Infrastructure Week 2023
May 15-19

Recap

Infrastructure Week 2023 (May 15-19) was an opportunity to highlight the nation’s built environment, celebrate the successes and investments made since the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and come together to identify solutions for the challenges we still face. Even after 11 years of Infrastructure Week, there was more energy than ever before. The conversation is as relevant and urgent today as it was when our original steering committee members first convened a loosely-organized week of events in Washington, D.C. more than a decade ago.

This year, more than 30 organizations held virtual and in-person events focused on every sector of infrastructure. And, while many groups and organizations planned important events and conversations in the nation’s capital, including UFI’s own kick-off reception and annual Steering Committee event, Infrastructure Week was truly a national event. From Juneau, Alaska to to Houston, Texas to Cleveland, Ohio, UFI partners, and infrastructure practitioners and stakeholders, facilitated round tables nad panels, celebrated groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, brought in their communities for project-site tours, and issued important articles and reports.. Keep reading to see a few highlights from Infrastructure Week 2023.

Monday Night Reception

Thank you to our hosts

USDOT Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg and Assistant Secretary Christopher Coes address the crowd at the kickoff reception on Monday, May 15, 2023, in Washington, DC.

Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, President and CEO of Accelerator for America Action, which operates United for Infrastructure, thanks partners and steering committee members for committing to the 11th annual Infrastructure Week. 

Adie Tomer, Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro, with Scott Berry, Director of Policy & Public Affairs at the US Water Alliance, and Rob Puentes, President & CEO of Eno Center for Transportation and founder of Infrastructure Week.

USDOT Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg with Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City, MO and Executive Director and CEO of National League of Cities (NLC), Clarence Anthony.

“Infrastructure Works for America: Where we are, and the road ahead.”

The Steering Committee and Partnership Network for United for Infrastructure were proud to host our signature event on Tuesday, May 16.

Keynote speaker, Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm, US Department of Energy.

Chairman Sam Graves, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, US House of Representatives speaking on Infrastructure Works and the New House Majority.

Joshua Bolton, CEO of Business Roundtable, welcoming esteemed guests & colleagues to the Steering Committee Event.

Suzanne Clark, President & CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, speaking on the importance of permit reform.

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow Today

Featuring President Sean McGarvey of North America’s Building Trades Union, Jay Timmons, President and CEO of National Association of Manufacturers. Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City, MO and moderated by Amy Liu, Interim President of the Brookings Institution.

Infrastructure Project Spotlight

Featuring Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO, of Bechtel and Chair of BRT Infrastructure Committee, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland, Mayor Mitch Landrieu, White House Infrastructure Coordinator, and moderated by Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, President/CEO of Accelerator for America Action.

Implementation Opportunities and Challenges

Featuring Michelle Dippel, Western US President & Executive Vice President of HNTB, Commissioner Eileen Higgins of Miami-Dade County, and Chair of NACO Transportation Committee, Mami Hara, Chief Executive Officer of the US Water Alliance, and moderated by Mayor Victoria Woodards of Tacoma, WA and President of NLC.

Watch the Event Livestream below:

Infrastructure Week 2023 Project Highlights

East Midtown Greenway Project 

PWSA 10,000 lead lines removed

The Stitch

Port of Morgan City

Infrastructure Lightning Speakers

  • Brie Sachse
    Vice President & Head of U.S. Government Affairs
    Siemens

  • Bryan Jones
    President, Mid-Atlantic Division
    HNTB

  • Nicolas Rubio
    Chief Executive Officer
    Meridiam North America

  • Maria Lehman
    President
    ASCE

  • David Goldwater
    Vice President
    Stantec

  • Katie McGinty
    Vice President, Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer, Johnson Controls;
    Chair, Energy and Environment Committee
    Business Roundtable

  • David Gilford
    Head of Policy and Strategic Partnerships
    Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners

Partner Events

  • On May 15, City and Borough of Juneau Docks and Harbors board Vice Chairman Jim Becker cut the ceremonial ribbon at the Docks and Harbors Marine Deckover Project in Juneau, Alaska.

  • On May 15, the National League of Cities and Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston convened a press conference highlighting the urgent need to improve rail safety and the dangers of pedestrian and road crossings blocked by parked trains.

  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers and over 40 of their member companies and industry partners hosted the Celebration of Construction on the National Mall, which overlapped with Infrastructure Week 2023. The three-day event brought more than 24,000 visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., including top administration officials, lawmakers, regulators and the general public, for a first-hand look at the advancements in construction equipment and practices.

  • Brookings Metro, a United for Infrastructure steering committee member and original founder of Infrastructure week, hosted a panel conversation at their headquarters in Washington, D.C. Read more about Delivering the infrastructure decade: Addressing implementation challenges at the state and local level on Brookings’ website.

  • Florida International University featured Miami's important role in advancing the future of Resilient Infrastructure and featured future plans to develop a Full-Scale Testing facility for Community Hardening in Extreme Wind, Surge, and Wave Events at an event in Washington, DC.

Infrastructure Week 2023 was a great success, reaching millions of people through social media conversation, local news stories, White House press briefings, and our dozens of in-person and virtual events. Every Infrastructure Week represents group effort - hundreds of people and dozens of organizations across the country, coming together to highlight the importance of our nation’s roads, rails, pipes, ports and more. As we celebrate the historic federal investment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law into our critical infrastructure systems, we have to keep open lines of communication about what’s working and where we’re falling short as a nation. With that in mind, Infrastructure Week has a bright future and we look forward to celebrating all with you next year. Stay tuned for more programming announcements to come.