Build back wiser

Authors: Meagan S. Mauter

Published: 2021-09-23

DOI: 10.1126/science.abm3438

Source: Full article


Abstract

The US Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which is winding its way through Congress, makes progress toward President Biden’s campaign promise to “build back better” by investing $0.55 trillion to repair the nation’s transportation, water, and energy systems. But this allocation is only a fraction of the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated $2.5 trillion infrastructure investment deficit. To bridge this value gap, the nation must build back “wiser” by investing IIJA dollars in digitized, versatile, distributed, and inclusive infrastructure systems.