CBS: 'America in Disrepair'

CBS' "Early Show" highlights the sorry state of the country's infrastructure, warning that the U.S. may become a "second-rate country" if the necessary repairs aren't made [Includes video].

1 minute read

May 13, 2008, 6:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"Unless more funding and effort are put into saving the nation's infrastructure, it will continue to crumble, say experts. An estimated $1.5 trillion over the next five years could be needed to avoid large-scale disaster.

"When infrastructure declines, we're going to become a second-rate country," says engineer and former New York City transportation commissioner "Gridlock Sam" Schwartz.

"No matter where you live, there are critical infrastructure issues," says David Mongan, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. "In some cities, bridges, roads, power lines, pipelines; are simply too old. In others, the explosive population growth has outpaced [their] infrastructure's ability to satisfy the needs."

The following video report was broadcast on CBS' Early Show on May 10, 2008."

Sunday, May 11, 2008 in Raw Replay

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