America’s Roads and Bridges Cost Too Darn Much

High construction costs pose a major threat to the U.S. economy. Not only are highways and transit systems irreplaceable for most Americans, they enable the free movement of people and goods within and between cities -- the glue that holds together networks of domestic production. Without smooth roads, solid bridges and well-functioning trains, supply chains break down, people can’t get to work and the whole economy gets gummed up. In the short term, the government can spend more, throwing money at the problem to keep infrastructure intact; but in the long run, high costs will make this option ever-less tenable. Eventually, local and state governments, and even the federal government, will balk at the price tag, and simply let infrastructure fall into further decay.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that productivity in the construction of infrastructure like highways, streets and bridges has fallen in recent years: