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Stay-At-Home Orders Are Speeding Up Some Roadwork — But It Might Not Last
Los Angeles freeways in the age of COVID-19. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
The dip in L.A. traffic is causing many things including better air and breathtakingly open roads (for those essential trips).
Road crews can conduct repairs during the day rather than in the dead of night or on the margins of the workday.
That means some projects are finishing faster, according to Russell Snyder of the California Asphalt Paving Association.
It also means the city has been able to focus its repaving work on major streets, which are mostly empty, sparing people who live on residential streets the hassle of moving their cars during the day, when most people are staying at home.
But roadwork in the future may be at risk as less driving and more working from home translates into lower gas, sales taxes and transportation taxes, all of which help fund construction projects.
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