WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) co-hosted a roundtable discussion in the Capitol Wednesday focused on repairing America’s deteriorating infrastructure and fixing the Highway Trust Fund, which will run out of funding for road and bridge repairs this summer. The meeting comes just weeks after unexpected damage forced the closure of Delaware’s I-495 bridge, a critical artery that carries more than 90,000 drivers a day. Matthew Cummings, Senior Vice President of AECOM, the engineering company currently working with DelDOT to repair the bridge, briefed senators on the status of repair work and shared his perspective on the nation’s broader infrastructure challenges.
“This summer, commuters in Delaware and across the region are facing major disruptions to business, travel, and their everyday lives because a critical bridge in our community is currently out of service,” Senator Coons said. “We rely on our bridges, tunnels, and highways every day, but Congress isn’t making the investments necessary to maintain them. We are weeks away from exhausting the federal Highway Trust Fund, and the longer we delay critical repairs, the more communities will face costly infrastructure emergencies like the one affecting Delaware. Congress has to find new and innovative ways to finance our nation’s infrastructure needs, and I’m grateful to Matt for joining us to discuss the path forward.”
The federal Highway Trust Fund, which finances 80 percent of the costs of state highway maintenance projects, will run out of funding as soon as early August. The shortfall will put thousands of critical construction projects on hold and jeopardize the safety of the nation’s highway system.
Matthew Cummings of AECOM, which is leading the engineering and design work on the I-495 bridge, explained the critical role the Highway Trust Fund plays in maintaining our nation’s roadways and urged the senators to act quickly to ensure its solvency.
“Our group gathered yesterday to urge Congress to address the Highway Trust Fund shortfall and create a reliable, long-term source of funding for our transportation infrastructure,” said Matthew Cummings, Senior Vice President of AECOM. “While the temporary closure of I-495 in Delaware is rapidly being repaired, it is a very real reminder of the importance of our transportation systems and the need to invest for the future.”
AECOM has offices in Wilmington and Philadelphia and has worked on a number of projects in Delaware, including several stimulus-funded projects on I-95.
Senator Coons is a cosponsor of two bipartisan bills that would build innovative public-private partnerships to finance infrastructure projects. The BRIDGE Act and the BUILD Act would both establish an independent, nonpartisan financing authority to leverage private capital and complement existing U.S. infrastructure funding.
Senator Coons spoke with Comcast Newsmakers’ Jill Horner on June 20 about the status of I-495 bridge repairs and bipartisan proposals to spur infrastructure investment. Watch his interview here: http://1.usa.gov/1lSp6wb