Infrastructure Week is traditionally seen as a week that gets announced and then canceled for other priorities. However, this year, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking Infrastructure Week seriously. They kicked off the week by highlighting investments from various acts, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and American Rescue Plan. These investments total nearly $454 billion and include over 56,000 specific projects in over 4,500 communities across the United States and its territories. These projects aim to strengthen communities and prepare them for the future.
Improvements have already been completed or are currently underway on over 165,000 miles of roads, nearly 9,400 bridges, over 450 ports and waterways, and more than 300 airport terminals. These improvements help connect communities, strengthen supply chains, lower costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and boost homegrown manufacturing jobs. Additionally, over 4,100 projects have been launched to help communities build resilience to threats such as climate change and cyberattacks. These projects include removing hazardous fuel material from millions of acres of land and funding high-speed internet infrastructure in hundreds of counties.
Several critical infrastructure projects are underway as part of Infrastructure Week. The Hudson Tunnel between New York and New Jersey, which serves 200,000 passengers a day and was damaged by Superstorm Sandy, is receiving $11 billion for repairs and modernization. In Michigan, the Soo Locks are being modernized and expanded to prevent a potential six-month closure that could cost the U.S. economy $1.1 trillion. In Arizona, the Gila River Indian Community is building a pipeline to alleviate drought in the Colorado River Basin and water over 70,000 acres of crops through water-efficient canals.
The importance of infrastructure is evident in the impact it has on connecting regions and strengthening communities. The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse serves as a reminder of the critical role infrastructure plays in society. Many of the infrastructure projects currently underway are long overdue, such as the Hudson Tunnel and Soo Locks projects. These projects are essential for keeping critical goods, like iron and steel, flowing across the country and ensuring the economic stability of communities.
Sound infrastructure is crucial for a strong society and economy, as it provides the backbone for growth and development. Every administration should prioritize infrastructure investment to ensure the prosperity of future generations. The current infrastructure projects being undertaken as part of Infrastructure Week are set to benefit communities across the country for years to come, making them worth paying attention to and supporting.
