Civil Engineers Echo Obama Calling for Infrastructure Fix

Investment planned through 2020 on U.S. infrastructure, including roads, schools and airports, will fall $1.6 trillion short of what’s needed to maintain existing facilities, the American Society of Civil Engineers says.

About 80 percent more, or $3.6 trillion, needs to be spent to put the nation’s critical systems in a state of good repair, according to a report today from the group. Without higher spending, the costs of travel delays, power and water outages will reach $1.8 trillion by 2020, including $1.2 trillion borne by businesses and $611 billion for households, the group said.