‘How is it that despite 100 years of engineering advances, the same project now took five times as long? Did we just forget how to build things?’ //

Bridges, roads, and other modern infrastructure projects in the United States take exceptionally longer to complete compared to those in other nations. A new video from Kite and Key creators breaks down exactly why a combination of government regulations and bad management causes such lengthy delays in assembling the transportation and urban foundation of American cities.

The Golden Gate Bridge and Empire State building are just two examples of speedy and successful construction projects in the United States, the video begins, but now significantly smaller buildings, bridges, and other proposals are taking an abnormally long time to finish. //

“Better safety isn’t the reason that America is falling behind. After all, countries like Germany and Canada, build new infrastructure, much faster and cheaper than we do. And they do it without a body count,” the narrator explained.

In reality, it is a fatal combination of government regulation and bad management that is killing American infrastructure plans and creating decades of setbacks. The video shows how laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act were “well-intentioned” at the time of their creation yet ultimately fail to accomplish much but delaying new construction.

“Its goal was to make sure that new construction factored in environmental concerns … maybe it’s all worth it to protect the planet right? But here’s the craziest part: nothing about NEPA actually requires that. All you have to do is identify environmental issues. There’s nothing that forces you to actually do anything about them. In fact, in some cases, these regulations actually make us less green,” the narrator continued, noting examples such as in Montana, where the U.S. Forest Service delayed cutting back forests and a wildfire burned “nearly half the land” during the NEPA waiting period.