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The Eagle’s April 4 article “Park Street Bridge, artery into Housatonic, closed indefinitely for safety” highlights a major problem that localities across the country are facing due to a failure to substantially invest in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Whether it’s structurally deficient bridges, dams and levees or inadequate roads, airports and pipes, America’s infrastructure is insufficient, and our leaders in Washington can no longer forsake responsibility when it comes to much-needed maintenance and improvements.

Like the residents in Great Barrington, everyday Americans are affected by the problem. School buses are forced to reroute, impacting students’ time spent in the classroom. Restaurants are left without customers as detours divert traffic from main roads. Lost revenue and time wasted in traffic will never be recovered.

Our infrastructure is the lifeblood of our economy. It impacts our quality of life, the competitiveness of our businesses, and the safety and security of our country. All this while spurring economic growth and creating well-paying jobs.

I urge Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Richard Neal to work in a bipartisan manner with their colleagues and the Trump administration to immediately address the nation’s infrastructure crisis. Further delay is unacceptable to Bay Staters and the rest of the country.