The infrastructure bill passed last week by Congress will send $1 trillion surging to the 50 states for public works, roads, bridges, water improvement and broadband expansion.
This money has been needed for years. Minnesota provided a prime example of what happens when infrastructure needs are not met when the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed in 2007. The 13 deaths and injuries to 145 jumpstarted a rush to fund more road and bridge projects, but need has been far greater than the assistance provided.
There are still dangerous roads and highways and substandard bridges throughout the nation. The Arkansas Transportation Dept., for example, recently had to shut down the Interstate 40 bridge between Arkansas and Tennessee when a crack was found in a steel beam in the bridge, a crack that may have been there since shortly after the bridge was built in the 1970s.
Minnesota is set to receive $6.8 billion of the infrastructure funds. Most of that — $4.5 billion — is going for federal aid highway projects, and $302 million for bridge replacement and repair. It will double the billion dollars the Minnesota DOT expected to have to invest in highways over the next 20 years.
There’s more money for investment in clean water and wastewater treatment; broadband services in schools and rural areas, airport facilities, wildfire protection, and so on.
The price tag on this bill is big, but it will do a lot of good things that need to be done.
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November 12, 2021 at 02:01PM
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