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 The I-35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour on August 1, 2007, plunging dozens of cars and their occupants into the river. The calamity disrupted transportation, aimed a spotlight on public infrastructure, and evoked an outpouring of public response. |
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With the wreckage of the I-35W bridge still slumped in the Mississippi River, options for rebuilding are beginning to surface. State and federal government now must deal with questions about the eroding state of our bridges and highways and how we pay for the upkeep of our infrastructure.
(Midday, 08/10/2007)
Dozens of e-mails from the night of the collapse and the days following, obtained by The Associated Press, capture a businesslike
response to the biggest disaster of Gov. Pawlenty's tenure.
(08/10/2007)
In the short term, political observers say the tragedy has raised Gov. Pawlenty's national visibility and shown him as a concerned and adaptable leader. But they also say Pawlenty could suffer from increased scrutiny of past decisions on highway and bridge repair.
(08/10/2007)
Authorities said Thursday they had recovered
the bodies of two victims from the site of the interstate bridge
collapse and believed they had a third. If the third recovery is
confirmed, it would bring the confirmed death toll to eight.
(08/09/2007)
The National Transportation Safety Board is downplaying the significance of gusset plates in the I-35W bridge collapse. The big steel plates hold the beams of the bridge structure together.
(08/09/2007)
Officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation will meet Friday with the five finalists, all of whom have worked on some of the largest projects in the nation.
(08/09/2007)
Three out of four in the AP-Ipsos survey expressed at least some
confidence in the condition of bridges in their home state.
(08/09/2007)
President Bush isn't embracing Minnesota Rep. Jim Oberstar's call for a federal gas tax increase. Oberstar says the tax income should be used to repair and replace structurally deficient bridges.
(08/09/2007)
Dr. John Hick is a physician at the Hennepin County Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine and was at the scene of the bridge collapse within minutes. He discusses the emergency response on the scene and in nearby hospitals.
(Midday, 08/09/2007)
Minneapolis city officials say the city's emergency preparedness plan helped first responders know what to do and communicate with each other in the critical moments following the bridge collapse. That plan also includes a way for the city to protect itself from financial disaster. This is crucial for a city trying to follow a tight budget.
(08/09/2007)
Minnesota Department of Transportation officials say they plan to shut down parts of Twin Cities highways over the next few weekends. The goal is to expand the roadways and relieve bottlenecks resulting from the loss of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.
(08/09/2007)
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak reflects on the response to the I-35W bridge collapse, and the area's struggle to return to normal life.
(Midmorning, 08/09/2007)
The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the I-35W bridge collapse will be much like a thorough police search of a crime scene. The NTSB is the lead agency investigating the cause of the collapse.
(08/08/2007)
After nearly a week of searching, divers and other emergency workers have yet to recover underwater remains of bridge collapse victims. Officials told reporters Wednesday the main problem facing the recovery effort lies in the tons of bridge materials.
(08/08/2007)
The trust fund would be modeled on the federal Highway Trust
Fund, which pays for building and repairing roads and bridges
through a gasoline tax.
(08/08/2007)
I-35W bridge reopening
- Read stories and see graphics, photos and video on the I-35W bridge reopening.
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