{"id":98153,"date":"2018-01-31T08:27:22","date_gmt":"2018-01-31T13:27:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=98153"},"modified":"2018-01-31T08:27:22","modified_gmt":"2018-01-31T13:27:22","slug":"brown-bill-seeks-to-upgrade-u-s-bridges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2018\/01\/31\/brown-bill-seeks-to-upgrade-u-s-bridges\/","title":{"rendered":"Brown bill seeks to upgrade U.S. bridges"},"content":{"rendered":"

Submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new analysis of the nation\u2019s bridges underscores the need for U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown\u2019s (D-Ohio)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Bridge Investment Act,\u00a0<\/em>which\u00a0<\/em>calls for significant investment in bridge repair projects.<\/p>\n

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Sherrod Brown<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association has released an analysis that says\u00a0Ohio has the 12th highest number of structurally deficient bridges\u00a0in the country. The report was released just prior to President Donald Trump\u2019s State of the Union address, where he is expected to lay out his infrastructure plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis report is the latest example of why Ohioans so badly need updated bridges to get them to and from work, school and the doctor,\u201d\u00a0said Brown.\u00a0\u201cI hope President Trump will lay out a plan to rebuild the nation\u2019s bridges, and invest in our entire infrastructure system, from roads to affordable housing to schools. Infrastructure investment will create jobs and grow the U.S. economy. I\u2019m ready to work with the President to make this investment a top priority, but it needs to be new investment, not a plan that steals money from current programs that help our towns and cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s bill aims to support bridge projects by creating a competitive grant program that invests $75 billion over 10 years in bridge repair projects. These funds would help leverage additional investment from state and local entities.<\/p>\n

Brown, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, introduced his bill with\u00a0Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee,\u00a0and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The Senators\u2019 respective Committees represent key committees in developing an infrastructure package.\u00a0The bill would help repair bridges of all sizes in urban and rural areas, and require all projects to use American-made steel and iron for bridge projects funded by the bill.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Brown released a full county-by-county list of \u201cstructurally deficient\u201d and \u201cfunctionally obsolete\u201d bridges in Ohio. The list is available\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s\u00a0Bridge Investment Act\u00a0would:<\/p>\n