Civil Engineers Likely to Keep U.S. Infrastructure at ‘D’ Grade

U.S. infrastructure projects such as roads, railways and airports will probably keep their near-failing “D” grade when the American Society of Civil Engineers issues its next report on public facilities in 2013, according to the group’s president-elect and municipal-bond analysts.

Governments will need to spend an extra $2.2 trillion on capital projects nationwide, up from $1.6 trillion in 2005, the Reston, Virginia-based engineering group said in its 2009 edition of “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.” State and local governments have sold about $1.3 trillion of debt since 2007 to finance public works rather than re-issue debt at lower interest rates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.