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This week, the largest U.S. business group will begin running
local ads focused on the Brent Spence Bridge, a key crossing
connecting Kentucky and Ohio which has been dubbed "functionally
obsolete", to make the argument it is time for action on
infrastructure after years of debate.
Adding a second bridge would cost $2.5 billion and officials in
both states have not agreed on a way to fund it.
President Joe Biden, who talked about a $2 trillion
infrastructure plan during the 2020 campaign, plans to ask
Congress in coming weeks to invest heavily in infrastructure.
Studies show close to half of U.S. roads are in poor or mediocre
condition and more than a third of U.S. bridges need repair,
replacement or significant rehabilitation.
"It's going to be a big bill," said Neil Bradley, executive vice
president and chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce in an interview. "The time for talk is over. The time
for action is now."
The Chamber joined dozens of other groups in pressing for action
on infrastructure by July 4, or U.S. Independence Day. Bradley
warns the biggest danger to a deal is lawmakers failing to have
a sense of urgency.
"If Congress is not going to pass an infrastructure bill now,
why should we think it would ever pass?" he said.
Senator Tom Carper, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public
Works (EPW) Committee, said at a transportation infrastructure
hearing Wednesday "the American people are counting on us to
make this happen."
"They don’t want to hear us talking about what needs to be done.
They want us to work together and get it done," Carper added.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, and Michigan
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, urged EPW to find a
stable source of long-term highway funding.
Whitmer said 43% of Michigan’s major roads are in poor or
mediocre condition. "We need significant investments in our
roadways and bridges," she said.
Biden met last week with union leaders, who also urged quick
action on infrastructure.
Former President Donald Trump and congressional leaders failed
to agree on a major bill to repair and replace aging and
dangerous bridges, highways airports, water pipes and other
projects.
Funding has been a point of contention in recent years after
Congress abandoned a decades-old policy of using fuel tax
revenue to largely pay for infrastructure repairs.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da
Costa)
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