U.S. Gets D+ On Infrastructure Report Card

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) announced on April 2 that the U.S. earned a grade of D+ in its 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.

The latest report card, which is issued every four years, is actually a slight improvement on the D grade issued in 2009. But it found that the nation had significant work to do to shore up its infrastructure. ASCE estimates that the U.S. needs to spend $3.6 trillion on infrastructure by 2020 — $1.6 trillion more than current funding levels allow.

The highest grade within the report was a B- for solid waste systems. Americans recycled 34 percent of their 250 million tons of trash in 2010, more than double the rate of 14.5 percent in 1980.

Roads received D grades, due to a 42 percent congestion rate on highways. The relative good news: The grade for bridges improved to a C+ with the number of structurally deficient bridges on the decline; still, the report says, one in nine remain structurally deficient.

"We must commit today to investing in modern, efficient infrastructure systems to position the U.S. for economic prosperity," said ASCE President Gregory E. DiLoreto, P.E. "Infrastructure can either be the engine for long-term economic growth and employment, or, it can jeopardize our nation’s standing if poor roads, deficient bridges, and failing waterways continue to hurt our economy."

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