IT’S NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK!

by Emily Pierce, PLS, CFedS

May 11-15, 2020 is the official week to focus on our national infrastructure and commemorate the workers and investment that we all depend on.

As we look back on this year’s Infrastructure Week, the intense national focus seems to be creating an “Infrastructure Year.”

While COVID-19 measures have closed many businesses, workers building and maintaining our infrastructure have been busier than ever dealing with the new demands created by a massive workforce shift from offices to homes. Many of us working at home have been given the opportunity to consider these services from a different perspective.

For many people, telecom infrastructure is top of mind as they navigate the challenges of the home office. Limited internet access has long been an issue. Today, lack of broadband is not merely inconvenient, it impacts economic stability. The FCC says that 21 million Americans lack high-speed internet access; other reports suggest that number is twice that, and access is even more limited in rural areas.  If working from home becomes permanent, improving broadband access throughout the country must be a priority.

Of course, it’s one of many priorities. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) tracks 16 categories of infrastructure, and will be adding another in 2021 – stormwater. Stormwater is receiving greater focus because severe precipitation events are becoming more frequent and good stormwater management is one of the few ways destructive flooding can be mitigated. Additionally, controlling stormwater runoff also controls pollution and contamination of drinking water sources.

Every four years, the ASCE provides a report card on the condition and performance of American infrastructure, assigning letter grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for improvement.  The bad news is that the country has maintained a cumulative grade of D+ since 2013.  In these unprecedented times, we have the opportunity to change the existing approach and go beyond temporary fixes to achieve permanent infrastructure solutions.

Berntsen’s history is rooted in supporting those who develop and create our nation’s infrastructure, with high-quality marking products, including boundary marking, utility marking, trail marking, control marking and connected marking. We continually leverage our knowledge and experience to develop innovations that support the next generation of infrastructure solutions, as evidenced by our recent innovation in asset management.

At Berntsen, we salute everyone who has invested their time, ingenuity and sweat equity to build and maintain our national infrastructure.  We have been right alongside you for nearly 50 years, providing high quality, innovative products that help infrastructure professionals build and manage essential assets.