A couple of blogs I follow have mentioned that the May issue of Popular Mechanics includes a feature called, “10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now”. I’ve seen the feature mentioned in the context of Atlanta’s water shortage, but the entire list is actually rather interesting to me (not surprising, given my interests):
- Circle Interchange, Chicago
- Brooklyn Bridge Approaches, New York City
- Industrial Canal Locks, New Orleans
(Ships can wait 36 hours for clearance to transit, creating a drag on the efficiency of the Port of New Orleans. PM doesn’t mention that survivors of the Lower Ninth Ward would like to see the canal itself fixed by being filled in….)
- Atlanta’s water system
(PM estimates 18% of the daily water consumption in ATL is the result of leaky water mains)
- Alaskan Way viaduct, Seattle
- Lake Okeechobee dike, Florida
- Dover Bridge, Bonner County, Idaho
(Northern Idaho bridge for US95, scores 2 out of a possible 100 in sufficiency rating.)
- Wolf Creek Dam, Kentucky
(Kentucky River dam deemed in enough danger of collapse that TVA reduced the water level behind it, to reduce flood risk to downstream towns, including Nashville.)
- Sacramento River levees, California
(Remind me not to write flood cover on the Arco Arena, or on SMF.)
- O’Hare
None of those are surprises, and many of them are slated for repairs in the next few years, assuming funding remains available. However, it’s nice to be reminded every once in a while of some neglected priorities.
(How much money have Presidential candidates raised to date for this election cycle?)
