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A Quarter of America's Bridges May Collapse Within 26 Years. We Saw the Whole Thing Coming.

Engineers are scrambling to prevent disaster, but is it too late after decades of neglect?

A bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021 earmarks $110 billion for rebuilding the nation’s aging roads, bridges, and highways, but these new projects need to build in preparation from our climate change future. According to a new report by The New York Times, one-fourth of the nation’s bridges were built before 1960, and as if old age wasn’t enough stress on these rusted-out trusses, cracked asphalt roadways, and worn-down foundations, climate change has only made a bad problem worse. Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, told The New York Times that groups of scientists, engineers, and agencies are rushing to implement climate-resilient standards for bridges.

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