University of North Carolina's figures on highway construction, maintenance and administration costs per mile have prompted national interest among transportation authorities and professional architects and developers.

Roadway research by the University of North Carolina completed last year indicates that total costs for the building and maintenance of state highways have nearly doubled, leaping 124% between 1991 and 1992. Researcher David Hartgen claimed to use Federal Highway Administration (FHA) figures to complete his very controversial study that examined an average of 15,984 roadway miles per state.

Upon researching the validity of the study, LASN spoke to FHA Public Affairs Representative Bob Gorman who maintains the "impossibility of accurately conducting such a study at all." The excessive number of variables that have to be factored into a comparison like this preclude the possibility of recording and updating any federal statistics on file; a combination of geological, topographical, environmental, and financial variables lead FHA Public Affairs to label the process of comparing roadway costs between states as "ineffective as comparing apples to oranges."

Although virtually statistically invalid, this study has attracted growing concern of developers and citizens alike over the federal costs of roadway development, for a great deal of tax revenues are engaged in the construction of roadways, elevated highways. At the same time,The Kiplinger Washington Letter (October 27, 1995) reports a positive outlook for the National Highway Bill presently before Congress. As much as $6.5 billion will be designated for much-needed road and bridge repair.