Iowa ranks fifth in the nation in terms of the most bridges with approximately 24,000 structures: 4,115 on primary roads, 1,113 in cities and 18,688 on county roads. Bridges significantly impact Iowa’s economic competitiveness, yet one in every five in Iowa is rated structurally deficient or posted with weight restrictions, the third worst rating in the nation despite increased freight needs. While there is progress in reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges by the Iowa Department of Transportation, there are always going to more bridges to fix today and in the future at current funding levels. Every five to 10 years, an additional 500 bridges in Iowa will reach their 50th birthday. Although condition is not the only factor to bridge health, their useful life is diminished, and maintenance costs will rise. Increased funding is necessary to reduce the number of structures that fall short of modern transport needs.
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Aviation
Bridges
Dams
Drinking Water
Energy
Inland Waterways
Levees
Rail
Roads
Solid Waste
WastewaterA: Exceptional, B: Good, C: Mediocre, D: Poor, F: Failing, ?: Incomplete
Each category was evaluated on the basis of capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience, and innovation
Aviation
78 public-use airports
Bridges
5,043 of the 24,398 bridges are structurally deficient
Bridges
$56 million in bridge funds came from the Federal Highway Bridge Fund in 2011
Dams
91 high hazard dams
Dams
23% of the state regulated dams have an Emergency Action Plan
Drinking Water
$5.9 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs over the next 20 years
Energy
10.309 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy every year, ranking it 10th
Hazardous Waste
11 sites on the National Priorities List
Inland Waterways
490 miles of inland waterways, ranking it 19th nationally
Levees
889 miles of levees
Ports
10.3 million short tons of cargo in 2012, ranking it 35th nationally
Public Parks
$3.0 million of unmet needs for its parks system
Rail
15 freight railroads covering 3,897 miles across the state, ranking 11th nationally by mileage
Roads
$935 million a year in costs to motorists from driving on roads in need of repair, which is $422 /yr per motorist
Roads
10,560 of the state’s 114,438 public roads are major roads, and 12% are in poor condition
Schools
$4.7 billion in estimated school infrastructure funding needs
Transit
21.3 million annual unlinked passenger trips via transit systems including bus, transit, and commuter trains
Wastewater
$3.4 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years
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