Rough roads ahead for Congress

One of Congress’ more obscure priorities -- the upkeep of the nation’s infrastructure -- has suddenly gained urgency in the wake of the Minneapolis bridge collapse.

But the job of rebuilding it may be easier for engineers than politicians.

On Wednesday, key lawmakers pledged to push for billions of additional dollars to repair America’s transportation infrastructure when Congress returns from its summer recess. But they will run into plenty of political obstacles.

For one, the sheer number of structurally deficient or functionally obsolete bridges -- more than 150,000 or about one-fourth of the nation’s bridges -- would require an investment of at least $65 billion. That’s more than the Department of Homeland Security expects to spend next fiscal year.

For another, though lawmakers have pledged to spend more on bridge maintenance, the Democratic-written transportation appropriations bill already faces a presidential veto threat in a clash over its cost, and that’s without the additional money. An increase in the 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal gasoline tax, a potential funding source, appears to be a non-starter at a time when pump prices are high and an election looms.

And it may be hard to keep Capitol Hill’s focus on infrastructure as memory of the bridge collapse fades and other concerns arise. Even after Hurricane Katrina, California lawmakers have struggled to secure money they say they need to shore up the state’s levees.

Nonetheless, Rep. James L. Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, on Wednesday became the latest to propose a plan for repairing structurally deficient bridges, as the Minnesota bridge was classified before it collapsed.

Oberstar, a Democrat who happens to be from Minnesota, called for a new trust fund to finance bridge repair, possibly funded from a “temporary user fee” on gasoline.

A one-cent-per-gallon fee on gasoline and diesel fuel could generate about $1.7 billion a year, his staff said.

He also called for improving bridge inspections and prohibiting federal lawmakers from dipping into the trust fund to earmark money for pet projects, a controversial practice that critics say diverts money from more crucial projects.

“One week ago, a routine commute after a day of work, school or shopping turned to horror, shock and tears,” he said after touring the bridge collapse. “Today, as the recovery effort continues, we ask ourselves if such a tragic failure can happen elsewhere. How many structurally deficient bridges are out there? What repairs are immediately needed?”

But shortly after Oberstar unveiled his initiative, it came under attack from the committee’s top Republican, underscoring the political roadblocks that lie ahead.

Rep. John L. Mica of Florida called Oberstar’s proposal a “Band-Aid” approach to the national transportation infrastructure problem.

Complaining that Oberstar’s bridge proposal neglected deteriorating conditions for highways, ports, airports and rail systems, he said, “It’s like owning an 80-year-old house that has serious problems with the plumbing, the heating, the foundation and a leaking roof, and saying you’re going to fix the driveway.”

Oberstar’s proposal seeks to address 73,784 structurally deficient bridges that the government says need “significant maintenance attention, rehabilitation or replacement.” But his plan does nothing about 80,317 functionally obsolete spans, those that weren’t built to handle today’s traffic, in some cases because their lanes are too narrow.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the panel’s top Republican, also pledged to make the safety and reliability of the nation’s transportation infrastructure a priority when Congress returns after Labor Day.

Some lawmakers say the Minneapolis bridge failure has led them to look for new ways to finance maintenance of infrastructure, especially with the highway trust fund facing a projected shortfall of nearly $4 billion in fiscal 2009.

“The reality remains that we have outdated and failing structures around the country and the trust fund used to fix them is rapidly going bankrupt,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who chairs the Senate transportation appropriations subcommittee. “It is time for the administration to be straight with the American people. We can’t continue to spend billions in Iraq as our infrastructure at home crumbles. In the wake of this terrible tragedy, it is time to take a hard look at our priorities and our finances.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) also signaled her commitment to the issue.

Citing the Minneapolis bridge collapse in a speech in Boston to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Pelosi said, “Our sadness must at least be met with a commitment to address our infrastructure shortcomings.”

And Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York weighed in, calling for a $10-billion “emergency repair fund” for roads, bridges and other infrastructure and $250 million for immediate safety reviews of crucial infrastructure.

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richard.simon@latimes.com