The following is a statement by Maria Lehman, president-elect, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):
“We thank the Administration for convening the Accelerating Infrastructure Summit, which highlighted the possibilities stemming from the bipartisan infrastructure law. Nearly one full year since it was passed into law, this transformative legislation is beginning to kickstart vital infrastructure projects nationwide that will improve the country’s economic efficiency and prioritize public health and safety.
“We know that together, builders, engineers, planners, and those entrusted with infrastructure projects must meet the moment and deliver projects on time, on task, and on budget for communities to make the most of these new resources. This generational investment in infrastructure is much needed – the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure assigned the nation’s infrastructure a cumulative grade of “C-“ across 17 categories of infrastructure.
“ASCE is ready to help optimize these investments for communities across the country and make sure all will benefit, whether it is providing contract templates to expedite the process or offering peer support to smaller and rural agencies.
“ASCE is also focused on education in our industry to better equip civil engineers with the knowledge and expertise to execute alternative project delivery methods with a March 2023 Construction Institute Summit in St. Louis, which will provide a dedicated track to highlight innovations that help reduce the time for construction projects.
“The bipartisan infrastructure law has provided us the opportunity to transform America and bring our infrastructure into the 21st century, and we will need diverse perspectives, innovative technologies and processes, and a robust workforce to make the most of this once-in-a-generation investment.”