Engineers Give Roads, Other Public Works a 'D'

From msnbc.com:

Four years after their last report card on roads, water and other public works, the nation's civil engineers on Wednesday gave efforts to repair infrastructure a "D," saying that little had improved while repair costs had grown by more than $500 million. What has changed since 2005 is that the nation's economy has taken a nosedive, and President Barack Obama and many lawmakers want to use infrastructure projects to create jobs. It's a plan the nation's engineers could influence, and benefit from. The House was expected to pass an $825 billion economic stimulus bill on Wednesday. Of that money, $150 billion would go to fixing infrastructure. Our leaders are looking for solutions to the nation's current economic crisis," Wayne Klotz, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, said in a statement. "Not only could investment in these critical foundations have a positive impact, but if done responsibly, it would also provide tangible benefits to the American people, such as reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality, clean and abundant water supplies and protection against natural hazards." None of the 15 infrastructure categories graded by the society got higher than a C+, and most grades were Ds. The society urged the government and the private sector to invest $2.2 trillion over five years on everything from bridges to sewage plants.

Read the whole article