Willowbrook, IL – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13) issued the following statement today regarding the status of Illinois bridges and the tragedy in Minneapolis.

“Let me first say that my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who lost their lives in the terrible Minneapolis bridge collapse yesterday.  We must all work together to prevent this type of tragedy from ever happening again.

Everyday we all depend on bridges to get to work, pick up the kids from school or travel to the store.  While it seems Illinois may be better off than most of the nation when it comes to the condition of our bridges, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to do better.

I urge the Governor and the Illinois Department of Transportation to finish their latest round of inspections as quickly as possible.  Only with this updated information can officials on every level of government determine how to best address any dangerous deficiencies in our bridge infrastructure. 

Once IDOT has completed its work, I look forward to working with everyone -- from local Township Highway Commissioners to the Federal Highway Administration -- to find ways to ensure that the public is safe when traveling on our region’s bridges.”