AMERICA'S CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE ERODING QUALITY OF LIFE

Report Card Assesses Condition of Nation's Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and our children's overcrowded schools are daily

reminders that the state of our nation's infrastructure directly affects our economy and quality of life. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) just released its 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure - assigning a cumulative grade of D for the nation's infrastructure.  The 2005 Report Card assesses the same 12 infrastructure categories as in 2001, in addition to three new categories - public parks and recreation, rail and security. 

Navigable waterways received a D-, compared to a D+ in 2001.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains more than 12,000 miles (19,200 kilometers) of inland waterways, and owns or operates 257 locks at 212 sites on inland waterways. These waterways--a system of rivers, lakes and coastal bays improved for commercial and recreational transportation--carry about one-sixth of the nation's intercity freight, at a cost per ton-mile about half that of rail, or one-tenth that of trucks.

Waterways are excellent ways to move large volumes of bulk commodities over long distances at a fraction of the cost of rail or trucks. The cargo capacity of a typical barge is equivalent to that of 15 large railroad cars, or 58 semi-trucks. A representative 15-barge tow on a main stem waterway moves the same cargo as 870 trucks stretching 35 miles on the interstate highway system. That same 15-barge tow would require two 100-car unit trains, extending nearly three miles in length.

Locks and dams can affect the environment. They slow the natural velocity immediately upriver from their locations, so that organisms adapted to fast-flowing water are replaced by those adapted to slow-flowing water, and dams trap sediments that would otherwise flow farther downstream. More dredging may be necessary to keep the navigation channels open.

The 12,000 miles of inland and intracoastal waterways, as do highways, operate as a system, and much of the commerce moves on multiple segments. They serve as connecting arteries, much as neighborhood streets help people reach interstate highways. These waterways are operated by the Corps of Engineers as multi-purpose, multi-objective projects. They not only serve commercial navigation, but, in many cases, also provide hydropower, flood protection, municipal water supply, agricultural irrigation, recreation and regional development.  Forty-one states, 16 state capitals and all states east of the Mississippi River are served by commercially navigable waterways. Domestic companies operating vessels on U. S. waterways increased 19.6% from 2002 to 2003.

Waterway usage is increasing, but the facilities are aging; many Corps-owned or -operated locks are well past their planned design life of 50 years. Of the 257 locks still in use in the United States, 30 were built in the 19th Century, another 92 locks are more than 60 years old. In other words, nearly 50% of all Corps-maintained locks were functionally obsolete by the beginning of 2005. Assuming that no new locks are built in the next 20 years, by 2020, another 93 existing locks will be obsolete--rendering more than 8 of every 10 locks now in service archaic.  As the system ages, the infrastructure cannot support the growing traffic loads, resulting in frequent delays for repairs. At the same time, the repairs become more expensive due to long-deferred maintenance.

The Inland Waterway Trust Fund, created in 1978, pays half the cost of the construction and major rehabilitation costs for specified federal inland waterways projects. It receives money from a tax on fuel (currently set at 20 cents per gallon) on vessels engaged in commercial transportation on inland waterways.  In recent years, there has been a number of major inland waterway infrastructure failures--a few years ago, the entire Ohio River system was closed for a time due to infrastructure breakdowns.  The fund earned $106 million in FY 2005, including approximately $91 million paid by the barge and towing industry, and $15 million in interest. The Corps of Engineers received $149 million for construction projects, leaving a balance of approximately $307 million. In FY 2006, the Corps is planning to spend $394 million on current maintenance projects, a sum that will not reduce the backlog of pending repairs that exceed $600 million.  In addition, the Bush administration proposed in February to spend $184 million from the trust fund for new construction in FY 2006. The trust fund balance remaining at the end of the year is expected to be $228 million--enough to begin addressing a significant portion of the maintenance backlog.  The Corps estimates that it would cost more than $125 billion to replace the present inland waterway system.

A new category - public parks and recreation - received a C- grade. Many of our nation's public parks, beaches and recreational harbors are falling into a state of disrepair. Much of the initial construction was done more than 50 years ago. These facilities are anchors for tourism and economic development and often provide the public's only access to the country's cultural, historic and natural resources.

Coastal areas are vital to Americans, providing a home for 53% of the nation's population on just 17% of the land area, as well as popular vacation destinations for American and foreign tourists. In fact, coastal areas generate almost 31% of the U.S. gross domestic product. Beaches provide shore protection in these areas, and have a tremendous national economic impact.  Travel and tourism is the United State's largest industry, employer and earner of foreign exchange. Spending by foreign tourists alone supports 2.7 million U.S. jobs. The popularity of beaches dominates tourism, with 75% of summer travelers planning to visit beaches. In the United States., coastal states receive about 85% of the country's tourist-related revenues, largely because of the popularity of beaches.  Beach erosion and shore protection are of major concern to tourism and, for more than 60 years, the federal government has worked in concert with state and local entities to maintain and restore the nation's beaches to benefit all Americans.

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, including state infrastructure statistics and policy options, visit www.asce.org/reportcard.