COMING NEXT WEEK IN GOVERNING
Already, a partial opening to Baltimore’s port has been dredged, following the collapse of a bridge last month. It’s the latest example of a major project happening on an accelerated timeline. This seems to happen whenever a bridge collapses or there’s some other major disaster. Why, in the absence of emergencies, are major projects subject to endless delays. Governing Columnist Aaron Renn says it’s not a question of technical ability, but simply the absence, in so many cases, of political will.
One of the perennial problems of our time is extending broadband access to rural areas. The big expense is the basic problem of laying wire across scattered properties. Wise County, Texas, cut through that problem by cutting the cord. The county created a public-private partnership with a company that set up a high-speed wireless connection and managed to connect everyone in the county within seven months. Governing Senior Staff Writer Carl Smith tells the story.
Building a road north and south through the vast middle of the country, cutting all the way from Mexico to Canada, has been a national dream dating back to the 1950s. It’s always fallen short. Driving south from Canada, you can only get through Michigan before you run out of road. Indiana, the self-described “crossroads of America,” issued endless studies about how to complete the proposed Interstate 69, but never managed to accomplish the feat. This year, the state is finally on track to complete the trickiest sections, as Governing Senior Staff Writer Jared Brey explains.
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