -- of Michigan’s urban Interstates are considered congested because they carry traffic levels that result in significant delays during peak travel hours. Between 1990 and 2004, vehicle travel on Michigan’s Interstates increased by 33 percent, while lane miles on the system only increased by three percent.

Travel on Michigan’s Interstate highways is approximately three times safer than travel on all other roadways. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles of travel on Michigan’s Interstate system in 2004 was 0.41, while it was 1.32 on non-Interstate routes in 2004 in Michigan.

Michigan faces a significant challenge in maintaining and rebuilding its aging Interstate Highway System and providing additional lane capacity to meet growing travel demand. Travel on Michigan’s Interstate highways is expected to increase by 40 percent by the year 2026. Traffic congestion is expected to worsen substantially on Michigan’s urban Interstate highways, unless additional lanes are added to these routes. By the year 2026, if additional capacity is not added to Michigan’s Interstate system, 63 percent of Michigan’s urban Interstates will be congested and 31 percent of Michigan’s rural Interstates will be congested.

Additional findings of the TRIP report:

• Michigan’s Interstate system, which includes two percent of all roadway lane miles in the state, carries 22 percent of all vehicle travel in the state.

• Since funding of the Interstate system was approved in 1956, vehicle miles of travel in Michigan has increased by 240 percent, the number of vehicles in Michigan has increased by 165 percent and the state’s population has jumped by 40 percent.

• Because it reduces travel times and provides more direct routes, the Interstate system saves each Michigan resident 82 hours of travel time annually - 827 million hours statewide. Michigan’s Interstate system annually reduces statewide motor fuel consumption by 394 million gallons.