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Classifieds   • Sections  Neglected road repairs threaten
safety, economy  About $2.2 trillion is needed to repair and
maintain our roads and bridges, according to the American
Society of Civil Engineers.  When roads and bridges are allowed
to deteriorate, the ultimate repair costs skyrocket.  Today,
about $32 billion in federal funds get spent each year to
maintain existing highways, according to the federal National
Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission. But
$64 billion more is needed annually.  This need is stressed
throughout Barry B. LePatner's engaging book "Too Big To Fall:
America's Failing Infrastructure and the Way Forward."  "Our
outdated and overused road system is falling apart," he warns.
Problems revealed in "Too Big To Fall" seem especially relevant
during today's contentious Congressional debates about reducing
the federal budget, debates that continue to disrupt passage of
long-term federal highway funding.  LePatne