America’s maritime infrastructure 
Crying out for dollars
In the past four years America’s transportation department 
has spent around $357m on infrastructure improvements 
at 25 ports around the country, which is $40m less than 
the Port of New Orleans spent on its port alone. 
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates 
that underinvestment in America’s inland waterways cost 
American businesses $33 billion in 2010, 
and that without significantly increased investment 
those costs could rise to $49 billion 
(in constant dollars) by 2020.