Monumental Issues: Talking Infrastructure with Ed Mortimer

Posted by Content Coordinator on Tuesday, June 28th, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoxKUml-NNo

Ed Mortimer, Executive Director of Transportation Infrastructure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, talks about America’s infrastructure needs.

Read more: https://www.uschamber.com/above-the-fold/monumental-issues-talking-infrastructure-ed-mortimer

When thinking of the next bridge to cross in our “Monumental Issues” tour of the nation’s capital, we had a thought: How about an actual bridge?

The Memorial Bridge, the iconic gateway into Washington, D.C., has been under repair for more than a year – and that is a good thing. One year ago, federal officials closed two of the bridge’s six lanes after inspections revealed that the 83-year-old bridge’s support beams are now corroding faster than expected and “no longer meet load-bearing standards.”

Each bridge fixed is a step in the right direction, but there are tens of thousands of bridges in the United States in need of repair. Allowing our nation’s infrastructure to continue to deteriorate is not an option. It will cost jobs, stunt economic growth, reduce safety, and put us further behind our global competitors.

“This bridge is one of 58,000 bridges – or almost 10 percent of our nation’s bridges around the country – that is structurally deficient,” notes Ed Mortimer, the Chamber’s executive director of Transportation Infrastructure. “While Congress did pass a five-year, long-term authorization bill, the job is not done.”

He adds: “We need to continue to work with federal, state, and local stakeholders and bring in the private sector to come up with long-term sustainable funding solutions to make sure that we don’t have bridges like this in the United States, to make sure that we have an infrastructure that our children and grandchildren can be proud of, and that we are able to compete and win in the 21st century economy.”

It’s time to stop thinking about infrastructure as a problem but as an opportunity for bipartisan agreement to invest wisely and carefully in our most critical needs. Learn more at fasterbettersafer.org.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce on YouTube

Tags: , , ,

Comments are closed.

Follow InfraUSA on Twitter Facebook YouTube Flickr

CATEGORIES


Show us your infra! Show us your infra!

Video, stills and tales. Share images of the Infra in your community that demands attention. Post your ideas about national Infra issues. Go ahead. Show Us Your Infra!  Upload and instantly share your message.

Polls Polls

Is the administration moving fast enough on Infra issues? Are Americans prepared to pay more taxes for repairs? Should job creation be the guiding determination? Vote now!

Views

What do the experts think? This is where the nation's public policy organizations, trade associations and think tanks weigh in with analysis on Infra issues. Tell them what you think.  Ask questions.  Share a different view.

Blog

The Infra Blog offers cutting edge perspective on a broad spectrum of Infra topics. Frequent updates and provocative posts highlight hot button topics -- essential ingredients of a national Infra dialogue.


Dear Friends,

 

It is encouraging to finally see clear signs of federal action to support a comprehensive US infrastructure investment plan.

 

Now more than ever, our advocacy is needed to keep stakeholders informed and connected, and to hold politicians to their promises to finally fix our nation’s ailing infrastructure.

 

We have already engaged nearly 280,000 users, and hoping to add many more as interest continues to grow.

 

We require your support in order to rise to this occasion, to make the most of this opportunity. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to InfrastructureUSA.org.

 

Steve Anderson

Managing Director

 

SteveAnderson@InfrastructureUSA.org

917-940-7125

InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure