I-35 bridge set to re-open next week
The new interstate I-35 bridge is set to re-open next week according to the Star-Tribune, just over 13 months since the tragic collapse late last summer.
Gov. Pawlenty is scheduled for a news conference at 11:00am Monday morning. Pawlenty is expected to give an exact date for the bridge’s re-opening. The event will not be open to the public according to Kevin Gutknecht, “It would be great to be able to do it,� but according to the MnDOT spokesman the design elements for the new I-35 bridge do not warrant excess pedestrian traffic.
Construction crews, lead by Flatiron Construction, are finalizing efforts on the $234 million project, none of which are expected to cause delays. Area motorists will have access to the west-bound bridge sometime next week, possibly as early as Tuesday. Next week’s opening puts the bridge reconstruction ahead of the contractually-committed completion date of Dec. 24. It is still unclear whether Flatiron constructions will receive the $27 million in bonuses for finishing on Monday said Gutknecht.
The old interstate I-35 bridge collapsed Aug. 1st, 2007. Crews working round-the-clock since Nov. 1st have completed its replacement. According to MnDOT the replacement, “will be high-quality, safe and last for at least 100 years.� Tom Sorel, MnDOT Commissioner, expressed excitement over the re-opening to Minnesota motorists according to The Associated Press.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as reported by the Star-Tribune, said it is close to identiifying the factors that caused the collapse, leaving 13 dead and 145 injured. The NTSB is set to discuss their findings in Washington at a public hearing set for Nov. 13