Cleaver: We must not let our highways and bridges crumble

In his latest EC from DC report, Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver says it is time to get moving on take care of our highways and bridges.

It is time. 

In fact, it's way past time. 

And for the sake of generating jobs, revitalizing the economy, allowing businesses to grow, and assisting communities in forming around solid infrastructure, we must reauthorize the nation's transportation funding. I spoke on the Floor of the House of Representatives this week in hopes of highlighting the decisive role transportation and infrastructure play in all of our lives. 

Here's the bottom line, the crumbling infrastructure in Missouri's Fifth District is maddening, frustrating, and just plain unnecessary.

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers in a 2013 report card:

• 3,500 bridges in Missouri are considered structurally deficient
  
• More than 3,300 (14% of the bridges in our state) are considered functionally obsolete

In just a few months, the highway and transit programs in this country will expire. Before that though, we could see the Highway Trust Fund become insolvent as soon as August. 

This is a sad day in our history. We must pass a highway and transportation infrastructure bill. And we must do it now.

Why?

• Every dollar invested in Missouri transportation generates $4 of economic activity
  
• For every $1 billion spent on transportation - 34,000 direct and indirect jobs are created
  
• Investment in transportation infrastructure generates growth and jobs during initial design, construction and post construction

We must not sit back while our highways and bridges crumble - playing partisan politics while our infrastructure deteriorates more and more each day.