August 17, 2007 - Governor Pawlenty says the new I-35W bridge can be designed to hold light rail without causing significant delays to its construction. The news is encouraging to Minneapolis city officials who've advocated for the inclusion of rail transit in the new bridge plan. The governor added that such plans will be costly, although he gave no dollar estimates. MPR's Brandt Williams reports.
August 22, 2007 - President Bush is promising a "flood of help" for people in southeastern Minnesota. He's also pledging quick federal help to replace the 35-W bridge. Bush made the comments on a trip to Minnesota yesterday. He was in the Twin Cities to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Republican Senator Norm Coleman's re-election effort. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
August 22, 2007 - Minnesota and North Dakota transportation officials have closed a bridge over the Red River. The RobbinDrayton bridge carries Minnesota Highway 11 into North Dakota north of Grand Forks. It will be closed for at least a week. The bridge is the first to be closed since the 35W bridge collapse. It was scheduled for replacement in a couple of years. But, MinnDoT inspectors found damage on the span's approach. The inspection was part of the statewide bridge inspection program started after the 35W bridge collapse. To find out how the closure will impact the area around the bridge the Mayor of Drayton, North Dakota, Ardis Olson, is interviewed.
August 23, 2007 - If you've had to take a detour because of the 35-W bridge collapse, chances are you've been burning extra gas and time. The state of Minnesota estimates the cost of those delays and detours adds up to about $400,000 a day. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter reports, some trucking industry officials say the current estimates understate the cost of the bridge collapse.
August 24, 2007 - Investigators trying to figure out why the 35W bridge collapsed will likely be on-scene until November. The National Transportation Safety Board provided an update on the investigation this week but did not indicate whether they were any closer to figuring out why the bridge fell. Investigators did say that there were more than 280 tons of construction materials and equipment on the bridge when it fell. They're also looking at a de-icing system and the potential corrosiveness of the chemicals it used. Dr. Jon Hanson is a distinguished professor emeritus of Structural Engineering and Mechanics at North Carolina State University. He has worked on bridge failure investigations in the past and comments on the bridge collapse.
August 24, 2007 - 9-1-1 calls made within moments of the collapse of the I-35W bridge are providing some insight into what callers witnessed the night of August first. The bridge disaster killed 13 people and injured about 100. The Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center released tapes and transcripts of some 40 calls this afternoon in response to media organization requests. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck and Tim Pugmire listened to the recordings and produced this montage of the calls.
September 4, 2007 - Tonight representatives from MnDOT and the city of Minneapolis will present a plan to add a temporary off-ramp from I-35W southbound onto East Hennepin Avenue. The proposal is part of a larger plan to better manage traffic around the collapsed bridge, until a new bridge is built. But the plan could cause some major headaches for people who work and live in the area. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports:
September 5, 2007 - The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held hearings today to figure out how to fix the nation's "structurally deficient bridges". After the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis at the beginning of last month, both Congress and the transportation department have been focusing more of their attention on these vital, aging structures. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters provided testimony today. While she does not like the way bridges are getting classified, she says her department has not been neglecting them. Report also includes comments from U.S. Congressman Oberstar and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.
September 18, 2007 - If your travel plans take you over the Lowry Avenue bridge in Minneapolis this week, you'll need to make new plans. Today's rain is delaying the closure of the Lowry Avenue bridge in Minneapolis. But the span connecting North and Northeast Minneapolis will be closed for inspection from 8am to 6pm for the rest of the week if weather clears up. While the two-lane truss bridge is closed Hennepin County recommends drivers use the West Broadway Ave. bridge to get across the Mississippi River in that part of town. Jake Bronder is a bridge engineer for Hennepin County. He says MnDOT and the county are just closing the bridge for inspection.
September 20, 2007 - Two of the bridge teams who had hoped to win the rights to build the I-35W bridge have filed a protest with the state of Minnesota. Maple Grove based C.S. McCrossan and a joint team including Ames Construction of Burnsville and Lunda Construction of Black River Falls say they were misdirected by Minnesota Department of Transportation officials when it came to the scoring of the proposals. A team led by Colorado based Flatiron Construction was awarded the bid yesterday pending a signed contract. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck has more.