Danger on Our Roads and Bridges

Posted on | December 11, 2007 | Comments Off on Danger on Our Roads and Bridges

The American highway system cracksBy Mike Magee

We spend a lot of time in the United States arguing about our health care system and especially health care costs. We focus in on Medicare reimbursement, hospitals, insurers – all of the usual topics – but often we lose sight of the true meaning of “health.”

Health, in its broadest sense, extends from individuals to communities to entire societies, and is inextricably linked to our environments – the way we interact and function together with the world around us. A sound national environmental infrastructure helps pave the way for good overall health – and thus, the importance of today’s Health Commentary topic: Our nation’s dangerously deteriorating highway system.

The dramatic I35W bridge collapse in the summer of 2007 in Minneapolis provides just a glimpse of the problems lurking with our highway system. There are more than 700 similar bridges in the United States, and vast stretches of road connecting them that are shaky in terms of condition and upkeep. The American Society of Civil Engineers says that one third of the highway fatalities in the United States each year are from substandard roads and bridges.

With our treasury being severely stressed by the global war on terror, it’s unlikely this problem will addressed anytime soon. But how long will it be before we see another Minneapolis?

To learn more, watch this week’s video (embedded with this blog post) or read the full transcript, below. As always, I’m interested in your perspective on this issue. Please post a comment.