Bridge spending needed to keep infrastructure safe

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2013 “Report Card,” America’s infrastructure is quickly deteriorating. The group warns immediate action is necessary to maintain the safety of our nation’s bridges, roadways, dams and levees.

America’s bridges, in particular, need attention. Although the ASCE rated the condition of America’s bridges a C+, the second-highest grade of any category in the report card, the group says one in nine of the nation’s bridges are structurally deficient, and the average age of an American bridge is 42 years.

The ASCE recommends an annual $8 billion investment in bridges to address the estimated $76 billion need. Govalytics, a sales and marketing tool for companies looking to contract with local governments, found several municipalities in the nation’s top 25 MSA’s already making investments.

MSAs, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, are cities and their metro (or micro) areas. “A metro area contains a core urban area of 50,000 or more population, and a micro area contains an urban core of at least 10,000 (but less than 50,000) population. Each metro or micro area consists of one or more counties and includes the counties containing the core urban area, as well as any adjacent counties that have a high degree of social and economic integration (as measured by commuting to work) with the urban core.”

Here are the top five capital projects related to bridges within the top 25 MSAs in 2013.

For more information on these projects, or to see how Govalytics can help your agency as a benchmarking tool, visit the website.

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