Future Forward (Powered by ACEC): Work Together to Build a Golden Age of Infrastructure

In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) established a new Advisory Board to create a strategic framework for modernizing and improving our nation’s transportation infrastructure. Two months later, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy led the inaugural meeting of this newly formed 12-member panel, composed of leaders in infrastructure, aviation, law, finance and innovation. I’m honored to have been selected to serve as one of those 12 panelists.

In advance of our July meeting, I sought input from industry leaders to shape recommendations for a path forward for American transportation infrastructure—a future in which technology, process innovation and strategic private engagement redefine how our nation builds and connects. As the backbone of America’s economic innovation and connectivity, transportation infrastructure demands not only substantial investment but also a nimbleness in execution that reflects the urgency of the moment. This isn’t a time for iterative improvements; it’s a time for a directional leap.

It’s a moment that calls for the streamlining of regulatory processes and the use of newer delivery systems and digital tools to extract us from the quagmire of bureaucratic inertia. The aim is clear: to set timelines and incentives to speed up contract awards and shift precious funding dollars away from process and toward project delivery. This efficiency is essential for catapulting project delivery into a new era where time isn’t a barrier but a strategic ally. Setting timelines for contract awards reflects the urgency felt at the state and local level. It’s a recognition that communities can’t wait for progress.

Use the Best Tools

Layered atop this urgency is the adoption of transformational tools such as E-NEPA, digital delivery, digital construction and digital twins—all revolutionary technologies that can automate the planning and construction processes. These tools can usher in a future where infrastructure creation isn’t just quicker, but more insightfully integrated.

The watchword is simplification—moving away from the notion of process as a virtue unto itself. We need to streamline administrative procedures and reduce administrative burdens, whether it’s through simple lump-sum contracts with our DOT clients that incentivize efficiency, encourage innovation and save money, or by leveraging technologies such as AI. On the latter, I raised the idea of creating a USDOT task force to pilot AI tools for contract management.

But technology alone isn’t a panacea. The adoption of alternative delivery methods such as construction manager at risk (CMAR), construction manager as general contractor (CMGC) and progressive design build (PDB) signal a commitment to methodological diversity that fosters resilience and adaptability. This approach dismantles traditional barriers and crafts a robust menu of best practices for future infrastructure projects. It helps ensure that our methods are as advanced as our goals and that we aren’t just doing things differently but doing them better.

Catalyst for Growth

None of this is feasible absent deep engagement with the private sector, which includes the contracting community as well as growing the pool of private capital to supplement public investments. To increase awareness of infrastructure financing opportunities, I suggested that the USDOT convene a first-of-its-kind American Infrastructure Summit to incubate relations with domestic investors; designers; contractors; DOTs; and other state, regional and local agencies. It’s a partnership that will require rethinking the rules of engagement, and it’s one that invites a transformation in how private and public funds are utilized. Flexibility in procurement encourages innovative solutions, while recognizing that public-private partnerships are one tool in the toolbox for meeting our growing infrastructure needs.

The result: infrastructure projects that materialize sooner, without the delays of protracted approval processes. This strategic acceleration doesn’t just amplify investment returns; it also promises significant improvements in mobility and user experience in our communities. It’s an opportunity to build a more interconnected nation, where progress is measured not just in miles of road and rail but in the quality of life we collectively enhance.

Golden Age of Infrastructure Awaits

In addition to my role on the USDOT Advisory Board (and my day job at Kimley-Horn), I also have the privilege of serving as chair of the ACEC Research Institute, the research and policy think tank of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). The Institute is poised to lead a 90-day research study to identify actionable steps to increase the effectiveness of USDOT funding and attract U.S. private capital to American infrastructure.

At the end of the day, the partnership between the public and private sectors is the linchpin for revolutionizing our transportation infrastructure. When both sectors work together, we pave the way for a future where connectivity and progress are linked, and where the promise of sustainable and efficient transit is realized for every American. In his inaugural address and throughout the 2024 campaign, President Trump used the term “golden age” as a narrative device for a new way of doing things in Washington. Nowhere is there greater opportunity to usher in that golden age than in our nation’s infrastructure.

 

 

ACEC future forward Steve Lefton