U.S. roads and bridges aren’t getting enough maintenance to keep drivers safe. That was the message the U.S. Transportation Secretary delivered in Jacksonville today. Secretary Anthony Foxx says the solution is a proposed spending bill called the Grow America Act.
Cars whizzed by overhead on I-95 in Downtown Jacksonville Tuesday afternoon. The highway is being expanded here as part of the Overland Bridge project, in part with federal money. Built in 1959, this bridge is rated structurally deficient. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says it represents America’s infrastructure problems and the need for more federal spending.
“Just a couple of summers ago, a piece of concrete tumbled down from the Overland Bridge underpass, leaving behind a gaping hole in its center lane," Foxx said.
The Grow America Act, as proposed by President Barack Obama, would dedicate $478 billion to road and bridge projects over six years. Foxx says it’s a better solution than the short-term spending bills Congress has passed in recent years. With long-range planning, he says much-needed repairs would be streamlined.
