Topline
The federal government announced the recipients of the Federal Highway Administration’s $5 billion grant which will help reconstruct and repair 42 bridges nationwide, but recipients constitute barely a fraction of the nation’s bridges in need of repair.
Vehicles on Interstate 95 travel past a construction project in Fredericksburg, Virginia. (Photo by … [+]
Key Facts
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced in a press release Wednesday the recipients of a $5 billion investment to improve congestion and aging infrastructure as part of Biden’s $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Some 16 states will be receiving grants through the Bridge Investment Program: Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Arkansas, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio, New Mexico and Kansas.
The Interstate 5 connecting Oregon and Washington will receive the most at $1.4 billion, followed by $993 million for Massachusetts’ Sagamore Bridge, which has a 228% higher crash rate than the state’s average crash rate for a major roadway as of 2022.
Some states will receive funding for several bridges: Rhode Island will receive $251 million for the repair of over 15 bridges in Providence, while Miami will receive $101 million to replace 11 bridges to meet updated design codes.
The investment comes as part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Bridge Investment Program, which plans on improving existing bridges with $40 billion allocated over five years, with the first round of recipients in 2022 receiving $2.4 billion and applications for 2025 and 2026 posted.
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Key Background
The Baltimore bridge collapse in March killed six people. Video of the bridge crumbling from the impact of a cargo ship went viral. While some argue that the bridge could not have withheld the impact of a large cargo ship even with updated infrastructure, the bridge did not appear to have pier protections, which are currently installed in 36% of all bridges that ships are permitted to pass under. The tragedy caused disruption to a key port responsible for an estimated $81 billion worth of cargo per year and 8,000 jobs responsible for port operations. The Department of Transportation estimates it will cost up to $1.9 billion to rebuild the bridge, on top of costs associated with opening up temporary channels for travelers in the meantime. Across the country, 7% of bridges carrying 167 million vehicles daily are in poor condition, 80% of which have reported specific issues with the substructures that uphold them, according to AP News. Historically, infrastructure spending has been highly politicized, including arguments on how much and where government funding should be allocated. Despite Biden’s 2021 infrastructure bill, some argue that the legislation fails to address the size of the infrastructure deficit. Traffic congestion alone cost the U.S. economy almost $90 billion a year in 2019, and U.S. economic competitors like China—which spends around ten times more than the U.S. by percentage of GDP—are strides ahead in national infrastructure.
Surprising Fact
$5 billion of announced improvements and the $40 billion planned is not enough: D.C.-based transportation trade organization American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s analysis of the 2023 Department of Transportation National Bridge Inventory database estimates $319 billion is necessary to make the repairs to the nation’s bridges, which were rated in poor condition based on historical project costs.
Crucial Quote
“The biggest investment in our bridges since the Eisenhower era,” Buttigieg said in the announcement. Eisenhower, who signed legislation to fund the U.S. Interstate Highway System through the Federal-Aid Highway Act, invested $950 million, adjusted to almost $11 billion in today’s dollars, in federal funding to roadway infrastructure.
Further Reading
Bridges And Highways In The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Opportunities For Small Businesses (Forbes)
Why The Baltimore Bridge Collapse Should Be A Wakeup Call About Declining Infrastructure (Forbes)