A bridge collapses in Minneapolis. An underground steam pipe explodes in New York City. Levees break in Louisiana. An army hospital in Washington, D.C., deteriorates to the point of threatening patient health.

As tragic as they are, such events throw a spotlight on the need for organizations — states, municipalities, universities, hospitals — to properly care for their assets, including buildings, roads, bridges, and pipes.

They also help remind those in charge and the public about the generally deplorable condition of many of these assets, which traditionally suffer from “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome. In the aftermath of the Minneapolis collapse, teams of inspectors nationwide fanned out to inspect and assess the condition of bridges. Not surprisingly, they found that many are in dire need of repairs.

Unfortunately, organizations — and the public, for that matter —have had a tough time sustaining their interest in these problems once ensuing events bump them from the front page, as they inevitably will. Yet sustained attention is the essential element in properly assessing the need for infrastructure repairs and committing money to make them happen.

In short, the issue just hasn’t been sexy enough to remain in the public’s consciousness long enough to make real progress. Maybe the Minneapolis bridge collapse is the event that triggers a change. But unless something does, it’s not clear what will stop such tragedies from continuing.

For more on the state of the nation’s infrastructure, check out the American Society of Civil Engineers, which issued a report card on the issue in 2005 and started a blog on the topic following the bridge collapse.