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Infrastructure Mishaps Capture Headlines, But the Conversation Can’t Just Follow the News Cycle
Article

Infrastructure Mishaps Capture Headlines, But the Conversation Can’t Just Follow the News Cycle

Josh Weiss
Forbes, 2022
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Visionary
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

In January 2022, a Pittsburgh bridge collapsed. There were no casualties, but it turns out that most US jurisdictions have bridges that are falling into disrepair and could be considered structurally inadequate. With the endless news cycle pushing out story after story of international calamity, crumbling bridges in the United States get limited attention, and under current conditions, it would take 30 years to repair current problems. At that point, new problems would almost certainly be emerging, and the whole cycle would have to begin again. But can new technology save the day? Hexagon Geosystem’s Josh Weiss thinks so.

Summary

Despite earning a C-minus score from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the poor state of US infrastructure has failed to inspire adequate action.

The United States contains four million miles of road and over 600,000 bridges. About a third of the bridges “need major repair work or should be replaced” according to ARTBA (the American Road & Transportation Builders Association). But even when a bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed shortly before a presidential visit, the news cycle moved on without much notice. 

The United States can no longer ignore its infrastructure issue, however, or greater losses will occur. At current rates of progress, fixing infrastructure issues would take 30 years. The Infrastructure Investment...

About the Author

Josh Weiss is chief operating officer at Hexagon Geosystem and serves as a Forbes Councils member.

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