Losing Ground

Civil engineers' 2005 report card gives U.S. infrastructure a grade of 'D'

The American Society of Civil Engineers released its 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure in March, assigning a cumulative grade of D to the nation's infrastructure.

CDOT to Hire New Contractor to Complete C-470 Bridge

Traffic congestion and overcrowded schools are daily reminders that the nation's infrastructure directly affects the economy and Americans' quality of life.

The American Society of Civil Engineers released its 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure in March, assigning a cumulative grade of D to the nation's infrastructure. The condition of the nation's roads, bridges, drinking water systems and other public works have shown little to no improvement since they were graded an overall D+ in 2001, with some areas sliding toward failing grades.

"Americans are spending more time stuck in traffic and less time at home with their families," said ASCE President William Henry. "We need to establish a comprehensive, long-term infrastructure plan as opposed to our current 'patch-and-pray' method to ensure a better quality of life for everyone."

To fix America's current and impending problems, ASCE estimates it would take a $1.6 trillion, five-year investment from all levels of government and the private sector - excluding infrastructure security needs, still being defined by the Dept. of Homeland Security.

While there has been some improvements in aviation and schools, ASCE's analysis indicates that overall conditions have remained the same for bridges, dams and solid waste, and worsened in roads, drinking water, transit, wastewater, hazard waste, navigable waterways and energy.

Grades range from a high of C+ for solid waste to a low of D- for drinking water, navigable waterways and wastewater.

Infrastructure security received an incomplete. While the security of critical infrastructure has improved since the Sept. 11 attacks, the information needed to accurately assess its overall status is not readily available to engineering and design professionals.

Water Systems

Both drinking water and wastewater declined from a D to a D- in the past four years. The nation's drinking water system "faces a staggering public investment" to replace aging facilities, comply with safe drinking water regulations and meet future needs, the ASCE report said.

Federal funding in 2005 remains at $850 million, less than 10 percent of the national requirement.

Aging wastewater systems discharge billions of gallons of untreated sewage into U.S. surface waters each year. The EPA estimates that the nation must invest $390 billion over the next 20 years to replace existing wastewater systems and build new ones to meet increasing demand.

Navigable waterways also received a D-, compared to a D+ in 2001.

Of the 257 locks on the 12,000-plus miles of inland waterways operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, nearly 50 percent are functionally obsolete. By 2020, the number will increase to 80 percent.

Transportation

Two transportation categories have worsened - roads went from D+ to D and transit from a C- to a D+.

Poor road conditions cost U.S. motorists $54 billion a year in repairs and operating costs - $275 per motorist - and Americans spend 3.5 billion hours a year stuck in traffic at a cost of $63 billion to the economy, ASCE said.

Transit use increased faster than any other mode of transportation - up 21 percent between 1993 and 2002 - yet, many transit properties are borrowing funds to maintain operations, even as they are significantly raising fares and cutting service.

While long-term federal transportation programs remain unauthorized since expiring on Sept. 30, 2003, the nation continues to shortchange funding for transportation improvements, ASCE said.

Energy Issues

The other two areas in decline are energy and hazardous waste, both from a D+ to D.

The U.S. power transmission system is in urgent need of modernization. Despite increased demand, transmission capacity has decreased. Additionally, maintenance expenditures have decreased 1 percent annually since 1992.

In 2002 the U.S. Dept. of Energy said the existing transmission system was not designed to meet present demand, which could result in increased electricity costs to consumers and a greater risk of blackouts. The August 2003 blackout cost billions in lost productivity and revenue.

For hazardous waste, federal funding for cleanup of the nation's worst toxic waste sites has steadily decreased since 1998, reaching its lowest level since 1986 in fiscal year 2005. There are 1,237 contaminated sites on the National Priorities List, with a possible addition of 10,154 more.

In 2003 there were 205 cities with "brownfields," sites awaiting cleanup that would generate an estimated 576,373 jobs and $1.9 million annually if redeveloped.

Bridges and Dams

Bridges received a C - the same grade as in 2001. Between 2000 and 2003, the percentage of the nation's 590,750 bridges rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete decreased slightly from 28.5 percent to 27.1 percent.

However, one in three urban bridges was classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, much higher than the national average. It will cost $9.4 billion a year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. Long-term underinvestment is compounded by the lack of a federal transportation program.

For dams, the grade remained a D. Federally-owned dams are in good condition and there have been modest gains in repair of small watershed dams.

However, since 1998, the number of unsafe dams has risen by 33 percent to more than 3,500. It will take $10.1 billion over the next 12 years to address all critical non-federal dams.

Landfill Capacity

As in 2001, solid waste was rated a C+.

In 2002 Americans produced 369 million tons of solid waste, and only about a quarter of that was recycled or recovered. Though operating municipal landfills are declining in total numbers, the capacity has remained steady due to the construction of numerous larger regional landfills.

Nationally, states have disposal capacity for another 20 years although a number of states are nearing the end of their ability to manage waste within their borders, and their equipment is at capacity and aging.

Airports and Schools

Only two categories improved slightly - aviation, up to a D+ from a D, and schools, rated a D, compared to a D- in 2001.

Much attention has been given to airport security; however, airport capacity issues must be addressed to avoid costly future delays. Demand for air travel is on the rebound with a projected growth of 4.3 percent annually through 2015.

Though federal funding has increased significantly over previous years, airports will also face a new challenge of accommodating increasing numbers of regional jets and new super-jumbo jets.

The federal government has not assessed school conditions since 1999 when it estimated that $127 billion was needed to bring facilities back to good condition. Other sources have since reported a need as high as $268 billion.

Despite public support of bond initiatives to provide funding for school facilities, without a clear understanding of the need, it is uncertain whether schools can meet increasing enrollment demands and the smaller class sizes mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Rails and Recreation

Rail and public parks and recreation both received a C-.

Many of public parks, beaches and recreational harbors are falling into a state of disrepair since much of the initial construction was done more than 50 years ago. The National Park Service estimates a maintenance backlog of $6.1 billion for its facilities.

For the first time since World War II, limited rail capacity has created significant chokepoints and delays. The problem will intensify because freight rail is expected to increase at least 50 percent by 2020.

In addition, the use of rail for intercity passenger and commuter rail service is increasingly recognized as a worthwhile transportation investment. A combined investment need of $12 to $13 billion per year is needed to maintain existing rail infrastructure and expand for future growth.

The 2005 Report Card was assessed by an advisory council of 24 civil engineers representing a broad spectrum of civil engineering disciplines. Each category was evaluated on the basis of condition and performance as reported by federal sources, capacity versus need, and current and pending investment of state, local and federal funding versus need.

For More Information

To read more about the ASCE's Report Card for America's Infrastructure, including state infrastructure statistics, visit the Web site at www.asce.org/reportcard.

Click here for more Infrastructure News >>