Construction officials were pleased to hear President Obama make a pitch in his State of the Union speech for more federal funds for infrastructure. But the proposed $50-billion infusion is similar to one Obama floated in 2011 and 2012. Congress didn't adopt those earlier proposals; with federal spending still under heavy pressure, Obama's new request for public-works dollars will be a tough sell.

In his Feb. 12 speech, Obama called for a "Fix It First" program to "put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs," including structurally deficient bridges. Fix It First would account for $40 billion of an envisioned $50-billion up-front supplement to current federal infrastructure aid, according to a White House background document.