Darrell Carlisle approached the 1949 Hudson sedan, nicknamed Mrs. Martin and serving as a low-slung symbol of America's aging infrastructure. Standing at a gas station off Interstate 64 between Louisville, Ky., and St. Louis, the Jefferson, Ind., resident recalled a "60 Minutes" television episode on infrastructure and thought of a Pittsburgh bridge, which had a special platform built to catch spalling concrete.
"Every time I go across a bridge, I think about that," Carlisle said. "How well was this built, and how well was it kept up? It's scary." Rick Stinson, director of public works for Wakefield, Mass., hopes the car, which is taking ENR on a cross-country tour, will strike a chord in many people. "I hope it really brings awareness to the state and federal officials but also to citizens who don't understand how far behind our infrastructure has fallen and needs to be improved," he says.