ABSTRACT
A critical and costly problem facing governments at all levels is how to meet the growing demands upon the nation’s infrastructure while at the same time refurbish and repair the infrastructure that is rapidly disintegrating. It is a problem that has been simmering for close to forty years or longer-and it is one that needs immediate attention. The August 1, 2007, collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis signaled the need for action in ways that no one could miss. That collapse resulted in thirteen deaths and 145 people injured.
