US Infrastructure Is Broken. Here’s an $830 Million Plan to Fix It
One term that universally sparks frustration among Americans, irrespective of their political views, is “infrastructure.” Our shared experiences of pothole-ridden roads, deteriorating bridges, and inadequate public transportation serve as binding factors nationwide. And that was before the exacerbation caused by climate change, with coastal flooding, extreme heatwaves, and intensified wildfires, amplifying our infrastructure woes.
According to Wired, US infrastructure was designed for the climate we enjoyed 50, 75, even 100 years ago. Much of it simply isn’t holding up, endangering lives and snapping supply chains. To bring all those roads, railways, bridges, and whole cities into the modern era, the Biden-Harris administration last week announced almost $830 million in grants through 2021’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The long list of projects includes improved evacuation routes in Alaska, a new bridge in Montana, restored wetlands in Pennsylvania, and a whole bunch of retrofits in between.
“We know that if we want to build infrastructure that lasts for the next 50 or 100 years, it’s got to look different than the last 50 or 100 years,” says US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
