In late April, President Trump and Democratic congressional leaders finally found something they agreed on: infrastructure. Outside the White House after a meeting with the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat, issued the pronouncement, “Big and bold.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Democrat from New York, echoed the takeaway: “We agreed on a number, which was very, very good, $2 trillion.” Trump himself has been publicly quiet but didn’t dispute that he told the Democrats he “like[s] the number.” By May, this renewed spirit of cooperation had fallen apart, at least temporarily, with a second meeting collapsing amid Mueller investigation recriminations. Still, though, conventional wisdom, whether under this Congress and president or another, sees a mega infrastructure initiative as a worthy bipartisan project. Indeed, a nation now famous for its airport delays, potholed highways, “summer of hell” mass-transit crises, and leaded urban water may welcome the $2 trillion figure. Why not, as Schumer reiterated, “get something done … in a big and bold way?” So far, though, this trio is off to a bad start. America doesn’t need to be wowed by a figure in the trillions, a campaign marketing tool for both parties. What it does need is a slow, sober assessment of its real-world infrastructure necessities and quiet, not-so-bold competence in getting the work actually done on time and on budget. Yes, America has an infrastructure backlog, including several megaprojects...