Oberstar Bridge Plan First Step in
Comprehensive National Transportation
Plan, ARTBA Tells Congress

Woodrow Wilson Bridge Contractor Presents Industry Views at House Hearing Held on Minnesota Bridge Collapse

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Washington, D.C. [Sept. 5, 2007]—Repairing the nation’s bridges is the first critical step toward achieving the goal of a comprehensive national surface transportation program, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) told a congressional panel September 5.

House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) called a hearing on “Structurally Deficient Bridges in the United States” following the August 1 Interstate 35-West bridge collapse in Minnesota. Oberstar recently proposed a strategic capital investment plan aimed at rehabilitating bridges on the National Highway System.

ARTBA Vice Chairman Bill Cox

“The Minnesota bridge tragedy demonstrates the significant public safety threat that exists from delaying repairs to aging bridges,” ARTBA Vice Chairman Bill Cox said. "ARTBA applauds Chairman Oberstar’s bold and targeted bridge safety initiative. We also commend Representative Mica for his call for the development of a comprehensive national transportation strategy. These objectives are not mutually exclusive and can be pursued concurrently.”

Cox is president of Annapolis Junction, Maryland-based Corman Construction, a highway and bridge contractor that is a major player in building the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge project near Washington, D.C.

Policymakers should utilize all financing solutions, not take some off the table, as they address the nation’s many transportation challenges, Cox testified.

“The foundation of any successful transportation financing structure must continue to be the federal motor fuels tax. Public-private partnerships, innovative financing, tolling, and new user fees are all part of the solution,” the ARTBA vice chairman said. “In the days after the bridge collapse, however, there seems to be more interest by some in trying to utilize the federal motor fuels tax as a political wedge issue then in rolling up our sleeves and finding a comprehensive solution to bridge deficiencies and other transportation challenges.”

Cox took aim at critics opposed to the Oberstar plan. “Not surprisingly, since the accident, certain groups have put forth the same stale arguments as to why federal leadership to help rehabilitate the nation’s bridges is not warranted. In doing so, they really miss the point. The U.S. is suffering from not just a bridge crisis; but also from a systemic transportation crisis,” he said. “We need to dramatically upgrade the nation’s bridges, roadways, public transportation facilities, rail lines and airport infrastructure. It will take strong federal, state, and local leadership.

ARTBA believes a targeted proposal to rehabilitate the nation’s National Highway System bridges will address the immediate public safety threat from neglected bridges. This measure would provide the quantifiable results and accountability the American people demand and deserve,” Cox said.

Established in 1902, ARTBA represents the U.S. transportation design and construction industry in the Nation’s Capital.

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Editors Note: ARTBA’s testimony can be found in the “government affairs” section of www.artba.org.