No major public works are underway in the United States, according to this piece from The New York Times. Some say the absence of major infrastructure projects may be hurting the economy.
Mega infrastructure projects like the interstate highway system and the Big Dig seem distant memories, according to writer Louis Uchitelle.
"So what are we missing, exactly? Huge public works - or more precisely, their historic absence - didn't cause the recession any more than their renewal would quickly draw the country out of it. But their effect on the economy is almost always noticeable if not easily measured. Some economists argue that the continual construction of new megaprojects adds a quarter of a percentage point or more, on average, to the gross domestic product over the long term. Again, cause and effect aren't clear, but the strongest periods of economic growth in America have generally coincided with big outlays for new public works and the transformations they bring once completed.
If their absence creates a void, particularly in a recession, what can fill it?"
But The Infrastructurist reminds us of some of the big transit projects that are either in the works or already underway.
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