Engineers give Georgia infrastructure a grade of 'C'

Environment News Service: The 2009 Georgia Infrastructure Report Card, released on Tuesday by the Georgia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, gave the state's infrastructure a cumulative grade of 'C.' The engineers concluded that Georgia's infrastructure requires an investment of more than $150 billion over the next 30 years to improve roads, water management, school facilities, solid waste and transit.

Twelve infrastructure areas were graded: wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, energy, dams, school facilities, transit, bridges, airports, roads, solid waste and parks. The parks category was evaluated for the first time this year. The grades were: a B+ to airports, B- to energy, C+ to drinking water and school facilities, C to solid waste and wastewater, C- to bridges, D+ to roads, stormwater and transit, and D to dams and parks.

"Funding for transit, roads and bridges is still woefully inadequate while our population and vehicle congestion continues to grow at record pace," the engineers said in their report. The Georgia Section of ASCE represents more than 3,000 civil engineering professionals who live and work in Georgia. A committee of 25 volunteer practicing civil engineers was assembled to collect, review and evaluate data, and develop grades and recommendations….

Sweetwater Creek during the flood of 2005 caused by Hurricanes Cindy and Dennis. In Lithia Springs, Georgia, on Mt. Vernon Road near Woodrow Wilson Park.