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A Solution to America’s Crumbling Infrastructure — Agriculture

In Gravel Roads, Road & Surface Management, Roads, Unpaved Roads by Steve Vitale

Research from the 2020 TRIP report discusses America’s crumbling infrastructure in agriculture and the lack of funding available to repair the network. The rural economy is heavily dependent on what the TRIP report refers to as “goods production.” This includes farming and ranching. The report also covers forestry and fishing, mining and energy extraction, and manufacturing. Agriculture accounts for 11% of earnings …

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New Samitron Metrics Prove Effectiveness of Midwest’s Soil-Sement for Unpaved Road Maintenance

In Gravel Roads, Road & Surface Management, Roads, Soil-Sement®, Unpaved Roads by Steve Vitale

Another study, another success. Midwest’s Soil-Sement passed with flying colors after extensive testing was completed in Scottsdale, Arizona on five miles of unpaved roads, at five different sites. The test showed that unpaved roads, in fact, can work just as well as paved roads without the high installation cost to communities. And better yet, unpaved road maintenance can cost a …

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A Solution to America’s Crumbling Infrastructure — Manufacturing

In Gravel Roads, Road & Surface Management, Roads, Unpaved Roads by Steve Vitale

The Impact of Crumbling Roads on the Manufacturing Industry Manufacturing continues to play a critical role in rural economies. Despite an overall reduction in manufacturing jobs between 2001 and 2015 (a period that included two recessions), manufacturing continues to provide more jobs and higher earnings in rural communities than many other sectors, such as agriculture and mining. It is also more important …

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A Solution to America’s Crumbling Infrastructure – Energy Industry

In Gravel Roads, Oil & Gas, Soil Stabilization, Unpaved Roads by Steve Vitale

The Economic Impact Energy production and extraction obviously have a powerful impact on local economies. For example, the Eagle Ford Shale Formation in southern Texas, after a $30 billion play development in 2013, was responsible for a $60 billion economic impact on south Texas and for 115,000 jobs, all by 2015. However, this benefit has come at a cost. As …

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America’s Crumbling Infrastructure and What It Means for Tourism

In Gravel Roads, Road & Surface Management, Roads, Soil Stabilization, Unpaved Roads by Steve Vitale

Some Background on America’s Crumbling Infrastructure  In May 2020, TRIP, a transportation research nonprofit, published a report that assessed the condition of rural America’s crumbling infrastructure. Its findings were not positive.  First, 50% of all rural, non-highway roads are rated between poor and fair. Roads in this condition have cracking, potholes and ruts, to the point that the TRIP report states they “often …