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America can still build fast! …but only after disasters. In my piece for

(now unpaywalled) I look at the Baltimore Bridge rebuild and ask why we can’t build fast all the time. Disaster rebuilds offer some lessons for a better infrastructure process.

(1/7)

8:47 AM · Dec 2, 2024

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Aidan Mackenzie

@AidanRMackenzie

Dec 2

Disaster rebuilds benefit from political unity and legislative carve outs: -Rebuilds get funding easily -Everyone supports building fast -States often have carve-outs to exempt rebuilds from permits & regs -Laws like NEPA usually don’t apply to rebuilds. (2/7)

Disaster rebuilds like I-95 and (hopefully) the Francis Scott Key Bridge are exciting because they smash the idea that these projects have to take years and decades. If bickering over planning, permits and contracts is out of the way American construction still works! (3/7)

But even when speed is prioritized for disaster rebuilds the momentum rarely translates. For example Governor Moore is already back to siding with NIMBYs against the Maryland Piedmont transmission line. (4/7)

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Mikenzie Frost

@MikenzieFrost

Nov 22

NEWS: Gov. Wes Moore weighs in on the controversial proposed 70-mile transmission line. “I share grave concerns about…the lack of community involvement in the planning process, and the lack of effective communication about the impacts of this project.” Full statement

Rebuilds don’t offer a direct blueprint to building faster — political unity for rebuilds won’t translate to new projects and regulatory exemptions would be improper. But rebuilds do offer a glimpse at a better process… (5/7)

I-95’s repairs showed the benefits of centralized permitting authority. The Baltimore Bridge shows the benefit of a quick and painless NEPA process. Both can be applied to broader reforms (6/7).

A big thanks to

for the opportunity!

Why it takes a disaster to build fast

From thenewatlantis.com

This only applies to super high profile issues like this. FEMA takes 618 days on average to approve a single disaster recovery project. It takes YEARS to rebuild after disasters like hurricanes or floods

A great point and I'd argue a great example of the problem! Only the high profile projects get enough public support to push through the regulatory thicket. But it shouldn't take wall to wall coverage, the Governor + state gov, and high priority in Congress to build fast!

lessons for the DOGE

also, disaster rebuilds usually are allowed to rebuild the original structure and aren't required to bring anything up to existing code, which is where a significant amount of American expense comes in.

Permitting and regulation. It's just that simple.

Carrie

@carriekdeal

Dec 2

This happened in Atlanta in the rebuild of I-85. It was WILD, I lived nearby at the time and they had inspectors there 24/7

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Weather, Maps and some AI

@clima_cam

A little hurricane reminder

weather-aware.com

Did You Know that Hurricanes Never Cross the Equator?

Tropical cyclones and hurricanes are powerful weather systems that can cause significant damage and destruction. These storms typically form in the tropics and move towards higher latitudes, affect...

not just after a disaster, car infrastructure specifically is very easy for us to build

I'm intrigued by your piece. What are some key takeaways from the Baltimore Bridge rebuild that can be applied to everyday infrastructure projects?

The graphic designer must be fired

Dwight Sterling

@dwightsterling

Dec 2

Consider: The Minneapolis I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River. Collapsed in August of 2007 and a completed replacement bridge reopened in slightly under 14 months. On a smaller scale, historic Eastern Market in DC was gutted by a fire in 2007 and reopened 2 years later.

Rebuilding after disaster is not making anyone's live worse. At least not worse than before disaster. So there is no opposition.

It’s NEPA

Unions and Democrats. See, you didn't need a whole tweet thread.

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Analytic Valley Girl Chris

@ChrisExpTheNews

15h

They basically force you to drop to < 30 mph and eliminate left turns into incoming traffic, which is where something stupid high like 70% of fatal accidents happen. They're annoying but they are indisputably, objectively insanely good at improving safety outcomes.

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wanye

@wanyeburkett

16h

This image going around purporting to explain two-lane roundabout usage nicely demonstrates why these intersections are confusing and dangerous. The image says that the right lane is for turning right and the left lane is for turning left, but that *either* lane can go straight,

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Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON*

@EsotericCD

Was it REALLY a "professional" hit? I dunno. I will say that if you can calmly shoot a guy in the back (who never saw it coming) in Midtown Manhattan without being made and remain at large in a city with cameras everywhere, you might have some idea of what you're doing.

Whenever I look at the whole DOGE thing, I'm reminded of when I took over the Shared Revenue and Local Government assignment in Wisconsin as a bright-eyed 22 year-old. I thought I had so many great ideas. Then I read a task force report from 1969. That said all the same stuff.

Gotta get the haters to stop using old Fat Matt headshots

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