50 states.
50 bridges.
Our aging infrastructure has become dangerous and in some cases, unusable. Replacing old bridges is a public safety concern.
Building a bridge is a community-wide project, employing thousands of people. The investment is more than an investment in the bridge itself - it's an investment in the entire community.
Inspiring a sort of competition between the states to create the most beautiful, impressive structure will encourage innovation and inspire pride in the state. People will travel to see the bridges built around the country, and take pride in the one they have at home.
If we invest $5B dollars in this project, every bridge has a budget of $100M - the same as the Zakim Bridge in Boston. That's about than 0.1% of the federal budget.