Editorial: Young Minds, New Roads
This Editorial appears in the Feb. 20 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.
Coming soon to a theater near you: How to build roads and bridges. The American Society of Civil Engineers last week screened a documentary titled, “Dream Big: Engineering Our World,” which spotlights efforts to encourage young people to pursue careers in engineering. Included in that mix are bridge and road design, fields that — if recent data are any indication — will require expertise for years to come.
According to a report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association released Feb. 15, about 56,000 of the nation’s bridges — or 9% of the total — were deemed structurally deficient last year. This assessment includes 1,900 bridges along interstates, routes that trucking relies on every day.
The documentary, a joint effort of ASCE and construction and civil engineering firm Bechtel Corp., spotlighted — among other things — the economic and social benefits the United States has reaped from construction of the Interstate Highway System. It showed parts of the world where poor infrastructure has exacted societal and financial tolls.
The costs of crumbling infrastructure on U.S. roads is felt both regionally and nationally; if a bridge is shut down in one state, drivers in that area are, of course, affected. So, too, are trucks making deliveries to that area. It’s up to lawmakers to ensure that the roads and bridges in these states get the upgrades and repairs they need.
Across the country, states are trying; some have transportation bills circulating through their statehouses, and others are asking the White House for funding. Leaders on the state and federal levels agree that something must be done, but immediate federal action is not in the offing; congressional leaders have said that infrastructure isn’t among the top items on their agenda.
Trucking is doing its part. An infrastructure task force convened by American Trucking Associations met earlier this month with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to stress the importance of improving the nation’s roadways. It’s believed that she is attentive to the industry’s pleas for action.
To be sure, the Trump administration has a lot on its plate in these early days, but it is hoped that infrastructure doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. Because giving the nation’s highways the upgrades they need should be work that can help instruct the next generation of young engineers. It shouldn’t be the work that is left to them to do.
