Hillary Clinton: NTSB Report on Minnesota’s I-35W Bridge Underscores Need to Invest In Infrastructure
In response to a report from the NTSB showing that a design flaw caused the failure of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Hillary Clinton today reemphasized the need to invest in America’s infrastructure.
“The tragic loss of life that resulted from the devastating collapse of the I-35W bridge last summer focused American’s attention on the dangers of deferring repair to our infrastructure. Knowing why the I-35W bridge failed does not close the book on America’s need for investment in our infrastructure, rather it should serve as a reminder of the work that lies ahead.
“More than a quarter of America’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. In Minnesota, the state is $23 billion short of where they need to be to fund performance goals–that’s $1 billion dollars short a year for the next 23 years.
“My Rebuild America plan would help states like Minnesota with their infrastructure needs, by establishing a $10 billion Emergency Repair Fund and implementing a comprehensive structural assessment of our key roads and bridges. Not only is rebuilding our infrastructure vital to the safety of America, our economy relies upon an infrastructure that can quickly and safely deliver products to market.”
Hillary Clinton’s Rebuild America Plan includes:
Establish a $10 billion "Emergency Repair Fund" to address the backlog of critical infrastructure repairs. There is a significant infrastructure funding gap, and it applies to everything from roads and bridges, to waterways and seaports. The under investment harms our economy and compromises our safety. There is an urgent need to repair and upgrade more than 60,000 bridges the Federal Highway Administration classifies as “structurally deficient.” Hillary will invest $10 billion over 10 years to finance the redesign and reconstruction of these structures. She will end the “repair-only-when-it-fails” policy that defers critical repairs because funding is unavailable.
Provide $250 million in "Emergency Assessment Grants" to the states to conduct immediate safety reviews of their high-priority, high-risk infrastructure assets. The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) has issued an advisory that urges state transportation departments to inspect bridges similar to the one that collapsed in Minnesota. Hillary Clinton proposes $250 million of “Emergency Assessment Grants” to help states conduct emergency infrastructure reviews of bridges and other critical infrastructure to ensure their immediate safety. These grants should be available with a priority-procurement status so they can be put to use as quickly as possible. If more funding is needed, Hillary will allow states and local governments the flexibility of using existing federal infrastructure funding.
Form a commission to carry out a comprehensive assessment of our engineering review standards so that we better prioritize needed repairs on bridges and roads. Recent events highlight the need to assess the integrity of our infrastructure and of prioritizing repairs to protect the safety of users. These events also suggest that we need to review our safety certification process and standards. The bridge collapse is only the most recent example of safety lapses. Last July, tons of concrete fell from the ceiling of Boston’s new tunnel and crushed a woman in her car. Hillary Clinton will establish a commission, under the auspices of the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to review the safety certification process and standards. The commission will also address the prioritization of needed repairs to roads and bridges, and make recommendations on how best to inspect, monitor, and maintain infrastructure on an ongoing basis.
