Why can't we have an autobahn?

[pjtoledo]

FYI, concrete on expressways is a lot thicker than 4"
I never stopped and measured it, but 8-10 inches looks about right.

 

[901wd#2]

I don't think they need to jam cell service, they just need to toughen laws against playing with them while driving and enforce them. If a cop sees a driver using a cell phone it would be an expensive traffic ticket. If phone use causes an accident, it's not an accident, it's careless and negligent operation with a big fine and loss of license. If anyone is hurt as a result, it's not an accident it's assault. If anyone dies it's at minimum manslaughter. Checking phone records after a wreck should be as automatic as checking for DWI. I'd rather have a drunk driving toward me than someone who's texting because the drunk might actually be looking where he's going.

I’m not gonna pretend like I never touch my phone while I’m driving, but I can tell you when I don’t mess with my phone and that’s when I’m doing double the speed limit, 60 mph on a decent road is pretty boring, 120 mph requires all of my attention.

 

[DeeRanger]

I'm a recently retired concrete readymix truck driver. I was with the same company in Southern California for 22yrs. We did a lot of freeway/highway work mostly on the interstates. Actual thickness including the base and pavement,( both are concrete) would be easily 18 inches or more. At least it was in that state. As far as smart phone usage while driving, who needs one when you have a built-in flat screen on the dashboard that you can interact with while you're cruising along at 80. What could be safer than that, right....?

 

[Lefty]

I’m not gonna pretend like I never touch my phone while I’m driving, but I can tell you when I don’t mess with my phone and that’s when I’m doing double the speed limit, 60 mph on a decent road is pretty boring, 120 mph requires all of my attention.

You can do 120 in your Ranger?

 

[Lefty]

I'm a recently retired concrete readymix truck driver. I was with the same company in Southern California for 22yrs. We did a lot of freeway/highway work mostly on the interstates. Actual thickness including the base and pavement,( both are concrete) would be easily 18 inches or more. At least it was in that state. As far as smart phone usage while driving, who needs one when you have a built-in flat screen on the dashboard that you can interact with while you're cruising along at 80. What could be safer than that, right....?

I'm glad to hear we make a decent concrete base. Apparently that's just not enough to handle the constant hammering of heavy traffic. It is just another way to tell us all that wider roads are needed to spread out the weight.

 

[901wd#2]

You can do 120 in your Ranger?

Not yet, I own a turbo Volvo and an accord, both will do 120+

 

[pjtoledo]

I'm glad to hear we make a decent concrete base. Apparently that's just not enough to handle the constant hammering of heavy traffic. It is just another way to tell us all that wider roads are needed to spread out the weight.

what's under the road makes a big difference. just north of me in southeast Michigan the water table is high and the soil spongy.
the freeways tend to sink at expansion joints, which causes lots of problems.
frost cycles don't help the situation either.

 

[DeeRanger]

I dug these pics out of the digital shoe box from a job we did back in 2015 while repaving Interstate 15, just below the Cahon Pass and the intersection with the 215 freeway in So-Cal,( on the way to Vegas from L.A. ). Zoom in on some of the truck mirrors. The trucks are staged on part of the base layer.