By Danielle Smith, Keystone State News Connection
Pennsylvania gets a grade of “C-minus” in a new Report Card about the condition of America’s infrastructure.
The American Society of Civil Engineers said the nation has a long way to go to upgrade outdated structures and systems. It gives the U.S. a “C” grade overall.
Darren Olson, chair of the report card committee, said federal investments under the Biden administration have helped, but more work and funding are recommended. He explained that Pennsylvania’s lower rating is a result of improvements needed in stormwater systems, a need extending across the entire country.
“Pennsylvania is an older state, and a lot of this infrastructure was put in decades ago, maybe a century ago,” Olson explained. “What we’re seeing now is, we’re seeing rain events and storm events that are really testing the limits of these older systems.”
Olson noted that while the state didn’t receive an “A” grade for any of the 18 categories on the report card, there were no failing grades. The civil engineers estimate a $3.7 trillion shortfall between planned investments and the funding needed to keep the nation’s infrastructure in good working condition.
Olson pointed out the report card is a nationwide assessment of infrastructure, focused on everything from dams, levees, stormwater, bridges, and aviation, with a new category for broadband internet. He added broadband received a “C-plus” because of all the recent public and private investments to improve it.
“Just a small percentage of people actually had broadband access in 2000, and now, roughly 80% of the nation has broadband access,” Olson reported. “Broadband is also one of these pieces of infrastructure that links other pieces of infrastructure together.”
Olson added that bad roads, power outages, and travel delays from failing infrastructure cost American households about $2,700 a year.
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Source: bctv
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