Jan 15, 2008 5:52 pm US/Central
Pawlenty: Reserve Judgment On Collapse Cause
ST. PAUL (AP) ―
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The Republican governor said that while the NTSB investigation is not complete, the focus "appears headed in a direction different than many of the political claims that have been made."
CBS
Governor Tim Pawlenty said he hopes people will reserve judgment on the cause of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse now that the NTSB is pointing to a serious design flaw that existed when the bridge was built 40 years ago, instead of inspection procedures or maintenance issues.
The Republican governor said that while the NTSB investigation is not complete, the focus "appears headed in a direction different than many of the political claims that have been made."
Pawlenty also said he's directing state transportation officials to recalculate load capacities for the state's 23 trunk highway bridges that are similar in design to the 35W bridge.
While the NTSB is recommending that step prior to any major work on such bridges, he's ordering the recalculations for all 23 bridges, regardless of whether any work is planned.
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The original I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River opened in November 1967 and was 1,907 feet in length. The replacement bridge opened in September 2008 and measures 1,216 feet in length.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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