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America's GPA: D+
Estimated Investment Needed by 2020:
$3.6 Trillion

Sometimes It's Best to Look Beneath You: A Successful Geothermal Project at Portland International Jetport

July 1st, 2014 | By: Infrastructure Report Card

 
PDX Commit to Success America’s infrastructure needs a national commitment to bring existing infrastructure into a state-of-good-repair, and in the long term we must modernize and build in a targeted and strategic manner. This means leadership at the federal, state, and local levels of government, by businesses and individuals, to communicate the importance of our nation’s infrastructure, to craft innovative solutions that reflect the diverse needs of the nation, and to make the investments the system needs. By employing strategies to use every dollar more efficiently and by deploying creative solutions to infrastructure development such as public–private partnerships, we can implement the right projects on time at the right price. Airport Finds Sustainable Success UndergroundSS-chartruse The centerpiece of the Portland International Jetport’s $75 million terminal expansion project was the installation of a geothermal heating and cooling system that reduces operating costs and emissions. A creative first in the airport industry, the $3 million project was able to make use of a $2.5 million Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) grant. The system will maintain a constant temperature inside the terminal building by injecting heat into the ground during the summer and taking heat out of the ground during the winter. The system has 23 miles of high-density polyethylene piping and 120 ground wells that reach as deep as 500 feet. The system moves more than 475 gallons of water per minute with a 125 horsepower pump. The new systems replace an oil-fired system and will save $160,000 in operating costs and prevent the emission of 1,000 tons of carbon per year, promoting both healthier infrastructure and alternative energy.

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New York and Vermont Leadership Make Lake Champlain Bridge Project Success

May 22nd, 2014 | By: Infrastructure Report Card

Lake Champlain Bridge Project NY VT

Commit to Success America’s infrastructure needs a national commitment to bring existing infrastructure into a state-of-good-repair, and in the long term we must modernize and build in a targeted and strategic manner. This means leadership at the federal, state, and local levels of government, by businesses and individuals, to communicate the importance of our nation’s infrastructure, to craft innovative solutions that reflect the diverse needs of the nation, and to make the investments the system needs. By employing strategies to use every dollar more efficiently and by deploying creative solutions to infrastructure development such as public–private partnerships, we can implement the right projects on time at the right price. A Leadership Success Story

In 2009, civil engineers deemed the Lake Champlain Bridge, connecting Crown Point, New York, to Addison, Vermont, as structurally unsafe, and authorities closed the bridge. By December 2009 it was concluded that the bridge could not be repaired, and the nearly 100-year-old landmark was demolished, removing a key route for area residents.

SS-chartruseConstruction began in June 2010 to install a new 2,200 foot long bridge. Despite a harsh winter and spring, construction crews completed the bridge in less than two years, limiting the social and economic impacts. The main arch span was prefabricated off-site, floated by barge to the already constructed approach spans, and then lifted into place. The new bridge also took into account public safety concerns and Complete Streets engineering by including pedestrian and bicycle lanes.

The $76 million project was co-led by the New York State Department of Transportation and the Vermont Agency of Transportation, with costs shared equally. The Lake Champlain Bridge demonstrates the positive impact when states, agencies, and the public work together. Find more success stories from your state in the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.

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Success Story: Louisville’s Riverbank Filtration Projects are Innovating with Nature

February 12th, 2014 | By: Infrastructure Report Card

When change is needed, water utilities like the Louisville Water Company also look to see what else can be improved in the process. The Riverbank Filtration Tunnel and Pump Station project at the B.E. Payne Treatment Plant was developed in Louisville to exceed new regulations that took effect in 2012 by the Safe Drinking Water Act. This new video explains how this innovative project works to harness nature to better serve their community. The project includes combining a gravity tunnel with wells as a source for drinking water, making the Louisville Water Company the first water utility in the world to do so. The project uses the Riverbank Filtration process—a “green supply” purification method using natural filtering of a riverbank to remove contaminants. By using a natural filtration process, the project saves the state money and will result in fewer water main issues. To learn more about the project, visit the project profile or this article.  If you’d like to know more about Kentucky’s infrastructure, get a great summary of the issues here in their Infrastructure Report Card.    

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