August 15, 2007 - Keith Langseth, DFL senator, is chairman of the committee that approves various state building projects. He says he's concerned about how fast this process is moving. Republican representative Mary Liz Holberg comments. They will be at joint House/Senate hearing today on the 35w bridge collapse.
August 16, 2007 - Two more victims of the I-35W bridge collapse were identified today. Searchers recovered the bodies of 50-year-old Vera Peck of St. Anthony and 45-year-old Christina Sacorafas of White Bear Lake from two vehicles pulled out of the Mississippi River. As the recovery continues, the Minneapolis City Council is getting ready to weigh in on the conversation over rebuilding the bridge. The Minneapolis City Council is set to approve a set of principles it hopes will guide the reconstruction of the I-35W bridge. Council members debated the list today and Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams was there.
August 16, 2007 - As Minnesotans have increasingly learned over the last two weeks, a major factor in the deterioration of roads and bridges is vehicle traffic and its weight. One class of vehicles travels most of the state without any weight restrictions: farm vehicles. Minnesota Public Radio's Sea Stachura reports.
August 16, 2007 - The Minnesota Department of Transportation held a public meeting this afternoon . A large part of the hearing focused on the timeline of the rebuild and process. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports on the hearing and the experiences that other states have had in an accelerated bridge rebuild.
August 16, 2007 - On this Midday program, MPR’s Gary Eichten speaks with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who has had to realign his budget priorities to consider road maintenance and repair in the aftermath of the I-35W bridge collapse. Rybak hopes a Special Session at the State Capitol will help solve some of the city's financial burdens.
August 17, 2007 - Midday with Gary Eichten will air a public forum held at Minnesota Public Radio headquarters called "What Does Safety Cost?" The forum was held in the aftermath to the 35-W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. Citizens, public policy experts, and economists discussed what the public would accept to pay for the increased spending on roads and bridges. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum moderated the talk which invariably lead to a hot-button topic on funding infrastructure: the gas tax.
August 17, 2007 - Minnesota transportation officials have lots of public input to consider as they continue planning a new 35W bridge in Minneapolis. Hundreds of Twin Cities residents took advantage of their first chance to sound off about the replacement bridge at an open house in Roseville last night. Minnesota Public Radio's Jess Mador was there and has this report.
August 17, 2007 - Governor Pawlenty says the state can build a new 35W bridge with the future capacity to hold light rail transit. But Pawlenty says that aspect of the bridge would add to the overall cost, and not be covered by the available federal funding. City leaders in Minneapolis have been pushing for light rail in the design of a replacement bridge. But some state officials have warned that a light rail discussion would delay the fast-track project. During his weekly radio show Pawlenty said the word from engineers that the bridge could handle light rail was a breakthrough.
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 17, 2007 - Catastrophes, such as the I-35W bridge collapse and 9/11, raise the question of how much the government should invest in the safety and security of its population. But safety may come at a cost too great for the government to bear. Panelists discussed the issue along with members of the public at Minnesota Public Radio's UBS Forum.