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Engineers’ Group Gives U.S. Infrastructure ‘D+’

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The state of America’s infrastructure improved slightly to a “D+” grade from a “D” grade four years ago, while roads improved to “D” from “D-,” the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The grades were part of ASCE’s “infrastructure report card,” which it issues every four years on a wide range of infrastructure, such as bridges, highways and dams.

“While the modest progress is encouraging, it is clear that we have a significant backlog of overdue maintenance across our infrastructure systems, a pressing need for modernization and an immense opportunity to create reliable, long-term funding sources to avoid wiping out our recent gains,” ASCE said in the report.

ASCE credited the improvement in roads to targeted efforts to improve road conditions and decreases in highway fatalities.

“However, 42% of America’s major urban highways remain congested, costing the economy an estimated $101 billion in wasted time and fuel annually,” the report said.

Bridges’ grade also improved slightly, rising to “C+” from 2007’s “C.” The total number of structurally deficient bridges has fallen, ASCE said, though the U.S. still needs a total of $76 billion to bring structurally deficient bridges into shape.

By Timothy Cama Staff Reporter

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