Highway Infrastructure and the Economy: Implications for Federal Policy

This paper discusses a literature review on the economic impacts of highway infrastructure. The authors note that the economic impacts of highway infrastructure are quite varied, and they can depend on the context involved. The economic costs and benefits of highway infrastructure investments can impact jurisdictions other than where the highways are located, in addition to the jurisdiction that houses the highway. It makes sense, then for the federal government to support highway projects that offer economic benefits across the widest geographic area, or even to support highway projects that benefit the whole nation.