Congress Urged to Pass BUILD America 250 Act for Infrastructure Safety

The Facts -

Critical Infrastructure: The Backbone of Safety and Mobility in America

Whether fleeing from natural disasters or rushing to medical emergencies, reliable transportation infrastructure is essential. Highways, bridges, and roads are crucial for safety and accessibility, ensuring timely access to medical facilities and evacuation routes.

Historically, Congress has provided long-term funding for infrastructure projects through surface transportation authorizations, typically spanning five to six years. However, with the current Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act set to expire on September 30, there is an urgent need for legislative action.

The BUILD America 250 Act aims to address this by ensuring continued infrastructure support, yet it faces delays in Congress. Despite promising progress in May, when it passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with strong bipartisan support (by a vote of 62-2), the bill's momentum has stalled.

This $580 billion proposal includes a historic $45 billion investment over five years to maintain and improve America's bridges, alongside new funding for the Highway Trust Fund—a first in more than three decades. Additionally, the bill allocates $3 billion annually for transit construction, supports passenger rail investments, and promotes innovative transportation projects.

Without swift action, the September deadline could lapse, necessitating temporary extensions that merely extend uncertainty. Such delays could halt current projects, impacting workers and freezing orders for construction materials like cement and concrete, further affecting domestic manufacturers and communities awaiting infrastructure improvements.

An example of infrastructure's critical role was the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh in January 2022, due to long-overdue maintenance. Thankfully, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided the necessary $25.3 million to swiftly rebuild the bridge, reopening to traffic by December 2022.

With 42,000 bridges across the nation in poor condition, as reported by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the necessity for continued repairs is clear. The responsibility to maintain safe and functional infrastructure lies with Congress, which must act promptly to pass the BUILD America 250 Act by the deadline.

• Diane Tomb is president and CEO of the American Cement Association.

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