This year's race for the White House could be closer than any election in recent memory. As the remaining candidates geared up for Super Tuesday in early February, it was still anyone's guess as to who would win the eventual nominations for November's presidential election.

While the issues can sometimes take a back seat once candidates get carried away by momentum, the sad truth is that one of the issues that should be closest to the steel industry's heart—the pressing need for investment in infrastructure—never gained much attention.

Last year's bridge collapse in Minnesota brought a brief spasm of attention to the infrastructure crisis in the United States, but any enthusiasm for rebuilding roads, bridges and other critical transportation arteries of the country soon died away. This year's crop...