Date: April 3, 2017
News - Roads Earn a Rough D+
Two years ago, we asked “Are You Driving Over or Under a Structurally Compromised Bridge?” The answer was an alarming “Yes.” As stated by both the U.S. Department of Transportation National Bridge Inventory and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, ALL 1,451 bridges across Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. are classified as structurally deficient.
Do you think there’s been much change since this finding? Sadly, no. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently graded our country’s infrastructure and released their results to the aggregates and construction industries’ annual gathering for the 2017 NSSGA Annual Convention and CONEXPO-CON/AGG. Out of the sixteen categories, America’s transit had the worst grade, a D-, aviation, dams and roads all received D grades, and bridges and ports each earned C+ grades. The highpoint was railways earning a B, raising the combined average to a dismal D+.
A D+ isn’t much to brag about. And even with President Trump’s promised $1 trillion investment in infrastructure over the next decade, the ASCE estimates this isn’t enough. To bring America’s bridges and roads to acceptable – not even average – levels by 2025, $4.59 trillion is needed. Which is troubling.
To quote Michael W. Johnson, NSSGA president and CEO, “We hope that Congress and the president take this report seriously and make a significant investment in America’s infrastructure, because doing so creates jobs, builds up our economy and makes our transportation network safe.”
America’s infrastructure is a high priority and needs fixing now because in another two years, we don’t want to ask this same question again.