Infrastructure development and asset management

Abstract

Infrastructure, a nation's investment in providing the basic facilities and services to its citizens, often overlooked by them until a bridge collapses, a major highway is closed for repairs or drinking water is shut off because of a break in a 100 year old underground main. Adequate funding for the capital investment in infrastructure is frequently given short shift in a nation's annual budget because there always seems to be a more pressing need to deal with other priorities. However time and time again, deferred funding for highway, bridges and tunnels, both new and existing, has been proven to be costly. These forms of infrastructure play a major role in the economic health of the nation they serve. The smooth and swift flow of goods and services is what business, industry and the populace need to keep healthy and prosperous.