Infrastructure investment is expected to be a hot topic at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures, which began Aug. 6 in Boston. In his opening remarks, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick referred to the Aug. 1 bridge collapse in Minnesota, as well as the flooding of New Orleans and other disasters, to make the case for dramatic improvements in our nation's crumbling roads, bridges and other essential public structures.

The renewed focus on infrastructure maintenance is a positive development, but it's unfortunate that it required a national tragedy to bring it to the forefront, says Steve Porter, director of AFT’s public employees division. The division represents approximately 100,000 federal, state, and local government employees, including more than 2,000 state-employed civil engineers and bridge inspectors.

"Our job now is to learn from this tragedy, so that this never, ever happens again," says Porter, who is attending the NCSL meeting. "We owe it to the victims and their families, and we owe it to the rescue workers, who risked their own lives to save others."

The Minnesota bridge collapse points to a looming national infrastructure crisis. According to the Federal Highway Administration, more than 26 percent of the nation's nearly 600,000 bridges are rated either "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete." Structurally deficient means a bridge has major deterioration and needs rehabilitation. Functionally obsolete means a bridge may be structurally sound but does not meet current design standards for the traffic it serves.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates that it will cost $9.4 billion a year for 20 years to eliminate all bridge deficiencies. And bridges are just one part of the overall infrastructure challenge. In its 2005 report card, ASCE assigned a cumulative grade of D to the nation’s infrastructure, with roads, schools (see our Building Minds, Minding Buildings campaign), dams, power grids, and waste systems all receiving an individual grade of D or worse. To remedy current and future problems, ASCE recommends an investment of $1.6 trillion over five years.

"Public structures like roads, bridges and mass transit drive our economy and way of life," adds Porter. "We rely on these systems every day but don’t think about them very much until they fail. And, over the years, they have been eroded through chronic underfunding and understaffing. If any good can come from this horrible tragedy, it’s the recognition that we have a major problem on our hands—and, I hope, the growing commitment to once again make America's infrastructure the envy of the world."