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Biden speaks about infrastructure at the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel North Portal in Baltimore, MD.
President Joe Biden took a victory lap about the bipartisan infrastructure law at the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel. Andrew Harnik/AP

Why Does Infrastructure Take So Long to Build?

The Biden administration ushered through historic investments to improve how Americans move around, power their homes and fuel their cars. But people could be waiting for the payoff.

President Joe Biden took a victory lap about the bipartisan infrastructure law at the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel. Andrew Harnik/AP

If voters aren’t giving Democrats much credit for Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, there may be a simple reason for it: The road and bridges it pays for won’t be finished for years.

The gusher of infrastructure and clean energy spending unleashed through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act has yet to make a dent in the presidential race or how Americans move around the world, power their homes or fuel their cars.

NOTUS reviewed thousands of pages of local, state and federal government documents to understand the effect of the nearly $2 trillion in federal spending and tax incentives on infrastructure, broadband, clean energy and environmental cleanup passed by Congress in 2021.