Congress Introduces Legislation on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
March 08, 2019
It was an exciting week for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)! The CWSRF is a federal infrastructure program that provides low-interest loans to states – requiring a 20% state match – for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure improvements. Since 1987, the CWSRF has loaned $42 billion to 50 states, the District of Columbia, and......
Civil Engineers Give Hawai‘i’s Infrastructure a D+ on First Report Card
March 07, 2019
The Aloha State’s infrastructure sits in poor condition, mostly due to aging infrastructure, lack of funding, and sea level rise. Today, the Hawai‘i Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the inaugural 2019 Report Card for Hawai‘i’s Infrastructure, grading 11 categories of the region’s infrastructure, resulting in an overall grade point average......
March 01, 2019
The national transportation research group TRIP released a new report on February 26, 2019, stating that deteriorated roads and bridges, congestion, and lack of desirable safety features are costing Alabama motorists $5.3 billion per year in extra vehicle operating costs, which is about $1,846 per driver, due to the cost of lost time waiting in......
Northeast Ohio Infrastructure Gets “D+”
February 20, 2019
Northeast Ohio Infrastructure Gets “D+” The Cleveland Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) today released its 2019 Report Card for Northeast Ohio’s Infrastructure, grading seven categories of the region’s infrastructure, resulting in an overall grade point average of “D+” – which is the same overall grade the nation received in the 2017......
Lawmakers Reach Spending Deal for 2019
February 14, 2019
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week reached spending deal to avert a government shutdown and fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2019. Included in the package (P.L. 116-6) are the following infrastructure related spending levels: $86.5 billion overall for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT); $900 million for BUILD grants; $13.4......
House Panel “Sounds the Alarm” on Infrastructure Investment
February 08, 2019
On Thursday, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee held a hearing focused on the urgent need for a plan that invests in America’s infrastructure. The hearing, “The Cost of Doing Nothing: Why Investing in Our Nation’s Infrastructure Cannot Wait,” was led by U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio, chairman of the committee. Rep. DeFazio began......
Will the South Carolina Legislature Make a Dam Mistake?
February 08, 2019
Dams in South Carolina are facing a serious threat. In the last five years, severe flooding as well as Hurricanes Matthew and Florence have caused nearly 80 dams to fail in South Carolina. Despite the recent history of costly dam failures in the Palmetto State, state legislators are considering two proposals that would significantly rollback......
February 05, 2019
The following is a statement by Robin A. Kemper, PE, President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on President Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress on February 5, 2019: “We appreciate that the President identified infrastructure as one of his top priorities for legislative action this year, and indicated that it is not......
Midwest Polar Vortex Impacts Critical Infrastructure
February 01, 2019
This past week, a blast of polar air covered much of the Midwest, closing schools and sending staff home early—causing businesses and restaurants to close shop before the end of the day. Piercing the Midwest with record low temperatures, infrastructure systems were also strained. Rail lines were snapped and gas-fed heaters ran alongside the rails......
January 23, 2019
This afternoon, the Georgia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers released the 2019 Report Card for Georgia’s Infrastructure. Fourteen infrastructure categories were given an overall grade of “C+.” In 2014, the state received a cumulative GPA of a “C.” The following state’s transportation categories, bridges (“C+”), roads (“C+”), and transit (“D+”), saw grade increases......