Biden’s spending boosts US infrastructure, more progress needed

TL/DR –

The American Society of Civil Engineers gave America’s infrastructure upkeep a “C” grade, an improvement largely due to investments made during former President Joe Biden’s administration. Despite this, the report warns that federal funding must be sustained or increased to prevent further deterioration and escalating costs, with the estimated cost of bringing the nation’s current infrastructure into a good state of repair being $9.1 trillion. The report emphasized the growing impact of climate change on infrastructure, the need for greater investment in water utilities and the importance of policy changes that can improve infrastructure use and affordability.

American Infrastructure Report Shows Improvement, But More Investment Needed

The American Society of Civil Engineers released a quadrennial report card on America’s infrastructure, grading it a ‘C’ on Tuesday. The slight improvement was due to the investments made under the Biden administration.

The society warns that federal funding needs to amplify or at least sustain itself to prevent further deterioration and cost increases. Darren Olson, chair of this year’s report, underscored the dire need to renew America’s worn-out infrastructure for economic growth and global competitiveness.

Adaptability to extreme weather conditions, such as those seen in East Coast hurricanes, became crucial due to climate change. Last year, 27 weather disasters resulted in expenses of at least $1 billion each.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act granted $550 billion for infrastructure, but it is due to expire in 2026. Despite improvements in public parks and green policies, there’s still a significant shortfall in the essential $9.1 trillion needed to repair the nation’s infrastructure, according to the report.

The report also highlighted the $625 billion expense expected over the next two decades to maintain and upgrade about 50,000 water utilities. With the recent demands to replace lead service lines and curtail PFAS, communities already struggling with outdated drinking water systems need more investment.

The bill also allocated funds to bolster the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ efforts to modernize inland waterways, crucial to moving around $150 billion in commerce annually. However, there’s still a need for predictable fiscal support to ensure efficient use of resources and make taxpayers’ dollars stretch further.

The report also underlined the need for policies to improve infrastructure use and impose fair charges for usage. For instance, adoption of congestion pricing could reduce the need for new bridges and repairs by incentivizing less driving.

The state of roads still remains poor despite $591 billion in investments since 2021. The rail and energy sectors also witnessed a dip in their grades due to incidents like train derailments and increased demand from data centers and electric vehicles.

Engineers stress that the nation must outline a plan to address these issues now or be prepared to foot the bill when these systems fail. To this end, a group of engineers will visit Washington to discuss the funding impacts and importance of continuous investment with lawmakers.

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