SAHARA Highlights: Infrastructure

At the time of writing, the historic infrastructure plan before the United States Congress is still struggling for widespread support. Infrastructure spending is often too abstract for many voters, and too invisible in its results for many politicians. Such a large investment in jobs, transportation, health and safety, education and energy is a frustratingly hard sell. This month’s Highlights remind us of some of the services that have been created and supported through government infrastructure spending. Thank you to all SAHARA contributors, as always.

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Arkansas-Louisiana Gas Company Building, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 1950. Photograph by Dell Upton 1997.

Lawrence Halprin & Associates, Freeway Park, Seattle, Washington, 1972–76. One of the first “highway lidding” projects, this five-acre park overlooks the financial center and crosses over I-5. Photography by Dianne Harris.

James Bicheno Francis and Kirk Boott, engineers, Lowell Canal System, view looking upstream at the guard locks complex, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1822-1902, restored 1990s. Photograph by Patrick Malone, 2008.

Albert C. Martin, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (John Ferraro Building), Los Angeles, California, 1963–64. Photograph by Dell Upton, 2014.

James Buchanan Eads and the Keystone Bridge Company, Eads Bridge, Saint Louis (crossing the Mississippi River), Missouri, 1868–74. Photograph by Dell Upton, 1989.

Huntersville Rest Area, I-80 near Vallejo, California, c.1965. Photograph by Dell Upton, 2002.

Sargent and Lundy (architectural firm), and Foster W. Dunwiddle (renovation), University of Minnesota Southeast Steam Plant and Twin City Rapid Transit Company Power Plant, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1903, renovated 2004. Photograph by Dell Upton, 2016.

Metropolitan Area Express, Green Line car, Portland, Oregon, 1986–present. Photograph by Dell Upton, 2012.

The interchange of I-95 and 95, looking toward the harbor of Providence, Rhode Island. Completed in 1964, this formation is no more as the I-95 was relocated 2007–09. Photograph by Patrick Malone, c.1990.

Irrigation ditch, Ephraim, Utah, c.1850. Irrigation ditches were one form of water control borrowed from Native Americans in the 19^th century, and are still used today. Photograph by Dell Upton, 2004.

John L Savage, Frank Crowe, Gordon Bernie Kaufmann, et al, Hoover Dam, intake tower and bridge, Boulder City, Nevada, dedicated 1935. This Works Project Administration endeavour, rated one of American’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders, is a superb example of infrastructure investment. Photograph by Dell Upton, 2002.