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May 5, 2009 10:54 pm US/Central
Huge Pieces Of Old I-35W Bridge Still Sit By River
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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Nearly two years after the tragedy, piles of debris line the riverbank's Bohemian Flats.
CBS
They were a critical part of the investigation into what caused the Interstate 35W bridge to collapse. Federal investigators looked at tons of twisted metal and cement that rained down when the highway snapped in Minneapolis.
In that wreckage, they discovered a key part of the bridge had been designed wrong from the start. But nearly two years after the tragedy, piles of debris line the riverbank's Bohemian Flats.
"This is just kind of a mess," said a rollerblader.
On a beautiful spring day, the view for bikers, joggers and rollerbladers is marred by rows of rusting steel girders.
"It's kind of an eyesore," said cycler Jan Janos.
For one first responder to the bridge collapse, it's a sobering, frustrating reminder of the catastrophe.
"I don't understand why no body has been held personally responsible or accountable for it or at least a particular department," said Minneapolis Firefighter Brook Kabenuk.
Others can't figure out the need to keep the bridge piece on beautiful park land.
"Sometimes I think to myself why they're still here. I would think that maybe they could get the job done quicker," said Janos.
The National Transportation Safety Board wanted the bridge sections kept at the Bohemian Flats until the investigation was complete.
Now that it is, the agency has no more use for them. The Minnesota Department of Transportation was going to move the debris to a site in Afton, for recycling, and planned to build a warehouse in Oakdale to hold pieces used in the investigation. Ground on that warehouse hasn't been broken yet.
Right now, MnDOT says it has no clue how long the twisted metal is going to be at Bohemian Flats. It could be there indefinitely because of pending legal issues surrounding the bridge collapse.
"Where folks are contesting the NTSB's decision and would like us to keep the pieces of the bridge at Bohemian Flats for the time being," said MnDOT Spokesperson Jean Aamodt.
It's a disappointing prospect for many park users.
"I guess I would like to see them get it cleaned up," said one visitor.
One firefighter who rescued bridge collapse victims sees the span's remains differently.
"As far as I'm concerned they can keep it there. Whenever I bring my kids across the bridge they as 'What's all that metal about?' and I tell them," said Kabenuk. "I don't think people should forget about it."
The Minneapolis Park Board has a deal with MnDOT to keep those pieces on the Bohemian Flats free of charge as long as needed. But the transportation department has to fix up the site after the metal is removed.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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