US Infrastructure Ill-equipped for Growing Demands

The US transportation infrastructure is not prepared to support the country's growing demand for products, as e-commerce sales and manufacturing reshoring trends have increased pressure on supply chains. The country's transportation infrastructure is lagging behind China and is inadequate to support the supply chain's evolving needs. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law to distribute $1.2 trillion across verticals, including high-speed internet, power infrastructure, public transportation, and electric vehicle charging. However, China's $2.3 trillion investment to grow its infrastructure in 2022 overshadows the US investment, distributed over five years. This investment discrepancy is especially worrying given the recent reshoring trend, where manufacturers are moving from China due to increasing costs and logistical hiccups.

Improvements could be made to various US transportation networks, including rail, air, and ocean. However, roads and bridges should be the country's most pressing concern as they are the most used and outdated transportation method. Despite being the most used, only a small portion of the $1.2 trillion earmarked for infrastructure repairs has been allocated to update the roads and bridges, which have fallen into disrepair, with one in three bridges in need of repair across all 50 states.

Maintaining and updating the current infrastructure is essential, given the pressing concerns of highway safety threats and road surface deficiencies. The country needs a solid foundation to build from if it hopes to become an infrastructure leader. In addition to maintaining current infrastructure, the US must expand into new frontiers, such as building additional truck parking to support the supply chain's growing demand, to meet customers' increasing expectations.