US infrastructure planners have been overestimating highway benefits by 85%

New research shows US infrastructure planners have been overestimating highway benefits by 85%. This is because they did not account for congestion at freight transfer points or the flexibility of using multiple transport modes.

For years, governments have poured money into highways. They often overstated the economic returns. This paper shows how to better calculate the true value of transport investments. It highlights that improving freight transfer points between roads and railways could yield billions in economic gains.