The US has forgotten how to do infrastructure
In my state, a contractor was paid to build a major highway using concrete pavement.  If done properly, such a road should last 40 years or more, and without the thumpity, thumpity sound you get when the concrete is not put down properly.<p>The contractor was not experienced and totally muffed the job.<p>Rather than penalizing the contractor, they paid the contracter to build the road again, plopping asphalt on top of the concrete after grinding the concrete and redoing the joints that they screwed up.  The asphalt hasn't lasted that long, so it will need to be redone again soon.<p>So, the contractor was inept, but so was the government overseer.