Design for New Minnesota Bridge Unveiled New Bridge Web Cam ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A soaring yet simple concrete bridge set atop 70-foot, land-based piers will replace the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River. The design was made public Monday by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the companies it hired to build the replacement bridge, which is expected to open by the end of next year. The goal was to design a bridge that blends the modern feel of the nearby Guthrie Theatre and the more traditional Stone Arch Bridge adjacent to it, said Linda Figg, president of the FIGG Bridge Engineers design firm. The state has pushed an aggressive timetable to replace the steel bridge, which was a major link to northern Minneapolis and its suburbs when it collapsed Aug. 1, killing 13 people and injuring about 100. The eight-lane bridge, which crumpled within seconds during evening rush hour, once carried 141,000 vehicles a day. The cause of the collapse is under investigation. The new bridge combines twin, five-lane spans and will include highly durable concrete, built-in sensors for monitoring its structural integrity and multiple backup systems that were absent in the collapsed steel bridge. It also will be built to accommodate a light rail transit line in the future and a possible suspension bridge underneath for pedestrian traffic. The plan also calls for parks with observation decks below the bridge. "It is a sculptural bridge where the form and the function work with proportion and elegance to create a model for other bridges in America," Figg said. A full-day community forum will be held later this month where selected participants can vote on the appearance of the support piers, a memorial to the fallen bridge and other aesthetic features. A ceremonial groundbreaking is likely to be held next week. But the heavy work probably won't start until November, said Peter Sanderson, the project manager for Flatiron Constructors Inc. Flatiron and Manson Construction Co., will build it. The contract requires completion by Christmas Eve 2008, although the builders can earn multimillion-dollar bonuses for finishing sooner. The unveiling came a few hours after another state agency recommended rejection of a protest by two losing bidders. C.S. McCrossan Construction and a joint team of Ames Construction and Lunda Construction argued that the bidding process was flawed. They submitted a cheaper bid, with a shorter timetable, than the winning bid of nearly $234 million. The losing bidders alleged that DOT preferred a concrete bridge over a steel bridge, but didn't say so in its specifications. Department of Administration contracts manager Betsy Hayes and chief procurement officer Kent Allin concluded that nothing in the bidding process was "arbitrary or capricious," as the protesters claimed. Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis and Joshua Freed in St. Paul contributed to this report. |
| FIY:I have found that many news stories have a major fact wrong. I 35W Does not connect Minneapolis to St. Paul. St. Paul is to the east of the city of Minneapolis. I 35W and I 35E run North and South. |
 |  |
 startribune.com Wcco 4 Kstp 5 Kmsp 9 CBS | ABC News Kare11 CNN Msnbc |
| As you can see in the video. That MnDot was not able to help with any type of recuse of the victims of this event. Was not able to see the down sections of the bridge. |
What next.
Growing traffic congestion was already the biggest problem facing Twin Cities motorists and community planners. Wednesday's collapse of the I-35W bridge simply pushed things on that busy corridor to crisis level.
"We don't know how long we won't have it," said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. "Could be nine months, probably more like a year or two years, but we know we're going to be in this for awhile."
Friday afternoon, city officials called a meeting with business leaders to discuss fallout with the transportation system, and to discuss ways to cope for the 12 months to two years it will take to replace the collapsed bridge. Traffic planners will monitor levels on detours and alternate highways, using tube counts and visual observers. They will use electronic signs to get motorists to the least congested routes.
"As people travel those detours, we're going to see some equilibrium where traffic will flow out as we get to certain congestion points," reasoned Steve Kotke of Minneapolis Public Works. "This is going to be a long term effort, it's probably going to take anywhere from 18 months to two years to replace that bridge, so we are also working on longer term traffic control plans."
The major thrust of today's meeting, was a challenge to Minneapolis employers and commuters, to actually lessen the number of cars in the overtaxed system each day, by 'increasing' the number of people taking public transit.
"The most important thing is that this should not disrupt the way we do business over the short period of time, but if we do this right, it can also have a major impact on how we get in and out of this city long-term," reasoned Rybak.
Metro Transit is offering significant incentives to employers and commuters who buy bus or light rail passes.Xcel energy is one company that is accepting that challenge. Xcel hopes to convince 20 percent of it's 2,000 downtown employees to use mass transit, by picking up $50 of the $69 per month Metro Transit pass fee. The company is also exploring flex time options for employees who drive, to ease rush hour congestion.
Rybak says Xcel's effort is just one example, of how Minneapolis is responding to a human catastrophe.
"One of the things we have demonstrated to the country, and even the world over these past few days, is that we are a community that responds to crisis by getting things done."
To get help planning a personalized route, call 612-373-3333.
 | By Dana Thiede, KARE 11 News |
(Copyright 2007 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
Last Updated: 8/3/2007 6:50:10 PM
Brief sketches of bridge collapse
victims.
 With the I 35W bridge gone. The traffic will go crazy in the fall when school start. Plus everyone will be coming off vacation. So the state had change Minnesota 280 into a freeway. They are going to do some up-grade to the roadway. |  |
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|