For the first time in more than 10 years, the American Society of Civil Engineers has released an infrastructure report card for the state of Ohio. The state passed, but just barely, receiving a C-minus average overall.
Ohio’s top grades were B's in rail and solid waste management. The worst performing areas included levees, roads and transit, which all received D's.
Jim Pajk, former president of the American Society for Civil Engineers Ohio Council, said at a presentation last week that Ohio has an extensive amount of infrastructure to manage.
“Ohio maintains one of the most extensive and heavily-traveled roadway systems in the nation," Pajk said. "It boasts rankings of second in the nation in number of bridges, third largest for freight volume, fourth for total interstate lane miles, and sixth largest in total vehicle miles traveled. This is a lot to maintain.”
Lloyd MacAdam, chief engineer for the Ohio Department of Transportation, believes Ohio’s aging roads and bridges are a liability.
“Unlike wine, infrastructure does not get better with age. It requires a constant investment of time and money,” MacAdam said.
The American Society of Civil Engineers recommends that transportation and infrastructure agencies focus their policies on planning for the future.
