Since when does a world class country have crumbing infrastructure? The GOP cut taxes, sure, but that's not the only thing they cut. Despite what they'd like people to believe, infrastructure doesn't just happen if you click your heals and hope for the best. The rest of the world continues to invest yet the Republicans have crashed the budget, busted the economy and left us with aging roads and bridges. What a legacy the Republicans have left for America.
It would cost at least $140 billion to repair all the nation's bridges if work began immediately, a nationwide safety organization said in a comprehensive report Monday.And, lest we forget this disaster from a year ago this week in Governor Tim Pawlenty's state:
The price tag will rise if the repairs are delayed, the group said.
"States simply cannot keep up with bridge maintenance," the report warns, adding that 73 percent of U.S. road traffic -- and 90 percent of truck traffic -- travels over state-owned bridges.
Nearly one in four bridges needs repairs, and the average age of America's bridges is 43 years -- seven years shy of the maximum age for which most are designed, according to the report, titled "Bridging the Gap."
One in five U.S. bridges is more than 50 years old, the report says.
"Almost one in four bridges, while safe to travel, is either structurally deficient, in need of repair, or ... too narrow for today's traffic volumes," the report from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials said.
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