While the nation’s infrastructure earned a C- in the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card, Arkansas faces infrastructure challenges of its own. For example, driving on roads in need of repair in Arkansas costs each driver $671 per year, and 4.9% of bridges are rated structurally deficient. Drinking water needs in Arkansas are an estimated $7.4 billion. 193 dams are considered to be high-hazard potential. The state’s schools have an estimated capital expenditure gap of $350 million. This deteriorating infrastructure impedes Arkansas’s ability to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. Success in a 21st-century economy requires serious, sustained leadership on infrastructure investment at all levels of government. Delaying these investments only escalates the cost and risks of an aging infrastructure system, an option that the country, Arkansas, and families can no longer afford.
Aviation
$17.6 million in 2022 airport improvement grants across 6 major airports
Drinking Water
$7.4 billion total drinking water need
Transit
3.1 million passenger trips across 36 systems in 2021
Bridges
12,941 bridges, 5.2% of which were structurally deficient in 2021
Hazardous Waste
17 Superfund sites
Wastewater
$715 million total wastewater need
Dams
192 high hazard dams
Levees
1,593 miles of levees protect $53.1 billion of property.
Roads
58% of roads are in poor or fair condition.
Smart investment will only be possible with strong leadership, decisive action, and a clear vision for our nation’s infrastructure.
If the United States is serious about achieving an infrastructure system fit for the future some specific steps must be taken, beginning with increased, long-term, consistent investment.
We must utilize new approaches, materials, and technologies to ensure our infrastructure can withstand or quickly recover from natural or man-made hazards.
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