West Virginia Executive Summer 2018 | Page 51

DIGGING DEEPER 21% of the nation’s highways are in poor condition • 19% of WV public roads are in poor condition • WV motorists spend $515 per year due to driving on roads in need of repair 43 years The average age of a U.S. bridge • 1,247—or 17 percent —of WV bridges are structurally deficient WV has 2,226 miles of rail NATIONAL RANKINGS #15 – WV’s 680 miles of inland waterways #32 – WV’s 2,226 miles of rail, ranked by mileage #14 – WV moved 63.9 million short tons of cargo via barges in 2014 INVESTMENT GAP What Poor Infrastructure Means to You Poor roads and airports mean travel times increase. An aging electric grid and inadequate water distribution make utilities unreliable. • WV’s railways are ranked #32 by mileage nationally Many water mains and pipes were laid in the early to mid-20th century with a lifespan of 75-100 years • WV will have $1.16 billion in drinking water needs over the next 20 years new users will be connected to centralized wastewater million treatment systems over the next 20 years 56 • WV will have $3.26 billion in wastewater needs over the next 20 years Problems like these translate into higher costs for businesses to manufacture and distribute goods and provide services. These higher costs, in turn, get passed along to workers and families. $265 MILLION GAP IN ESTIMATED SCHOOL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IN WV $3.26 BILLION WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS $44.2 MILLION UNMET NEEDS FOR WV’S PARKS SYSTEM $1.16 BILLION DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS Source: American Society of Civil Engineers WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM SUMMER 2018 49