I wanted to quickly update you on the Bridge Tragedy response. As you may know, I serve on the Transportation Committee in the MN House. I am also Vice-Chair of the Public Safety Policy Committee.
I want to keep you all up to date with the most current information, as I have received it.
THE BRIDGE SITE ITSELF:
First, the number of fatalities is now 5, after finding another body on
the north side of the bridge. Originally, 20 persons were deemed
missing, but law enforcement have been able to track down the location
of 12 individuals, leaving 8 persons still unaccounted for. At last
count I saw at the scene, the official number of injured was 79.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families of those injured and
those missing. They are facing a difficult 3rd day, for sure.
I was on the scene with the Water Patrol yesterday afternoon. The divers
are working in 20-30 minute shifts, in very difficult conditions. The
operation is a recovery operation, as opposed to a search and rescue
mission. With the mangled mess of re-bar, concrete, broken steel, and
other debris, the hazards are severe for divers, and they are exercising
great care.
The coordinated incident response has been phenomenal. With multiple
agencies and jurisdictions involved, this tragedy has been a good test
for a post-9/11 emergency response. I was very impressed with the calm
demeanor and professionalism exhibited by the Sheriff's office, the
volunteer Radio team, and all of the First Responders. Their extensive
planning and drills worked nearly perfectly.
I spoke yesterday with a U of M student, Paul, who lives on the north
side of the bridge. His girlfriend phoned him about the bridge, and he
ran down to the water. In just a few minutes, he helped pull as many as
a dozen people from the wreckage. Only in the last moments of pulling
out survivors did he experience any fear for his own life.
Paul's story is repeated by many, many others who put themselves in
harm's way voluntarily, whether helping individuals directly or just
carrying equipment for First Responders.
I believe Minnesota has a lot to be proud of, in terms of the
coordinated professional response and the citizens who leaped into
action.
OTHER BRIDGE RE-INSPECTIONS:
Four bridges in Minnesota were built with the "Arch Deck Truss Design:"
- The 35W bridge;
- The Hwy 23 bridge in St. Cloud, over the Mississippi;
- The Hwy 123 bridge in Sandstone, over the Kettle River; and
- The Hwy 243 bridge just south of Taylors Falls (to Osceola, WI), over
the St. Croix.
I have emailed and spoken to MnDOT, and confirmed that the "Osceola
Bridge" in my district is not on the Structurally Deficient bridge
list. Inspectors are at the bridge right now re-inspecting its
structural integrity, and we expect the inspection to be complete
by Tuesday.
Chapter 165 of Minnesota Statutes requires that every bridge in
Minnesota be inspected at least every 2 years. The re-inspection is
being conducted again purely as a precaution to ensure that the results
of the most recent inspection are indeed accurate, and that the bridge
has no reason to be on the structurally deficient list.
I will keep you all abreast as soon as I hear the results of the
re-inspection.
I have also contacted North Branch City Engineer Julie Dressel to
revisit the integrity of the North Branch - Hwy95/I-35 bridge. It has
obvious signs of wear-and-tear, and though it has been deemed
structurally sufficient in the past, I will be working with North Branch
staff and MnDOT to ensure its integrity while we work to fund the
replacement for the bridge ASAP.
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT
Speaker of the House Margaret Kelliher has arranged with law enforcement
for House and Senate Transportation Committee members to tour the bridge
site on Monday at 10 am. I will be there, as will my StateSenator Rick Olseen.
The most recent news is this: The House and Senate plan to appoint a
select joint committee comprised of bipartisan members of both
Transportation Committees (the House and the Senate). This committee
will hold hearings on the Bridge tragedy, and on the immediate steps we
need to take to first ensure immediate public safety, and to invest in
the needed transportation infrastructure upgrades.
This committee might start meeting in the next 10-14 days. While there
is some talk of a special session to address the funding issues, and the
inspection program, I believe we do not yet have a specific timeline for
any special session or specific action.
There is always a tendency to make immediate, knee-jerk responses to
such tragedies. I believe we should seek the right response, not just
the quickest response. The re-inspection process is underway, and the
federal government is providing the funds to meet the urgent resource
needs, thanks in large part to our Senators and to Chairman Jim
Oberstar.
Part of any special session discussion is no doubt going to be the
Transportation Finance bill the legislature passed last session but was
vetoed. Because it would only take effect July 1, the significant
increased funding from the bill would not have prevented this tragedy -
something that Speaker Kelliher reiterated today on Minnesota Public
Radio.
Now is not the time to point fingers. We need to find out why the
accident occurred. We need to know how we can prevent any other such
tragedy from occurring in Minnesota. And we need to take that preventive
action immediately, with the adequate resources to do it. I believe the
joint committee will be able to help guide the next steps by the House,
the Senate and the Governor working together.
Again, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. I
will be attending an Interfaith Prayer Service on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. at
St. Mark's Cathedral in Downtown Minneapolis for members of the public,
first responders, and the families and victims of the I-35W bridge
tragedy. Anyone is welcome to come if you are able, as well.
-Jeremy