I-35 W: Six Years After the Bridge Fell
August 1st, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
On August 1, 2007, the I-35 W span over the Mississippi River collapsed, killing 13 people, injuring 145, and severing a vital lifeline for many towns. Only 382 days later, the bridge had been replaced and was open to traffic once again. Six years after this tragedy, the question remains whether we have done enough to repair our crumbling infrastructure. Success stories like the rapid reconstruction of the I-35 bridge are widely touted, but isolated incidents are needed less than general trends toward improvement. In an analysis of the nation’s roads and bridges, 1 out of 9 is deemed “structurally deficient”, while in five individual states, more than 20 percent of bridges are rated as such. Since 2000, 22,711 bridges are no longer considered structurally deficient. While this is an improvement, there are concerns that fiscal realities may derail progress. Currently, the Highway Trust Fund is projected to become insolvent in September of next year. The HTF is the primary means by which many states fund infrastructure repair and replacement projects. The I-35 replacement was constructed so quickly in large part due to near-continuous work for 11 months. Without adequate funding for construction projects, the time for completion will lengthen, driving up costs and the impacts on drivers. Bridges are indispensable parts of our infrastructure system. Without safe, reliable, and efficient transportation, we will see the toll taken on the prices of goods and costs to ourselves and others. The average age of the 600,000 bridges in this nation is 42 years, with an estimated $76 billion in needs to address the problems. ASCE’s Failure to Act report on the costs of poor infrastructure shows that by 2020, deficient bridges and pavement will cost Americans 58 billion. If left untended, those costs will jump to $651 billion by 2040. So as we approach the 6th anniversary of the terrible happenings on the I-35 W bridge, foremost in our mind should be the state of our infrastructure and if we are really doing enough to maintain our bridges. Individual instances of rapid repair and replacement are necessary, but insufficient. We must continue to fund the Highway Trust Fund and provide governments at all levels the tools they need to keep our infrastructure standing.Mexico Ramps Up Infrastructure Investment Over the Next 5 Years
July 18th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
This week Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced an initiative to fund $300 billion dollars (4 trillion pesos) worth of infrastructure projects through 2018. The money will be used to extend highways, revitalize and extend both passenger and freight rail, and upgrade ports in Mexico to increase capacity and efficiency of handling. “Nobody can doubt that better infrastructure translates into more competitiveness and productivity, which will ignite economic growth and social well-being,” Peña Nieto said. “These are investments that will translate into jobs.” The new plan will bring Mexico’s infrastructure investment up to half a trillion dollars (6.25 trillion pesos) over the space of their last two infrastructure plans. Infrastructure areas slated to receive investment include:- Construct or upgrade 3,361 miles of highways
- 6 regional airport upgrades
- Several sea ports
- 3 intercity passenger railways
- New subway line for Monterrey
- Light passenger-train system for Guadalajara
Mr. Civil Engineer Goes to Washington
July 17th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Happy 4th of July, America! Baseball’s All-Star break is this week. These and more serve as reminders that we have reached the “mid-point” of the summer. Are your summer advocacy plans in place? If you are an ASCE member, you should start your advocacy plan by signing up for the next Key Contact Briefing Conference Call on July 23 with Rep. David McKinley, P.E., F.ASCE. An ASCE member since his days as a student at Purdue University, Rep. McKinley represents the 1st District of West Virginia and will join us on July 23 to share his experience as a civil engineer in Congress, and why it’s important for ASCE members to meet often with their elected officials to share the civil engineer’s take on issues. As Congress continues to wrestle with many challenges, ASCE members and infrastructure supporters of all backgrounds should make sure their elected leaders are informed about the conditions of our nation’s infrastructure, and the consequences we face if we continue to neglect its needs. ASCE’s 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure lays out these points on 16 different categories of infrastructure. In addition, ASCE Sections and Branches have released over 30 state and local Report Cards to provide a more localized picture of infrastructure conditions. This information is valuable when in the hands of decision-makers in Congress as they discuss issues such as the Water Resources Development Act, and the importance of preserving tax exemptions for municipal bonds to improve infrastructure in local communities. Learn how you can help your elected leaders make informed decisions about our infrastructure using ASCE’s Key Contact tools by joining Rep. McKinley and ASCE staff on July 23. Join us on July 23 at 1pm EDT/12noon CDT for “Bringing the Report Card to Elected Leaders”, the next Key Contact Briefing Conference Call, open to all ASCE members (a member login is required to register for the call.)Oklahoma Infrastructure Business and Policy Leaders Come Together
June 28th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Today, June 28th, co-chair of Building America’s Future and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell joined Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, ASCE and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce to praise efforts at the state and local level in addressing infrastructure challenges. At the policy forum in Oklahoma City, Rendell and Cornett noted that while leadership on the national level has stalled, governors and mayors across the country are making strides with new laws in four states designed to increase transportation funding this year. Speakers at the forum all agreed that Washington must act on a long-term infrastructure plan in order to keep the U.S. competitive and to improve the quality of life for all Americans. “As a former Governor, I love that states and cities are tackling these tough issues. Prioritizing repairs, building smarter electrical grids, and creating private-public partnerships are all wise investments for communities. But cities and states cannot do it alone,” said Rendell. “Make no mistake, we need the federal government to step up and fund the projects that are regionally and nationally significant. For far too long, the federal government has failed to act. That cost of inaction is tremendous and as a result, we’re falling behind our global competitors.” Policy forums such as these serve as a tremendous opportunity for leaders and experts to share ideas and discuss specific challenges. As you well know, earlier this year, ASCE released the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which awarded our nation’s infrastructure a D+. Simply, poor roads and bridges drive up the cost of doing business. Likewise, our ailing ports and waterway systems hurt our ability to compete in a global marketplace. It is clear that if we want to stay economically competitive, we must take immediate action. We applaud Mayor Cornett, Governor Rendell, Building America’s Future, the OKC Chamber, and all who came out today to support infrastructure investment. Only through working together and building an impassioned collation can we hope to raise our infrastructure grade, improve our economy, and build sustainable communities for future generations. Watch the event video here.Get to Know North Carolina’s Mediocre Infrastructure
June 5th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Today, North Carolina’s civil engineers released a new Infrastructure Report Card. After spending a year diving into the details of the state’s infrastructure – from bridges to beaches to dams – they determined that North Carolina’s infrastructure only deserved a mediocre C grade. Like many areas of the country, North Carolina has some work to do to make sure maintenance gets done, aging parts of the system get a modern overhaul, and the infrastructure keeps up with the state’s growth.
The state-wide report examined eleven categories of infrastructure, grading their capacity, resiliency, funding, and reliability. Here’s what they found:
- Aviation earned a D+, in part due to an estimated $763 million needed to bring all airports in the system to a state of good repair.
- Beaches and Inlets were awarded a C-. Many shoals and inlets are functioning at significantly less than authorized depths. Continued erosion of federal and state funding has a significant impact N.C.’s beaches and inlets.
- Bridges earned a C-. North Carolina’s bridges require $281 million more per year in order to make significant strides in raising the grade of North Carolina bridges.
- Dams earned the lowest grade of a D. Ten percent of North Carolina’s high hazard dams are deficient and only 34 percent have Emergency Action Plans. One-third of North Carolina’s dams are over 50 years old.
- Drinking Water earned a C+. North Carolina has over 530 public water systems which serve approximately 7.3 million North Carolinians (75 percent of the state’s population).
- Energy was awarded the highest grade in the report of a B+. North Carolina has a solid foundation of energy and energy infrastructure to meet its current and 20-year planning horizon needs.
- Rail earned a C+, in part due to only 30 percent of the state’s short lines being able to accommodate new, heavier rail cars. It is estimated that freight rail investment needs over the next 25 years will total $545 million.
- Roads earned a C. The scale of the state maintained highway network, current economic circumstances, and the trend of reducing the state transportation agency’s resources and personnel have been challenges to providing and maintaining a sustainable quality of service.
- Schools earned a C. Over 58 percent of North Carolina schools will require renovations in the next five years. Additionally, approximately 10 percent of students are in mobile classrooms. The projected cost to meet facility needs for the next five years is approximately $8.2 billion.
- Stormwater earned a grade of C-. Most of North Carolina’s population lives in communities that have no dedicated source of funding to improve stormwater quality. Statewide sources of funding such as the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund are being reduced and North Carolina’s communities have fewer and fewer options when trying to address their stormwater improvement needs.
- Wastewater earned a C. North Carolina has documented a need of over $4 billion of additional wastewater infrastructure investment needs through the year 2030. These funds are needed to replace aging facilities, comply with mandated Clean Water Act regulations, and keep pace with economic development.
Tags: bridges, continuing education, dams, energy, infrastructure, infrastructure report card, ports, rail transportation, roads, state report cards, transportation, wastewater, water infrastructure
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National Dam Safety Awareness Day
May 31st, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Today marks the 124th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood
, the the result of the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam, which was situated 14 miles upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The dam failed after a period of heavy rainfall, however it was not properly maintained for years and in fact modified in ways that threatened the integrity of the structure. On the afternoon of May 31, 1889 the dam failed after workers spent hours trying to save the structure, releasing 12,000 cubic meters of debris-filled water each second. Towns below the dam were never properly notified of the failure and evacuations never took place, with the result being the loss of 2,209 lives, thousands homeless, and $17 million in damages ($425 million in today’s dollars).
Since the time of the Great Flood of 1889 the nation has created the National Dam Safety Program and put an emphasis on emergency action plans and proper dam inspections and regulations. However, ASCE’s 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure graded the nation’s dams with a D. While we no longer see the sever blunders that lead to the failure of the South Fork Dam in 1889, the average age of the 84,000 dams in the country is 52 years old. With an increasing population and greater development below dams, the overall number of high-hazard dams continues to increase, to nearly 14,000 in 2012. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that it will require an investment of $21 billion to repair these aging, yet critical, high-hazard dams.
Under FEMA’s leadership, the National Dam Safety Program is dedicated to protecting the lives of American citizens and their property from the risks associated with the development, operation, and maintenance of America’s dams. Unfortunately, the National Dam Safety Program expired in September 2011 and Congress has yet to reauthorize this small, yet vital program. Since today is National Dam Safety Awareness Day, which was first established in 1999, it seems like the perfect time to urge Congress to reauthorize the National Dam Safety Program. Congressmen Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) and Chris Gibson (R-NY) introduced the Dam Safety Act of 2013 (H.R. 1489) last month, which would reauthorize the program at $10.5 million annually. ASCE has endorsed the legislation and urges Congress to either pass the bill as a standalone piece of legislation, or include it in a greater Water Resources Development Act. The language was already passed as part of the Senate Water Resources bill, so it is now time for the House to do the same. The nation cannot risk another catastrophic dam failure when preventative measures can easily be taken.
Kansas and Missouri Both Earn C- in New State Report Cards
May 22nd, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
According to civil engineers in Kansas and Missouri, the states have an imperative to improve their inadequate infrastructure systems if they hope to boost their economies. Today marks the release of both the 2013 Report Card for Missouri’s Infrastructure and the 2013 Report Card for Kansas’s Infrastructure. Engineers in each state spent the last year analyzing 9 and 11 categories in Kansas and Missouri respectively, assigning cumulative grades of C- for both.
Tom Jacobs, P.E., Report Card Committee Co-Chair for Kansas, accompanied the news by impressing upon elected officials the need to do better. “To our elected officials I only ask this question: is a C- good enough? I certainly hope not. We did not elect you to build a C- state. Our roads, levees, bridges and dams need long-term investment in order to have long-term success.”
“Our state’s future is dependent upon whether we can attract businesses and allow them to thrive” said Steve Randolph, P.E., President of the ASCE St. Louis Section. “A C- means that businesses cannot reliably and effectively move goods in an ever-changing global marketplace. If we are serious about creating jobs and building a strong economy, then we must also be serious about investing in our infrastructure.”
Each state’s grade was the aggregate of various individual sectors, ranging from Aviation and Energy, to Levees and Wastewater. The grades for each state are broken down as follows:
KANSAS
- Aviation earned a C. Twenty-five percent of Kansas’ airports with paved runways need improvement. System-wide, only 36 percent of Kansas airports meet the benchmark for clear approaches to the primary runway.
- Bridges were awarded a D+, in part due to Kansas’s nearly 3,000 structurally deficient bridges. Only five states have more structurally deficient bridges than Kansas.
- Dams earned the lowest grade of a D-. Of the state’s 6,087 dams, 230 are classified as high hazard, meaning failure would likely lead to loss of life and significant property damage.
- Drinking Water earned a C. Presently, there are no dedicated revenue streams to support the necessary funding to support the Kansas’ Water Plan initiatives.
- Energy was awarded a C-. Kansas ranks in the top ten for crude oil production and has one of the richest natural gas fields in the United States.
- Levees earned a C-, in part due to the fact that there are no consistent standards or regulations governing the maintenance and ongoing inspection of levees in the State.
- Railroads earned a C. Kansas has the sixth largest rail system in the United States. Funding sources for the long-term investments have not been identified yet.
- Roads earned the highest grade of a C+. A decrease in federal and state funding levels has a direct impact on the quality of roads in Kansas, from safety to pavement condition.
- Schools earned a C+. There was a huge expansion in the 1950s where the amount of schools in Kansas more than doubled. These building are now 60 years old and many are in need of major repair or replacement.
MISSOURI
- Aviation earned a C grade, in part due to the fact that over the next five years, a shortfall of slightly more than $81 million is anticipated for MO’s aviation sector.
- Bridges was awarded a C-.Missouri has 339 functionally obsolete bridges (12 percent of Missouri’s bridge inventory). Missouri has the 19th lowest percentage in the country.
- Dams received the lowest grade of D-. Missouri has 1,588 high hazard dams (meaning failure would likely lead to loss of life and significant property damage), and 3,511 significant or low hazard dams.
- Drinking Water earned a C-. Even though Missouri has an abundance of water for serving its communities, its aging water treatment and distribution systems are struggling to keep up with current demand.
- Energy earned a D+. Missouri’s shift away from coal and toward more sustainable energy systems, is requiring increased investment in generation facilities, transmission and distribution networks.
- Inland Waterways was awarded a D. Each year the Missouri River carries 8 million tons of cargo, throughout its navigable length. The Mississippi River carries 58 million tons to the mouth of the Missouri River, and 189 million tons to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- Levees were awarded a C-. It is estimated that 85 percent of Missouri’s levees are not a part of the National Levee Database.
- Railroads received a C. In order to meet future travel demands, greater funding and much greater support from the State will be necessary.
- Roads earned a C. The last time the state of Missouri passed a piece of transportation funding-related legislation was in 2004. The funding generated by the bill allowed for 2,200 miles of the state’s busiest highways to be smoother and safer, sped up 55 critical highway projects and allowed $1.6 billion in new construction.
- Schools earned a C, in part due to education budget cuts and a lack of long-term funding.
- Wastewater earned a C-. The state of Missouri has a network of established wastewater systems that have been functionally serving citizens for over 50 years in some locations.
ASCE Educates State Officials on the Report Card, You Can get the Same Information!
April 18th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
ASCE recently conducted a webinar in partnership with the Council of State Governments (CSG) for an audience of state policymakers. The webinar focused on the 2013 Report Card on America’s Infrastructure and how state governments can use the data contained in the Report Card in order to help improve their local infrastructure. Notable participants included Michigan’s Secretary of Transportation Kirk Stedule who is not only a P.E. but an ASCE member. Visit CSG’s Knowledge Center in order to download the audio portion of the webinar and the slides.Alabama Needs a State Dam Safety Program
April 17th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Op-ed by Shelia Montgomery-Mills, President of the Birmingham Branch of the America Society of Civil Engineers. Originally published in the Birmingham News, April 13, 2013. Alabama continues to be the only state in the country without a state dam safety program. We do not know precisely how many dams we actually have, much less their condition. That is unacceptable for our state and unacceptable for Alabama’s security, public safety, and ultimately the economy. This week, Congressman Patrick Maloney (D-NY) introduced the National Dam Safety Act of 2013. The dam safety re-authorization would provide grants for inspections, research, and public awareness to the 49 states that currently have a dam safety program, meaning Alabama is the only state not eligible for any of these funds. As our nation takes this critical step, it should serve as a stark reminder that, when considering dam safety, our state is woefully behind the rest of the country. In the recently released 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers awarded our country’s infrastructure a D+. The 2013 Report Card is a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s infrastructure across 16 sectors and also includes the amount of investment required to make the necessary improvements. The grades are quite similar to those in most education systems, A’s are great and D’s are poor. Updated once every four years, this year’s Report Card found that America’s infrastructure actually went up from a D grade in 2009. The cost to bring all categories up to a B level by 2020 would cost the nation $3.6 trillion between now and 2020. Despite the improvement, a D+ is unacceptable. We must find ways to raise the grade and act now. The 2013 Report Card awarded our nation’s Dams a D. Currently the average age of the 84,000 dams in the country is 52 years old and the total number of high-hazard dams continues to rise. It is important to understand that high-hazard refers to the strong likelihood of significant economic losses and potential loss of human life if a dam fails. To repair just the nation’s aging, high-hazard dams the Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that it will require an investment of $21 billion. While the 2013 Report Card paints a poor picture for the country, it paints an even worse scenario for Alabama in the category of dams. In our state, we cannot begin to calculate our needs because we have no entity responsible for accounting for this critical infrastructure. Alabama’s state legislature should at the very least act to take an inventory of dams in the state and assess their potential risk to life and property. How can Alabama hope to build a 21st century economy when we do not have the regulations in place to secure and protect our communities and neighborhoods? Many states did not enact legislation for dam safety until loss of life and significant property and infrastructure damage occurred. Dam failures have occurred in Alabama, many more near failures have occurred than anyone can account for. Without regulations in place, there is no requirement to report the incidents. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to act before a major disaster occurs. We should learn from the experiences of other states and act swiftly to protect our citizens as well as our economy. Strong infrastructure is linked to a strong economy. Better roads and bridges mean businesses can move goods more efficiently, decreasing costs, and reducing prices. More capable businesses create greater profits, which in turn creates new jobs and opportunities for economic growth. Companies want to do business in states with reliable infrastructure. If they have to worry about roads being closed, ports being unable to move their goods, or the energy grid failing, then businesses will take their jobs elsewhere. And when a dam fails, critical infrastructure is put into jeopardy, costing businesses and Alabamians thousands, while also putting the public at a great, and arguably unnecessary, risk. The state of Alabama is not keeping pace with other states, and the fact that we do not even have the regulatory processes in place to account for our state’s dams is unacceptable. We must take the next step in at least knowing where all of our dams are located and determine their condition. This will by no means change our fortunes overnight, but it will at the very least allow Alabama to compete on the same level as the rest of the country.
Obama FY14 Budget Proposal Focuses on Infrastructure
April 12th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
President Obama released a federal budget plan for Fiscal Year 2014 this week that calls for spending of $3.77 trillion. The budget plan would reduce the federal deficit by $1.8 trillion over 10 years, the White House said. The FY 2014 budget proposal includes $50 billion for infrastructure investments, including $40 billion to cover what are called “Fix it First” projects; to invest in repairing highways, bridges, transit systems, and airports nationwide; and to provide $10 billion for competitive programs to encourage innovation in completing high-value infrastructure projects. “The budget invests in repairing our existing infrastructure and building the infrastructure of tomorrow, including high-speed rail, high-tech schools, and power grids that are resilient to future extreme conditions,” the White House added. “These investments will both lay the foundation for long-term economic growth and put workers back on the job now.” The president’s budget would reduce spending on other infrastructure, including programs designed to finance improvements to wastewater and drinking-water systems. The budget also seeks to restructure the current Highway Trust Fund by renaming it the Transportation Trust Fund and adding a dedicated funding source for rail. In regards to the Highway Trust Fund solvency, the budget proposes transferring $214 billion over six years to handle the issue and pay for increased outlays in the transportation bill after MAP-21 expires. This could set up the next reauthorization with funding levels 25% higher than its predecessor. However, there is no indication of how the expanded Trust Fund would remain solvent for the long term. The budget plan also includes $40 billion for rail over the next five years, focused on creating new corridors and improving current networks, including Amtrak. As part of the changes, the budget once again proposes to move Amtrak out from under the annual appropriations cycle and instead allow it to receive grants from the new transportation trust fund. For fiscal 2014, Amtrak would receive $2.7 billion, a large increase over last year’s $1.3 billion appropriation. The budget would also allocate $6.6 billion to the Federal Rail Administration, a large increase from the $1.7 billion it received in fiscal 2012. The Federal Aviation Administration would see a small increase under the FY 14 proposal with the President proposing $16.4 billion versus the $15.8 billion enacted last year. However, the capital grants program sees a cut in the Obama proposal with $2.9 billion for the Airport Improvement Program, compared with the $3.4 billion it received in FY13. To account for the cuts, large hub airports would be able to increase the non-federal Passenger Facility Charge; however there is no language on how much these fees can or should be increased. In a statement this week, ASCE Presdient Gregory E. DiLoreto, P.E., P.L.S, D.WRE, praised the 2014 budget proposal and its focus on investing in America’s transportation infrastructure: “The American Society of Civil Engineers applauds President Obama’s continued push for robust transportation funding, including $50 billion in immediate investments to address highway repair and construction, airports, rail projects and other transportation initiatives. “While this proposal certainly is a step in the right direction to bolster investment levels in transportation, it’s critical that the administration put forth a clear road map with long-term funding solutions. “In the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, we awarded our country a D+. Transit, roads and aviation all received a dismal grade of D. These grades are unacceptable for our nation and must be backed by dedicated funding sources and innovative solutions at all levels of government if we hope to see improvements. “It’s time for all leaders from all parties to invest in America’s future to assure we have a strong foundation for an ever-changing 21st century economy.”
