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U.S. gets a “D+” grade for current state of infrastructure

The American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 Report Card gives a D+ grade to American infrastructure. Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition says that should concern American farmers.

“It really provides significant exposure to and vulnerability to the quality or lack there of our transportation system. If we don’t have that system working well, these farmers will not be able to benefit from international demand because we won’t be able to get it there,” says Steenhoek.

The report gave grades of D or lower to American roads, inland waterways, dams and levees, while bridges received a C+. Steenhoek tells Brownfield American infrastructure is tied directly to farm profitability.

“Farmer profitability is so much a function of the quality of our transportation system. If farmers aren’t willing to be engaged on this issue and promote a system that works for our industry, we can’t expect people from New York City or Los Angeles to do it,” says Steenhoek.

Noted in the report;

  • Inland waterways received a D grade. Between 2000 and 2014 the average delay per river lock doubled from 64 minutes to 121 minutes. Sixty percent of grain exports in the U.S. are moved by river barge and the report says 49 percent of vessels experienced delays in 2014.
  • The report also gives American roads a D grade. It says 20 percent of the nation’s highways and 14 percent of rural roads had poor pavement condition in 2014. American bridges fared better with a C grade but the report says more than nine percent were found to be structurally deficient. $420 billion will be needed to repair roadways and highways while another $123 billion is needed for bridge repair.
  • Rail systems fared best, receiving a B grade in the report card. It says capacity across freight rail is sufficient to meet current needs but as demand for U.S. goods increases, so will the demand for expanded rail capacity. More than six billion dollars will be needed over the next five years to maintain, modernize and expand capacity on rail systems.

The report card estimates there will be a funding gap of $2 trillion dollars across all infrastructure categories in the next ten years.

Click here to read the report

Audio: Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director, Soy Transportation Coalition

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