US
House of Representatives
July
17, 2008
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative,
One year after the tragic collapse of the I-35 W Bridge in Minneapolis, our country’s
bridges remain in critical condition and in need of significant funding for
maintenance and repair. We strongly urge
you to support H.R. 3999, The National
HighwayBridge
Reconstruction and Inspection Act.
The unmet needs of our nation’s aging transportation
infrastructure endanger the safety and security of American families. While billions in federal funds are spent
annually on new highway projects and lane expansion, our existing assets have
been left behind. According to the U.S.
Department of Transportation, approximately 74,000 bridges in this country are
classified as structurally deficient.
H.R. 3999 is an important first step towards addressing this
national problem. The legislation
authorizes dedicated funding for bridge repairs throughout the country and
provides minimum inspection standards.
The
tragedy in Minnesota
should serve as a wake-up call for this Congress, which must embrace an approach to highway spending that
prioritizes maintenance and repair of our existing roadways over new
capacity. Our country can no longer
afford the cost of inaction as our bridges continue to age and
deteriorate. Please support H.R. 3999, The National HighwayBridge Reconstruction and
Inspection Act.
Thank You,
John Krieger
Staff Attorney
US Public Interest Research Group
(202) 546-9707
JKrieger@pirg.org
