Public risk managers are smack in the middle of a lot of issues these days. Like it or not, their departments are being squeezed by budgetary constraints and they face many difficult decisions—not the least of which is how money is allocated, including stimulus funds.

I recently wrote about a History Channel special, focusing on our country's crumbling infrastructure across the U.S. and how little is being done about it in many cases.

It was hoped that stimulus money within the states would go to repairing dangerous bridges, levees, sewers and dams. Sadly, however, it appears this may not be happening as planned. It's human nature that more visible, quick-fix issues may receive funding, while some unseen—even while more deserving—problems go without.

This was brought to my attention by a recent Associated Press article, "States spend stimulus funds on easy projects, skip unsafe bridges."

In the article it was pointed out that while a chief purpose of the stimulus package was to repair America's decaying bridges, the reality is that much of the money is going to repair bridges that are already in good shape or for road repair.

According to the AP, repairing or widening roads can be done quickly, while repairing or replacing bridges can involve years of planning and construction–they generally are not "shovel-ready" projects.

And so, of 150,000 bridges that have been labeled as deficient or obsolete, only 1,286 are slated for repairs—less than 1 percent. This is a sad fact to report, especially given the Minneapolis bridge collapse only two years ago.

I posed this issue to immediate outgoing PRIMA President Sarah Perry, risk manager for the City of Columbus Mo. Ms. Perry confirmed that much of their stimulus money is going for road repairs.

She said that while many public risk managers may not have direct say in how the stimulus money is spent, they often have input in recommending projects that are "shovel-ready." Some who report to city representatives, however, have more input, she noted.

Overall, public entities are feeling the effects of the downturn and are trying to do more with less money. In some cases, this means services to the public must be cut back or even suspended, Ms. Perry said.

But with so many serious projects begging repair, my hope is that some of the stimulus money is going where it's needed.

Public risk managers, have you had experiences, disappointments or happy surprises in this area?

Special Reports /

Crumbling Bridges Overlooked For Stimulus $$

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