Oct 4, 2007 7:24 pm US/Central
Lawmakers Grill MnDOT Over Bridge Delays
by Pat Kessler
St. Paul (WCCO) ―
On Thursday irritated Minnesota lawmakers grilled state transportation officials over delays in bridge construction; and it was not about the Interstate 35W bridge.
The Wakota Bridge in the southeast metro will take another three to five years to finish. The big, new Wakota Bridge was supposed to be completed next month but after five years of design flaws, delays, and legal wrangling it could be considered Minnesota's bridge to nowhere.
Drivers on the Wakota Bridge, over the Mississippi River, are forced to share three lanes on a single bridge span. Where a new, second span should be there's an empty space, a bridge to nowhere.
While the construction on the bridge began in 2002, it will likely be 2011 at the earliest before the rest of the Wakota Bridge actually opens for traffic.
State transportation officials explained they cancelled the Wakota Bridge project after a series of delays and after contractors wanted too much money to finish.
"This offer was simply unacceptable, and not in the best interest of the taxpayers of this state," said Lt. Gov. and Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau.
However, a House committee that has been investigating the Wakota Bridge delays since June got tough with MnDOT officials. They accused the transportation department of deliberately defying a demand for documents explaining the delays.
"You've asserted a privilege or said that there are documents that you will not disclose, and you know what those documents are. And asking you to identify those documents, and you either refuse or simply fail to do so. That, to me, is unacceptable," said DFL Rep. Joe Atkins of Inver Grove Heights.
In a rare move, committee Democrats began legal steps to issue eight separate subpoenas compelling the transportation department's cooperation.
Meanwhile, a separate committee continued deliberations over emergency funding for rebuilding the Interstate 35W bridge amid signs of frustration over continuing funding shortages for roads and bridges.
"And at some point the buck stops somewhere. My belief it stops with Tim Pawlenty," said DFL Majority Leader Sen. Larry Pogemiller.
Minnesota lawmakers have still not approved emergency spending for the new Interstate 35W broidge, in part because they say the transportation department is guilty of mismanaging state funds. That is a charge that MnDOT denies.
MnDOT said if they don't receive money soon to rebuild the bridge it will delay or cancel other critical road projects.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
