'Crumbling' infrastructure? That's perception, not data. A spring-mounted laser, driven along roads and highways in each state, provides an objective measurement. By Robert Krol Text size Copy shortlink: Speaking about his ambitious infrastructure plans in a press conference, President Joe Biden recently stated, "One in five miles of our highways and major roads are in poor condition," "More than one third of our bridges" need repair, and "we rank 13th globally in infrastructure." These statements probably don't sound surprising. Americans seem to believe that our infrastructure is, as some people say, "crumbling." However, Biden's statements and this widespread perception don't square with some of the government's own recent data.