Himes Says New Report Highlights Need to Invest in Transportation

Press Release

Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) today called attention to a report from Transportation for America that highlights the growing dangers and opportunities associated with Connecticut's aging transportation infrastructure. The report found that over one million cars pass over defunct bridges in Southwest Connecticut every day. Rebuilding these bridges would make automobile traffic safer and create jobs.

"This report is a stark reminder that we urgently need to invest in refurbishing our crumbling national infrastructure," said Himes. "We have an opportunity to fix our over-used and unsafe bridges and roadways, while simultaneously creating jobs right here in Southwest Connecticut. While there is no doubt that we need to rein in spending and make smart cuts to get our fiscal house in order, this should not come at the expense of targeted infrastructure investments."

The report, The Fix We're In For: The State of Our Metro-Area Bridges, reveals that over 107 bridges in the Norwalk-Bridgeport-Stamford area are structurally deficient; this is nearly 13 percent of the bridges in the area. These bridges carry a total of 1,381,796 vehicles every day -- the fourth-highest total nationally among all metro areas of the same size.

In 2009, Himes helped bring millions of transportation investment to Connecticut. This includes over $70 million for safety improvements, resurfacing, and bridge improvements to the Merritt Parkway; over $11 million for infrastructure improvements at the Steel Point project in Bridgeport; and $30 million for upgrades to Metro North's Danbury Branch line. This crucial funding is helping revitalize deteriorating infrastructure in the district while creating hundreds of new jobs. Himes is also an original co-sponsor of the National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2011 (H.R. 402). This bill would establish the National Infrastructure Bank, which would help fund critical infrastructure projects and attract private investment in public works projects.

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