Potholes, Grid Failures, Aging Tunnels And Bridges: Infrastructure Gets A C-Minus...The United States’ Broken Infrastructure Is a National Security Threat
"Just in time for pothole season, the latest report card on the nation's infrastructure shows that the needs are great but funding is lacking.
Many of the country's roads, bridges, airports, dams, levees and water systems are aging and in poor to mediocre condition. And they're in need of a major federal investment to keep from getting worse and to withstand the harsh effects of a changing climate, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The group gives the nation's infrastructure in general a grade of C-minus on its quadrennial infrastructure report card, up from a D-plus four years ago. ASCE says the U.S. made some modest and incremental improvements in some infrastructure categories, including railroads, drinking water systems and inland waterways and ports."
https://www.npr.org/2021/03/03/973054080/potholes-grid-failures-aging-tunnels-and-bridges-nations-infrastructure-gets-a-c
"The warning signs are everywhere. In Texas, a winter storm leaves millions of households without power. In Wisconsin, farmers are struggling to safely use modern equipment on roads that were built over 50 years ago. In Arizona, a century-old bridge partially collapsed last summer after a train derailed. In Florida, old pipes are leaking millions of gallons of sewage. America, the city on a hill, is crumbling.
After years of promises and inaction, revitalizing U.S. infrastructure needs to be treated as a national security priority rather than a punchline. Few ideas have as much bipartisan appeal and economic potential. Increasing public spending on infrastructure to levels similar to the mid-twentieth century would create more than 3 million jobs by 2029 and boost productivity. The U.S. economy would grow by $2.70 for every dollar spent.
But above and beyond the economic stakes, fixing U.S. infrastructure is a national security imperative. The strategic importance of infrastructure is not new, but it has grown in recent years due to climate change, innovation, and China’s rise. At stake is the United States’ military readiness, national resiliency, and global competitiveness."
https://www.csis.org/analysis/united-states-broken-infrastructure-national-security-threat