Minneapolis, MN – The Republican Leader of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today reviewed the reconstruction of the I-35W bridge, whose collapse last year shocked the nation. The speed in completing the replacement bridge should serve as a national model.
U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL) and other members of the Transportation Committee took a break from politics and the Republican National Convention in order to examine the bridge replacement project. Minnesota Department of Transportation officials are nearing completion of the massive infrastructure project in record time.
“It normally takes at least seven to eight years to undertake an infrastructure project of this magnitude, but the new I-35W bridge was contracted to be designed and completed in 437 days,” Mica said.
“The bridge is anticipated to open as much as three months ahead of schedule, but if Congress used this 437-Day Plan and cut the red tape for other infrastructure projects around the nation, we could lower infrastructure costs dramatically and bring critical projects to completion with much greater efficiency. This will be our goal in the next highway bill, which is scheduled for renewal in 2009.”
The Minnesota Department of Transportation utilized a design-build procurement process for the bridge replacement, and the project is currently on pace to open to traffic later in September or October.
“Although the ongoing NTSB investigation of the bridge collapse has thus far indicated that poor design and the staging of construction materials on the bridge may have been significant factors in the collapse, rather than the bridge’s age, this nation certainly suffers from a tremendous infrastructure deficit,” Mica continued.
“We need to replace and speed up the process of modernizing our aging and inadequate bridges, highways, transit and rail systems, ports and aviation infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that the United States needs a $1.6 trillion investment over five years to improve the condition of the nation’s infrastructure. Without such a significant investment, we will not be able to maintain a first-rate transportation system and we will cease to compete effectively with other global economic powers.”
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