America’s Deteriorating Infrastructure

By Joel Wong

The US infrastructure is currently in a mediocre state. America’s infrastructure system earned a mediocre grade of C- in 2021, with 11 out of 17 categories receiving grades in the D range. This is concerning, considering infrastructure encompasses various public works, including roads, bridges, water supply facilities, and energy plants.

The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates a $2.6 trillion funding gap in US infrastructure, which could lead to a $10 trillion loss in GDP and 3 million job losses by 2039.

Key Infrastructure Challenges:

Roads: 43% of public roads are in poor or mediocre condition, costing motorists up to $141 billion annually.
Bridges: 42% of the 617,084 usable bridges are over 50 years old, with 46,000 rated “structurally deficient”.
Water Supply: 6 billion gallons of treated water are lost daily, equivalent to filling over 9,000 swimming pools.
Energy: The US energy infrastructure requires an additional $338 billion investment by 2039 to ensure a reliable grid .

To address these issues, President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aims to invest $3 trillion in infrastructure development over the next decade. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has allocated $480 billion to more than 60,000 projects across the United States. These projects include improvements on roads, bridges, public transportation, water infrastructure, and electric vehicle charging. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is funded through a combination of sources, including federal highway programs, competitive grant programs, and formula grants.

Western Media Bias:

According to the World Population Ranking, the United States ranks 7th globally in terms of infrastructure. The top countries are Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway. The Netherlands and Canada are also notable for their excellent infrastructure.

Notably, these comparisons did not give China credit for their recent developments. There are factual differences, but also elements of bias and geo-strategic competition that influence how these comparisons are framed.
Many critics advocate that the US spends less on waging wars and more on building up our crumbling infrastructure!