@lesliestarrohara & @infidel1258 make excellent points. We are one of the most technologically advanced societies on the planet. So why are we focusing our infrastructure needs around land based transport solutions from last century? Surely we should focus on the skies.
Also, the government has no skin in the game of infrastructure. It does not directly benefit from building roads, and it outsources the right to build them to the lowest bidders from the private sector.
If quality is something we should be expecting from our road networks, or indeed any other infrastructure, it should be done by the private sector. That way those who do have skin in the game, and need consumers to come to their location, can fund the roads to fit their requirements and their consumer's requirements.
This benefits the company's involved by giving them a route for people to buy their goods, and the consumer for getting around to buy goods in general. It could also benefit two other markets - construction and maintenance, were it not for the state mandating "only company X is responsible for all road construction and maintenance".
RE: The Depressing State of US Infrastructure