Rated by their condition, 7 percent of U.S. roadways are in poor condition, 9 percent of its bridges are structurally deficient, and 17 percent of its dams have a “high hazard potential,” according to a recent report.
The report, compiled by 24/7 Wall St, includes data on what percentage of dams are at “high hazard risk,” what percentage of roads are in poor condition, what percentage of bridges are “deficient,” and how much each state spends per year, per driver. The company created the ranking by combining data on bridges and roadways from the Federal Highway Administration's report “Highway Statistics 2016,” data on dams from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Inventory of Dams, and data on highway spending from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 Annual Survey of State Government Finance. The final index used all this data to determine which states are winning and losing the battle against infrastructure decay—and how much money they’re spending to do it.
The states with the largest proportion of infrastructure in poor condition are (in order) Rhode Island, Hawaii, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, Alaska, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Iowa and Connecticut. On the other hand, Florida topped out the list with the country’s best-maintained infrastructure, even with a very middling state highway spending level per driver (the 22nd lowest)
The northeastern and midwestern states are over represented on the list of losers because winter represents a particularly strong challenge for maintaining infrastructure. When asphalt freezes and thaws, it can develop cracks. Once the cracks have developed, it’s easy for water to enter them and expand when it freezes, widening them even further. Infrastructure planners in these states end up fighting against winter and water to maintain their roadways. This struggle explains why chilly Alaska tops the list for the most state highway spending, at $2,374 per driver.
The state with the most dams in poor condition is Hawaii, with a sky-high 93.2 percent of dams at high hazard risk. That’s a real concern in a state with a history of dam collapse: in 2006, the Ka Loko Reservoir’s dam burst, sending a 70-foot-tall wave hurtling down toward a nearby town. Seven people were killed in the tragedy, and several homes were destroyed. An investigation revealed that the state had an insufficient number of dam inspectors, and that the dam’s owner had performed several operations around the structure without adequate permits. Over 10 years after the dam’s failure, it seems that the tragedy’s lessons haven’t been learned.
Rhode Island holds the dubious honor of leading the country in the number of roads in poor condition (24.6 percent) and deficient bridges (23.3 percent). Although these statistics may be depressing for Rhode Islanders, they probably aren’t surprising. The state’s infrastructure has been among the nation’s worst for years. Although the state’s politicians have been trying to improve its infrastructure for years, a 2017 Business Insider report stated that 54 percent of its roads were in "poor condition."
Overall, the report is not a ringing endorsement of U.S. infrastructure. While 75 percent of Americans support more spending on infrastructure, it’s still politically difficult to find the necessary funds, as cash-strapped governments don’t want to reduce other essential services or raise taxes. Indeed, back in January, President Trump proposed a $1.5 trillion dollar plan to improve nationwide infrastructure—but came under fire for the way he proposed to fund it. Trump’s infrastructure plan doesn’t propose developing new streams of revenue; it proposes that it should be funded by an unspecified $200 billion in federal budget cuts alongside states spending more money on their own infrastructure.
And even though Trump’s ambitious plan does garner $1.5 trillion, it might not be enough to fix America’s roads and bridges. Earlier this year, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated that the country needs to spend some $4.5 trillion by 2025 just to fix what’s currently wrong.
In other words? When it comes to the fight to maintain infrastructure, we’re all losing.