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May 12, 2009 6:47 pm US/Central
Mayor Wants Time Frame On Moving 35W Bridge Parts
(WCCO)
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The Bohemian River Flats, now covered with rusting bridge pieces, was restored to park land shortly before the bridge collapse.
CBS
Last week, WCCO-TV told you why metal pieces of the 35W Bridge are still at the Bohemian Flats -- two years after the collapse. Pending legal action prevents it from being moved.
Now the Minneapolis mayor's office and residents are pushing for a more concrete time frame for its permanent removal.
The Bohemian River Flats, now covered with rusting bridge pieces, was restored to park land shortly before the bridge collapse.
"To see it kind of get revived as a park again was one of the big attractions to living down there," said Minneapolis resident Mark Zimmerman.
Zimmerman walks past the bridge remnants every day on his way to work at the U of M.
"As it is now, it's an eyesore," he said.
Zimmerman has pushed local, state and federal officials to do something about the metal mess for six months.
"It's time to return this to a park. It's time to give it back to the people," he said.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation asked a judge if it could move the parts by May 1.
She denied the request after lawyers representing Jacobs Engineering, the firm which built the original bridge, argued that since the metal has to be cut to move it, they didn't know what cuts would be appropriate.
"We are certainly talking with the parties involved and we're willing to do -- timewise -- whatever we need to do to get the steel moved, but we can't move it until the folks that are involved tell us they're done looking at it," said MnDOT Communications Director Kevin Gutnecht.
After two years, the mayor and park users want a firm answer on just how much extra time they need.
Lawyers representing Jacobs Engineering didn't return repeated calls asking why the bridge pieces needed to stay there and how much longer it will take to wrap up their investigation.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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