These days, it seems like everyone — whether inside or outside of Michigan — is talking about infrastructure. In late January, for example, news sources reported on a preliminary list prepared by President Trump’s transition team that included about 50 possible priority projects across the country — three of which are in Michigan — that could be addressed to the tune of $137.5 billion. Before that, Gov. Rick Snyder released his own 21st Century Infrastructure Report, focusing on the current status of infrastructure in Michigan and what it will cost to make it safe and efficient both now and in the future. Here are a few interesting figures taken directly from the governor’s report, which was prepared by PSC.
12
The percentage of Michigan households that still lack access to advanced broadband service
Nearly 25
The percentage of beaches in Michigan that experienced closures in 2015
27
The percentage of Michigan bridges that are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete
39
The percentage of roads in Michigan that are in poor condition
64
The number of Michigan rivers, which drain 84 percent of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, that tested positive for human sewage
11 million
The number of U.S. jobs that would be lost if there was an unscheduled, six-month shutdown of the Poe Lock (the only lock capable of accommodating the largest Great Lakes vessels, which carry 70 percent of all cargo passing through the Soo Locks)
$1.1 trillion
The estimated decrease in GDP that would result from an unscheduled, six-month shutdown of the Poe Lock
5.7 billion
The number of gallons of untreated sewage that have flowed into the state’s waterways since 2008
$4 billion
Michigan’s annual infrastructure investment gap (that is, the difference between what the state is currently spending on infrastructure and the amount it needs to spend to improve and maintain it)
$59.6 billion
The forecasted investment gap over the next 20 years for transportation, water and communications infrastructure*
* Michigan’s energy infrastructure has an existing funding structure for investment; therefore, the report does not include energy funding recommendations.