In light of the sudden collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge across the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota on August 1, 2007, this topic will be available in our public edition for the indefinite future, until issues concerning bridge safety have been thoroughly debated.

Resources "that relate to the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis. These are historical documents created before or during construction."

Includes film footage, photographs, newspaper articles, and bridge plans.

"On an operational level relating specifically to MnDOT's responsibility for the maintenance of the I-35W Bridge, we found that:

• MnDOT policies were not followed in critical respects
• Decision-making responsibility was diffused and unclear
• The flow of information was informal and incomplete
• Expert advice was not effectively utilized
• Financial consideration may have adversely influenced decision-making; and
Organizational structure did not adequately address Bridge conditions and safety.

Our findings lay a basis for corrective action by the Legislature[.]"

"The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced today it is taking steps to inspect 16 deck truss bridges in the state that are similar in design to the I-35 West bridge in Minnesota that collapsed on Wednesday."

... "On a deck truss bridge, the superstructure typically consists of two parallel trusses which are the main load-carrying members of the bridge and the roadway is placed on top of the main members. WisDOT no longer builds deck truss bridges on the state system as they have been replaced with more modern designs."

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