So what is the primary lesson of the St. Anthony Bridge rebuild? Private enterprise works. Most road and bridge construction in America gets performed by state agencies who subcontract bits and pieces out while retaining the general-contractor role. In this case, the bridge replacement was so badly needed that Minnesota dumped that model to use one that would produce a bridge in a shorter period of time — and incentivized the contractor to get it done fast.
This same model worked in California after the Northridge earthquage destroyed or damaged vital freeway overpasses. Traffic, bad enough in Los Angeles even when the overpasses existed, snarled badly without these vital corridors. CalTrans would have taken years to rebuild and repair them. Instead, the state suspended its normal laws and put the contract up for bid, and incentivized speed. The work was done within months, at a lower cost and with at least the same quality as CalTrans work, if not better.
Private enterprise works. Businesses understand this. When they need project work done, especially for projects where speed is essential and the work outside the scope of their expertise, they hire contractors to do it rather than hire the expertise onto their own payrolls. Contractors who fall behind can be penalized or even replaced without having to worry about employment law and other administrative headaches. They can also get bonuses without invoking other kinds of payroll issues.
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My thoughts: Markets works...
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