"Much of America is held together by Scotch tape, bailing wire and prayers," Donald F. Kettl, director of the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, told Stateline.org.

One-in-four U.S. bridges need repair; one-third of roads are in substandard condition; one-third of dams are considered hazardous; and aging sewer systems spill 1.2 trillion gallons of sewage annually, figures from various federal and nonprofit agencies showed and Stateline.org reported.