Infrastructure Underfunded

ST. PAUL (AP) — Transportation officials' concerns that fixing or replacing a Minneapolis bridge would be a "budget buster" may have led to bad maintenance decisions before its deadly collapse last August, a report released Wednesday concluded. The report, commissioned by the Legislature, also criticized the Minnesota Department of Transportation for bridge inspections that were mishandled or not acted upon over the years, even when they called for immediate repairs. The department has come under sharp criticism for its upkeep of the 40-year-old Interstate 35W bridge.

• JJ Commentary: The nation’s infrastructure (i.e. roads, bridges, sewers, etc.) is rapidly aging and in need of many billions of dollars of maintenance. Now that we are in recession, the likelihood of spending money for maintenance becomes even less.