   |  | | The American highway system cracks | By Mike Magee, MD
Last year, the US celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the landmark Federal-Aid Highway Act.1 Comprising a mere 1% of our roads nationwide, our interstate highway system today carries 41% of the country’s large truck freight traffic.2,3
American roads supported and maintained primarily with funds from federal gas taxes -- which haven’t increased since 1993 -- carry 75% of all freight by weight, and 92% by value.3 In short, commerce in the US is built on the back of our highway system.
But our highway system, and much of our public infrastructure in general, are in rough shape.
If you’re looking for evidence, you needn’t look far. The dramatic I-35W bridge collapse in the summer of 2007 in Minneapolis was just the latest example.4 That bridge carried an average of 141,000 citizens daily, in spite of being designated “structurally deficient” in 1990. That made it one of some 150,000 U.S. bridges (one quarter of our 600,000 total bridges) with that title.5
Officials say the moniker “structurally deficient” means it requires repairs but is not unsafe.3 Say what? In any case, the bridge in Minneapolis spanned 1,900 feet and was perched 64 feet above the Mississippi River. It was built with one 458-foot-long steel arch so it wouldn’t interfere with river traffic.6 There are some 700 bridges just like it across America.3
Roads are not the only place we’re seeing the effects of poor design, poor maintenance, and under investment. Remember the levees in New Orleans? They failed.6 There are 3,500 dams in America currently deemed “unsafe.”3 And whether it’s underground steam pipes blowing up in the heart of New York City, or power grids failing under the summer heat, the nation’s physical support systems are frayed and stressed.7 But highways are in a league of their own. The American Society of Civil Engineers says that one third of the 40,000 highway fatalities in the United States each year are from substandard roads and bridges.3,8 The total cost to repair our roads and bridges, dams, water systems, and airports is now estimated to be $1.6 trillion dollars. Bridges alone account for 12 percent of that cost.3
These difficulties are growing in spite of a Department of Transportation budget for 2006 of $57.5 billion and a Department of Homeland Security budget for 2006 of $49.9 billion, $15.6 billion of which was targeted at protecting critical infrastructure.9,10 And while we may have had some success in protecting these vital assets from terrorist attacks, we seem less able to prevent their crumbling right before our eyes as a result of antiquated or inadequate design, or a chronic unmet need for maintenance or repair.
Since 9/11, all eyes have been focused beyond our borders. But in reality we face a chronic, serious threat within our borders of our own making. The physical elements of our society that assure everyday commerce, productivity, mobility, safety and security need our attention. In Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Michigan and Vermont 15 percent to 20 percent of bridges are “structurally deficient.” In Oklahoma, Iowa and Pennsylvania, over 20 percent are “structurally deficient.” The use of these roads and bridges is up 50 percent in the past 15 years -- from two trillion vehicle-miles traveled in 1990 to three trillion in 2005. It’s not surprising then that 1,500 bridges have collapsed between 1966 and 2005.3
With globalization, the internet, worldwide culture clashes, terrorism, and high-speed travel, it’s tempting to ignore our own homeland’s security. But as we’ve been reminded over the past few years – from New Orleans to Minnesota – we do so at our own peril.
References
1. Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956: Creating the Interstate System.
2. Highway History. US Dept of Transportation.
3. Aging Infrastructure. How Bad is it? Wall Street Journal. A5. 8/4/07
4. Minneapolis Bridge Collapse. David W. Fowler. Washington Post.com.
5. Troubled Bridges. TheAtlantic.com.
6. ASCE. New Orleans Risk Assessment Released.
7. ASCE. Our Failing Infrastructure.
8. ASCE. Expresses Sympathies Over Minneapolis Bridge.
9. Budget of the United States Government, 2006. Office of Management and Budget.
10. The FY2006 Budget Request for Homeland Security. A Congressional Guide for Making America Safer. The Heritage Foundation. James Jay Carafano.
| | |
|
|  I think we should have health care paid for by the government for everyone. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but a socialized medical system like Canada has."  Hard for the insured, too  Keep health care private!  Work to stay healthy  Testing is important  Please keep it affordable  Everybody deserves a chance  | Dr. Tom Linden's Health Blog | | |  Without the Wilderness, There Can Be No Wilderness Medicine Don't go to the Hospital Without these Ten Safety Tips Ain’t Nobody’s Fault But Mine Can Health Plans Explain Why They Aren't Re-Empowering Primary Care? Post-Election Healthcare Reform Yearning for Universal Coverage Is Not Universal Is America's Health Care System Failing? Probiotics: Hope or Hype? |
|
