Baltimore’s famous Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck by a giant container ship bound for the open ocean and quickly collapsed. The disaster claimed many lives, and its aftermath will continue to be felt for a long time.
The huge ship carrying 4,700 containers hit one of the bridge’s vertical supports, causing it to collapse almost immediately. The bodies of two maintenance workers working on the bridge were found, and he is estimated to have killed four others. A quick and effective alert to the authorities by the ship’s pilot led to the bridge being immediately closed to traffic, undoubtedly saving far more lives.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently working to remove the vast amount of debris. At the heart of the work is a huge crane capable of lifting 1,000 tons, as well as seven cranes, 10 tugs and nine barges.
Infrastructure such as highways, waterways, and railroads is literally the framework that integrates and supports America’s vast economy and our society. Modernizing this generally aging infrastructure is a priority for the Biden administration, with strong bipartisan support from both parties in Congress.
In November 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides more than $427 billion for infrastructure development.
Specifically, the legislation would significantly strengthen and modernize the nation’s bridges and roads, highways and waterways, railroads and ports. Communications infrastructure, especially critical cybersecurity, has been wisely incorporated.
Unfortunately, the country’s physical transportation infrastructure is in need of repair and upgrades. Another aspect of this situation is that in the 1950s and his 1960s, the federal government wisely, quite admirably, greatly expanded domestic transportation capacity.
Central to this framework is the interstate highway system. Think about what your life would be like if you weren’t able to travel long distances and hop on and off freely on this amazing national network.
Thank you President (and General) Dwight D. Eisenhower. In the 1950s, he initiated and executed this huge national project with characteristic foresight and scrupulousness.
By emphasizing national security at the height of the Cold War, Ike outmaneuvered his opponents, especially in rural areas where there were many local interests. Americans knew that Nazi Germany had built an extraordinary highway system that was central to their unified defense. This idea resonated in America in the 1950s, ten years after World War II.
The defense justification strengthened the vision and helped pay for the work. At the time, defense spending accounted for more than half of the entire federal budget, much higher than it is today. Mr. Eisenhower focused on defense to secure funding for highways, and also supported education and research.
Defence, national security and, less obviously, international cooperation are all part of the current ambitious infrastructure initiative. Cybersecurity is a complex subject that is at the very heart of current security concerns. By definition, such threats encourage international cooperation to limit the threat.
In early 2015, Republican Indiana Governor Mike Pence proposed a $1 billion highway improvement plan. The state was relatively strong financially. Democrats offered even more ambitious transportation proposals.
The Midwest is both a politically turbulent region and an infrastructure hub. The majority of long-haul truck traffic in the United States moves along busy interstate corridors in and around the Chicago metropolitan area.
The disaster in Baltimore, including the tragic loss of life, is a reminder that the world remains dangerous. This horrifying incident also highlighted the critical foundations of our nation’s infrastructure.
Read more: Robert W. Poole, Jr., “Reimagining America’s Highways.”
Arthur I. Seale is the author of “Post-Cold War”.
