October 18, 2007 - Linda Figg, lead designer of the I-35W bridge replacement project, talks about how the new 35W bridge will be designed to weather Minnesota's extreme winters and summers.
October 16, 2007 - MPR Midmorning host Kerri Miller sits down with the author Maya Angelou in Bloomington. Angelou says writing to be understood isn't easy.
October 8, 2007 - The Minnesota Department of Transportation has officially awarded a contract to the Flatiron-Manson company for designing and building a new 35W bridge. MnDOT officials released some design sketches of the bridge this afternoon and talked about why Flatiron beat out two other firms for the $234 million dollar bridge contract. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck has more.
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 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.
August 31, 2007 - More than a third of schools in Minnesota failed to meet student performance goals last year under the No Child Left Behind law. The Minnesota Department of Education says 729 schools did not make adequate yearly progress under the federal legislation, the highest number since it was enacted five years ago. On his weekly radio show today, Governor Pawlenty said he's concerned about the increase. Opponents of No Child Left Behind say it's overly political, and relies too heavily on testing procedures. Today, we get the perspective of two principals. One whose school was included on the list, and another whose school is no longer on it.
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 10, 2007 - A traditional Muslim memorial service was held for the victims of the 35-W bridge collapse. About 50 people, mostly Somali, attended a prayer service at the gymnasium of the Brian Coyle Community Center in Minneapolis to remember those who died in the accident and are still missing.
August 9, 2007 - Since the 35W bridge collapse last week, there's been a lot of attention on how, and how often, bridges are inspected. As investigators look for the causes of the collapse of the Minneapolis bridge, engineers around the country will continue their inspections, hoping to find evidence that could prevent the next bridge failure. Finn Hubbard is the state bridge engineer for the State of Wisconsin. In his career, he's performed bridge inspections. Earlier, he told us how bridge engineers actually check out the underside of major bridges.
August 6, 2007 - When President George W. Bush toured the collapsed bridge site on Saturday there was a young man at his side for much of the tour. His name is Gary Babineau, a 24-year-old construction worker from Blaine. He was heading north on 35W, driving home from a jobsite in Lakeville Wednesday night when the bridge deck plunged toward the Mississippi River, and took his truck with it. You may have pictures of that truck, it's been shown by many TV cameras, a bright blue Chevy pickup, sitting close to a school bus. When the drop ended, Babineau jumped out of that truck and headed for safety. Then he heard the cries of children in the school bus. That's when he snapped into action, and helped the kids get to safety.