Iowa

Top Three Infrastructure Concerns:

1. Roads
2. Bridges
3. Levees

Key Infrastructure Facts

• 27% of Iowa’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
• There are 83 high hazard dams in Iowa. A high hazard dam is defined as a dam whose failure would cause a loss of life and significant property damage.
• 31 of Iowa’s 3,325 dams are in need of rehabilitation to meet applicable state dam safety standards.
• 95% of high hazard dams in Iowa have no emergency action plan (EAP). An EAP is a predetermined plan of action to be taken including roles, responsibilities and procedures for surveillance, notification and evacuation to reduce the potential for loss of life and property damage in an area affected by a failure or mis-operation of a dam.
• Iowa’s drinking water infrastructure needs an investment of $3.5 billion over the next 20 years.
• Iowa ranked 35^th in the quantity of hazardous waste produced and 30^th in the total number of hazardous waste producers.
• Iowa’s ports handled 13 million tons of waterborne traffic in 2005, ranking it 32^nd in the nation.
• Iowa reported an unmet need of $840,000 for its state public outdoor recreation facilities and parkland acquisition.
• 41% of Iowa’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.
• 38% of Iowa’s major urban highways are congested.
• Vehicle travel on Iowa’s highways increased 57% from 1990 to 2004 while lane miles were not increased at all.
• Iowa faces a $27.7 billion transportation funding shortage over the next two decades.
• Iowa has $953 million in wastewater infrastructure needs.

Sources

*Survey of the state’s ASCE members conducted in September 2008