The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now

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• Rebuilding America
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Circle Interchange | Chicago

After years of being ranked two of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the country by groups like the American Highway Users Alliance, both the U.S. 101 at the I-405 Interchange in Los Angeles and the I-610 and I-10 Interchange in Houston are being revamped. But the third-worst spot for highway congestion, Chicago's Circle Interchange, is going nowhere. One parkway and three expressways meet here, and close to 300,000 vehicles a day are forced to reduce speed while navigating a network of tightly curved ramps. The result: an estimated 25 million hours in delays per year. A $975 million expansion project might relieve traffic on one of the expressways, but no plans have been announced to address the congested interchange itself.

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54. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
To comment no 52 , You right India infrastructure sucks . But now Indians are moving to USA , this because your Gov offer us huge money , Instead of investing in US , it's donate it to Pak

53. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
We Americans want to work - instead of giving money away free, put us to work on these projects like the wpa - Eisenhower put people to work on the interstate system - lets get people to work instead of all this foreign aid that does no good for us here. Switzerland takes care of its own and survived all these years - lets look to them for example

52. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
to comment no 44 dont worry about infracture in india Infracture here really sucks Thats why most of indians dream of moving to other countries (U.S. on top) our infracture innovation means providing road facility which will work in summer season Mansoon we are thinking about it

51. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
It is going to be hard for Americans to accept that we have come to the point where we need to focus on what we need, not what we want. Highways are no longer sustainable, economically or environmentally, and this is primarily the result of the damage done by freight trucking. Shifting freight to rail will dramatically reduce the staggering maintenance costs (and congestion). This may allow us to keep our highways viable until we can build a functional and sustainable transit system.

50. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The layers of infrastructure do not stop at roads, railroads and bridges. We need to upgrade the network infrastructure of this country and that is a must have, and not hoped for, project if we want to compete globally. Most people do not understand fiber optics and multi-gigabit speeds. If they did and they see how antiquated our stagecoach-era copper-based infrastructure is, they would be screaming to Congress to get the phone companies to upgrade instead of milking profits out of a has-been network.

49. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Re: #3, New Orleans PM is spectacularly wrong on this one. Neither current nor projected maritime traffic justifies $1 billion for this "purely pork", environmentally degraded, dangerous project. This choice is appalling and unworthy of PM. Someone didn't do their homework on this turkey

48. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Thank you for placing the Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee on your list. The stakes there are high: flash flooding that might cause as many as 40,000 deaths and injuries; contamination of the drinking water supply for South Florida; and the death of the Everglades ecosystem (from phosphorus overload). However, your choice of infrastructure in New Orleans ranks a distant second to construction of levees that perform as the US Army Corps of Engineers assured everyone they would. Even the Corps admitted publicly that the pre-Katrina levees had been underdesigned. However, spot checks by outside engineers turned up reason for dismay: On Lake Borgne, where parts of the levee collapsed entirely because they contained too much sand, a Corps contractor was found to be replacing exactly what had been there before -- in fact, the Corps began reconstruction of the entire levee system months before new designs had been completed! Widening the Industrial Canal may be needed for transportation purposes, but AGAIN ignoring the safety of several hundred thousands of people would render rebuilding the canal locks moot. It might be a good idea for Popular Mechanics to question information provided by USACE -- because the conclusions about the Lake O Dike came not from the Corps but from an independent panel of outside engineers. As for the one-in-six chance of failure, never fear! The Corps has a 22-year plan to fix it up! Last: I agree with the writer who mentioned the electric grid. However, we must more generally rethink how power is delivered locally first. We seem to be entering an era in which small -- and independent -- is beautiful, and large-scale power plants may just be dinosaurs.

47. The 10 Pieces of (you know)
Seven years, no decision on the viaduct that carries over 110,000 people to where they produce tax revenue of the Soviet. No surprise then that the I-520 bridge has no solution either. That did not stop the comrades in charge from charging an extra nickel per gallon of gas as an "emergency" legislative action starting about 5 years ago. These same brainless wonders shoved through a choo-choo train to nowhere that will travel between downtown and the airport in only 2 hours (shuttles from hotels take 20 minutes) through the most gang infested part of the Soviet of Seattle. But no money to take care of the people paying the bills day in and day out. Move here if you do not mind brainless elected officials and wish to feel smart by inference. Go figure

46. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Fear Armageddon? Move to Louisiana! It can take over 50 years for change to occur! So move here and enjoy life amongst the low income, under educated southerners that actually insist that corruption and politics walk hand-in-hand

45. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Umm... the Brooklyn bridge is NOT the oldest suspension bridge in the US. That distiction belongs to the Chain Bridge in Newburyport MA

44. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Some 41 comments as I write this. There are two bills at the federal level that have been proposed to help alleviate our deteriorating infrastructure. One is for an Infrastructure Bank and the other is for an Infrastructure Commission. The latter is needed to assist in prioritizing the needs of this nation, and in fact, if we are going to continue to be a prosperous nation, we need to wisely expend the needed resources to repair, replace and expand our nation's infrastructure based on a long-range plan that has the vision of the past, present and future foremost in focus to take the steps to raise the correct amounts of funds and expend them in the proper manner to maximize the return on our investment in infrastructure. Without a sound infrastructure foundation in this country, we cannot compete in a global economy and continue to have the economy of the past. Our major competitors today in this global economy, China, India, Taiwan, etc. are investing in their infrastructures and are very likely to outperform us in this global economy in the near future. If we cannot compete, we well may be on our way to becoming an also ran in the world.

43. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
In your article "The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now", you describe the Brooklyn Bridge as "It's the oldest suspension bridge still being used in the United States". That is not correct. John Roebling built the suspension bridge at Cincinnati before that, and it's still in service. I believe the bridge at Wheeling WV is even older.

42. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Interesting that there is little or no mention of the one leg of our national infrastructure that can relieve much of the overload on our highways and yet remains the most underdeveloped and underfunded.... our railroads. I don't disagree with your choices for pressing "fixes", but when the National Surface Transportation Policy Commission ((earlier this year) makes a strong statement about the need to move more people and freight by rail, you'd think your editors would take notice of that and include our rail systems as a "must fix". And with this issue magnified by rising fuel costs that are seriously and negatively affecting everything from individual motor vehicle owners to trucking companies to the airline industry...it would seem that someone would be asking about what we are doing about our rail systems.

41. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
In reference to the Atlanta comment (#29), I believe that body of water is probably the Atlanta Water Works reservoir near Howell Mill Rd and 14th Street.

40. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Thank goodness we are spending millions a day on this silly war. I would hate to actually spend that money on this that need to be fixed in THIS country.

39. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
please stop whining.we must cut taxes!we can not compete in a global economy if americans are burdened with corporate taxes.end the slavery brought to us by liberal overlords.

38. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Man, just think of what we could have done with all that money Bush and Congress poured into the sand of Iraq.

37. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
I'm surprised the Delaware Aqueduct didn't make the list... The water itself is the only thing keeping the tunnel from collapsing entirely and leaving Manhattan without water...

36. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The bureaucrats and politicians who are opposed to making these repairs happen (or are content to sit on their hands) need to be the first ones taken to task, for willfully endangering the lives of others. Yes I am talking to you, Gov Gregoire. The Alaskan Way Viaduct must be replaced immedately.

35. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Minnesotans may not be quite so relaxed, especially after the I-35W bridge collapsed. I'm surprised the New Orleans levees were not on the list, just the lock.

34. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
This country's infrastructure has not expanded with our population, and it was never designed to handle our current population. The growth of our population outpaces infrastructure growth significantly. Other densley populates countries like japan don't seem to have this problem because they have been high population countries since before modern technology was available, so as technology became available (like subways and machinery and engineering capability to dig huge water management systems) they already knew the load that would be put on the infrastructure and built it accordingly. In the US we never intended our current infrastructure to support such a large population.

33. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The picture in Atlanta shows (almost all) of a reservoir off Howell Mill Road. You can see some of the treatment facilities on the left.

32. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
"The Roebling Bridge that connects Cincinnati and Covington is pedestrian only. It gets a lot less strain than a traffic bridge like the one in Brooklyn." Umm, sorry. No its not. It was closed for repairs two years ago, but is still open to vehicular traffic. I'll be driving over it in about an hour.

31. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Website: waternewsupdate.com
There needs to be a serious discussion about what to do about our nation's infrastructure. Wastewater systems and bridges are reaching the end of their life cycle. It's time to come up with a master plan for what we want from the next generation of infrastructure. Also as a Cincinnati native I echo the sentiments about the Brent Spence Bridge.

30. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
No doubt we in the whole of the US have much work to do to identify and then decide on how to fix, and then fix a lot of aging infrastructure. It is kind of futile to have people list their pet projects here. Sort of like a politician earmarking his or her own pet projects for their own turf. None of us, unless we are top of the line infrastructure experts, can possibly know what is in need of repair or replacement and comprehensively around the US, let alone in a given state.

29. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
This Atlanta picture is misleading -- there is not a "nearby" body of water this close to the city (to where you could see the skyline like that). The Chattahoochee is the closest, but not THAT close. Eh.

28. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Several of these items don't need "fixing"; they aren't broken - such as Chicaogo Circle. They may need improving, but that's different.

27. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Ok first Hwy 2 is not the only Hwy going east to west, it is only about 50 north of I-90, which Hwy 2 intersects in Spokane, WA. The bridge is old and needs repair, and would cause a huge problem if it was closed, but lets at least get the facts straigt, and there are several other roads which u can go down to go around the bridge.

26. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Dover bridge is situated on a section of US-2 with a very small traffic count. It spans two railroad tracks with very few trains. For a couple of million they could easilt fix this problem with a state of the art at grade crossing. Traffic does not warrant spending 27 million on this structure. The problem is policy. Policy dictates that at grade crossings must be eliminated and no new ones built, regardless of the amount of traffic or trains. Thus the State is forced to simply do what they can to hold the existing bridge together. Someday it will be fixed with ER funds.

25. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
For those of you who do not understand the importance of the Dover Bridge, it is on US Highway 2 in the northern portion of Idaho. Highway 2 is the ONLY east west highway through this portion of Idaho and links Seattle to Bangor Maine. It was built in 1937 and spans the main railroad route east and west. These trains not only carry building supplies and grain but hazardous materials and nuclear waste (MOn it's way to depositories in Washington State. Maybe Idaho does not have the population concentrations that New York, Georgia or New Orleans has, but we are an integral link from the midwest to the west coast including Portland and Seattle.

24. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
New Orleans has more pressing needs than the lock. The Tulane Environmental Law Clinic worked on halting that lock plan and with good reason. It was toxic and invasive to the community. What New Orleans needs is a full replacing of our water, sewage, and gas lines. They're in a horrible state of disrepair, worse than Atlanta. And we can't fix the roads until we fix the pipes, because otherwise the leaks will create an endless amount of sinkholes (they already do - ask New Orleanians if they've ever broken an axle on their car!). As far as relieving road congestion goes, we should not be building more roads, but rather building high speed rail lines.

23. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati is not Pedestrian only. While it has two pedestrian lanes, it still handles local car traffic. This is the bridge that was in the movie Rain Man.

22. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The Oregon Inlet bridge on the Outer Banks of NC.

21. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Website: carfreeusa.blogspot.com
Wrong. We need road removal projects, not paving projects. The Brooklyn Bridge isn't broken. The author wants to pork taxpayers money. The proper environmental impact studies should be completed before building canal locks. If they have leaking pipes in Atlanta, they should start collecting rainwater locally where possible. The Alaskan Way Viaduct should be removed and replaced with high speed rail, commuter rail, and bicycle ways. The Alaskan Way Viaduct is one of the ugliest uglification projects in Seattle and should be removed, not repaired. Florida should be castrated. Idaho's Dover Bridge can be replaced with high speed rail. The paving of America is complete. The uglification of America is the ugliest in the world. Congratulations. America needs road-removal projects, not more paving. http://carfreeusa.blogspot.com/2008/04/bloombergs-statement.html#links

20. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Website: www.Kick66.org
FINALLY!!! Let's fix the roads we got rather than spend billions more for the unneeded I-66 in KY!!! Visit www.kick66.org to get the scoop on Hal Rogers' favorite PORK project (one of many...)

19. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati is a vehicular bridge, not a pedestrian only bridge as suggested in an earlier comment. Cincinnati's Brent Spence Bridge, which carries Interstates 71 and 75 across the Ohio River is in desperate need of replacement. The 45 year old span is carrying 30,000 more vehicles daily than its designed capacity.

18. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
To Commenter number 10 ""The Roebling Bridge that connects Cincinnati and Covington is pedestrian only. It gets a lot less strain than a traffic bridge like the one in Brooklyn."" You couldn't be more wrong about the Roebling Bridge in Cincy. I drive across that bridge all the time. In fact I usually drive across the Roebling Bridge, park in Convington and then walk back across it as part of my morning walk.

17. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Ah I live in Chicago and wouldn’t say the congestion is that bad. It is a small section of road that even at 30mph you could travel through in less than 30 mins. And outside of rush hour you usually can travel between 45 and 60mph in the area. There are problems on the interchange, but I can think of worse spots. Traffic does have to slow due to the fact that people are trying to switch lanes and expressways, but rarely does it stop outside of rush hour or maybe the White Soxs having a game. Also this is not an easy thing to fix. The circle connects I90/94(the Kennedy expressway heading northeast into down town) to I90/94(the Dan Ryan heading due south from down town quite a bit away from the lake). It connects I90/94 to both 290(heading due west out from downtown) and I55 (heading southwest from downtown). As well as lakeshore drive (heading due north\south near the lake). It has many exits in the downtown and near downtown area. Basically to increase speeds on the interchange one would have to make it considerably less useful for the purpose of changing expressways, going on to lake shore drive without facing traffic lights or exiting the Kennedy or Dan Ryan expressway downtown. About the only improvement I can see would be to through route the Kennedy and Dan Ryan. Not easy because the Kennedy is a smallish expressway that lacks dedicated express lanes (it only has reversible ones). Not counting opposition from downtown business that might view a through route as taking away business from the area. And the fact that the circle interchange sits on\near some high priced land (making it more costly to expand).

16. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The sad shape of the United States infra-structure is nothing new. Senator Tom Harkin was talking about this very thing years ago in his run for the Presidency. It was ignored then and will be ignored now. We live in the greatess nation in the world and we are to cheap to pay the freight. So what ever happens will happen. As long as we keep getting our tax cuts who cares?! Mike

15. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Perhaps the most fundamental infrastructure demanding repair is our democracy. Decades of "government is the problem" ideology, military-industrial crony capitalism, and thinly-veiled class warfare have depleted our capacity to act for the common good. The US is in imminent danger of joining the ranks of such fallen superpowers as England, Portugal, and Spain.

14. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Increase taxes. Fix it all. Gas tax should be used to fix roads. Rail taxes should be used to fix Amtrak and Conrail. Don't use road taxes to fix railroads. That is REALLY stupid. If people want to ride the train then tax them to improve the train. Don't use my gas tax, meant to improve my roads, for something I don't use.

13. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
You left out a number of major railroad bridges that are 75 to 110 years old and in need of replacement.

12. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Currently posting from Cincinnati, I was about to post the same thing about the Roebling Bridge, However, the Wheeling Suspension Bridge is older than both. If was completed and ready to go on October 20, 1849. It too is still in operation.

11. Idaho
The Dover Bridge in Idaho is a weird selection for this list. Seems like their Senator or Congressman could just earmark the $ for replacement.

10. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The Roebling Bridge that connects Cincinnati and Covington is pedestrian only. It gets a lot less strain than a traffic bridge like the one in Brooklyn.

9. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Website: http://hotelhallways.blogspot.com
The roads in Michigan (particularly in the Metro Detroit area). As a long-time resident, I know Detroit has an enormous number of problems. Our roads would shame a number of developing countries. The problems are so widespread that it's hard to even know where to begin listing the "worst" examples. Come to think of it, virtually the whole city of Detroit itself is a part of the United States' infrastructure that we must fix now.

8. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Website: http://roborant.info
Guys, Our electrical grid is only a couple years from being unable to meet peak demand in several areas. That should warrant a little attention, no? Of course, it's also in no shape to be handling the erratic demands that renewables place on it.

7. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
I would bet the foreign reader who enjoyed our roads, compared to back home, would not have enjoyed our trains. And that is item 0 in this list. While our roads and airports crumble, their efficient alternative languishes.

6. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
A lot of the dam, levy and flooding problems facing America are caused by land developers looking to make a quick buck and the politicians who support them. Instead of putting up another dam to make room for a flood-zoned strip-mall or "cheap" housing, use that money instead to fix the bridges. And if we still need room to house people, get rid of the 20 million plus illegals!

5. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
All those levees... why do we insist on building below water level.... next to large bodies of water?

4. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Thankfully, the DC area has more or less fixed the two major broken bits of infrastructure in the area, the Springfield Interchange and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. We're still in a bad way transportation-wise, but at least we don't have to worry about plunging into the Potomac during rush hour. Well, at least, not as much.

3. Seattle
They're right about the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle. It is a deathtrap that will kill many people when the next large earthquake occurs, unless (let's hope) it occurs at 3AM. Fixing it or tearing it down dominates local politics, where there has been a parade of poorly planned ideas over the past five years, each to be (correctly) shot down in turn.

2. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
The Roebling Bridge that connects Cincinnati and Covington is 17 years older than the Brooklyn Bridge. The Roebling Delaware Aqueduct is nearly 20 years older than that. So, no, the Brooklyn Bridge is not the oldest suspension bridge still in use in the U.S.

1. RE: The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now
Never the less, I enjoyed travelling to and in the US. I find O'hare an easy airport compared to Amsterdam or London. When I continued by road to Minnesota I found travelling on your highways notably more relaxing than it is in my country.

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