Roads to readiness: Territorial infrastructure is a strategic imperative The article argues that U.S. territories’ transportation infrastructure, including roads and ports, is crucial for national security, military readiness, and geopolitical posture, particularly in the strategically important Indo-Pacific and Caribbean regions. It highlights that current federal funding formulas inadequately account for the high costs of building and maintaining infrastructure in remote, import-dependent island environments and are prone to natural disaster damage. The author calls for the next surface transportation bill to include targeted provisions, strengthen formula funding for insular areas, expand technical assistance, and prioritize resilience investments to recognize the strategic importance of these territories.

• Territorial transportation infrastructure is essential for U.S. military readiness, disaster response, and geopolitical standing, especially in contested regions like the Indo-Pacific.
• Existing federal transportation funding formulas fail to adequately address the unique challenges and high costs of infrastructure in island jurisdictions.
• Infrastructure in U.S. territories like the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands is critical for both civilian needs and military logistics.
• Investing in territorial infrastructure is a strategic imperative for U.S. long-term security and economic resilience, not merely charity.
• The upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill is an opportunity to recognize the direct link between territorial infrastructure and U.S. strategic interests.