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Stories Tagged as

Infrastructure

Philadelphia highway collapse will cost time and money

by Henry Epp
Jun 13, 2023
The race is now on to reconstruct the section of I-95 and minimize economic disruptions.
Firefighters work at a collapsed portion of Interstate 95, caused by a large vehicle fire, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 2023.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
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New UK fiscal metric paints a rosier picture of the national debt

by Stephen Beard
May 17, 2023
The U.K. has adopted an additional fiscal statistic that suggests public finances are not in such a bad shape after all.
The U.K.'s new “public sector net worth” measure offsets debt by including government-owned infrastructure, such as railways.
Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images
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How undersea internet cables connect the global economy

by Sabri Ben-Achour , Erika Soderstrom and Jarrett Dang
Apr 21, 2023
The U.S. and China are competing for control over these vital pieces of infrastructure.
Technicians work on undersea cable in December 2005. Undersea internet cables "carry about 99% of all our telecommunications," said James Kraska at the U.S. Naval War College.
Stephan Agostini/AFP via Getty Images
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Climate change is making spring pothole season worse, stretching local government budgets

by Henry Epp
Apr 11, 2023
Filling them is a short-term fix.
Justin Benjamin, a crew leader with the public works department in Winooski, Vermont, tamps asphalt into a pothole on East Spring Street.
Henry Epp/Marketplace
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Pickleball’s popularity presents equity challenges for city governments

by Kai Ryssdal and Richard Cunningham
Apr 11, 2023
For many major cities across the United States, pickleball’s rise in popularity shows equity gaps in infrastructure.
A pickelabll court located in Brooklyn, New York. More than 4.8 million people played the sport in 2021, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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A divide over how to heal a community divided by a highway

by Carly Berlin
Mar 17, 2023
A midcentury expressway tore through New Orleans' historic Black neighborhood of Tremé. A federal initiative wants to address that damage.
Amy Stelly, of the Claiborne Avenue Alliance Design Studio, in front of two expressway ramps. She lives in her childhood home near the interstate.
Carly Berlin
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States, communities struggle to meet deadline in broadband funding process

by Paul Flahive
Jan 13, 2023
The deadline is this week to file challenges to FCC maps that will be used to dole out $42.5 billion in funding.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act provides about $42.5 billion in funding to expand broadband access, but the application deadline is fast approaching and some states are looking for more time.
Sandra Mu/Getty Images
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Cash-strapped cities consider turning crumbling utilities over to the private sector

by Amy Scott and Richard Cunningham
Oct 20, 2022
Infrastructure repairs are usually left up to local governments, but smaller cities can’t always afford these repairs.
Above, a water treatment plant on Aug. 31, in Jackson, Mississippi. In places like Jackson and Duquesne, Pennsylvania, crumbling infrastructure has led to unclean drinking water.
Brad Vest/Getty Images
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It's harder to keep sewage systems working in a low-lying place like Florida when power's out

by Stephanie Hughes
Oct 5, 2022
Florida's wastewater system relies on electric pumps. Keeping them going through storms can be expensive.
Camper trailers and vehicles are still partially submerged by floodwaters at the Peace River Campground on October 4, 2022 in Arcadia, Florida.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
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How do we make roads and bridges more resilient?

by Stephanie Hughes
Sep 30, 2022
As climate change causes more destruction, the upfront costs of upgrading infrastructure may pay off in the long run.
Major bridges in Florida were destroyed by Hurricane Ian, including the Sanibel Causeway, above. The damage cut off thousands of residents from the mainland.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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