The manufacturing of the concrete, steel and asphalt needed to build the nation’s bridges and highways is a dirty business: Companies that make those materials produce a lot of the emissions that are heating the planet.Soon, however, some of that infrastructure could be rebuilt and repaired with greener materials, if provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act work as intended.The sprawling legislation, which President Biden signed into law last month, builds on investments in last year’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill with programs to lower carbon emissions at America’s industrial plants.“These investments are a game changer for the manufacture of roads and bridges,” said Ben Beachy, the vice president of manufacturing and industrial policy at the BlueGreen Alliance, a partnership of unions and environmental organizations.Through a combination of tax credits and direct funding, including nearly $6 billion to help reduce emissions at manufacturing plants, the Inflation Reduction Act aims to increase the supply of sustainable materials used in infrastructure projects.The package also seeks to create demand …
