ForConstructionPros.com

Why does tragedy have to strike before government starts to pay attention to the country's infrastructure problems? It happened in New Orleans with the levee breaks following Hurricane Katrina, then more recently in Manhattan with the steam pipe explosion. Now, it's occurred again with the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.

The bridge collapse last month was hardly surprising given the poor condition of U.S. bridges. Back in 2005 (and prior), the American Society of Civil Engineers warned that one in three urban bridges were rated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. At that time, the I-35W bridge had garnered a "structurally deficient" label, rating only a 50 on a scale of 100 for structural stability.

Despite this sub-par rating, only stop-gap measures were put in place to monitor, inspect and maintain the structure. Ironically, repair work was taking place at the time of the collapse. In fact, this activity - due the weight of construction equipment and materials - is seen as a possible contributor to the stresses that led to the bridge's failure.

Even more ironic are the statements issued following the bridge collapse. In a USA Today report ("Minn. bridge warning issued in 1990", August 2, 2007), President Bush is quoted as saying: "We in the federal government must respond and respond robustly to help the people there not only recover, but to make sure that lifeline of activity, that bridge, gets rebuilt as quickly as possible."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is then quoted as stating up to $100 million in federal funds will be available for rebuilding and recovery. "A bridge in America just shouldn't fall down," she adds.