Minneapolis paused at 6:05 p.m. Aug. 8 for a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the I-35W bridge collapse. The moment of silence concluded with the ringing of bells throughout the city.
While the I-35W bridge collapsed a week ago tonight, the reverberations of the disaster are still rippling across the United States.
The eyes of Minnesota and the nation are focused on Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration and the Legislature, watching the state's leadership following the bridge disaster. The governor's and the Legislature's performance will likely play a major role in the 2008 elections.
Whether Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau will or can remain as the leader of the Minnesota Department of Transportation remains to be seen. Monday, she was defending herself by stating she would not resign as the state's transportation commissioner. Pawlenty also said he thinks "she is doing a good job."
However, the findings of the bridge collapse will play a major role in Molnua's future. The commissioner's past opposition to increasing the gas tax as part of the solution on transportation funding may not fly well in a changed political environment.
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Minnesota and the nation are finally realizing the significance of our transportation infrastructure status. More than one-quarter of the nation's bridges are classified structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Nationwide, the repair backlog for roads and bridges is estimated at $461 billion.
The of doing nothing significant to address this infrastructure now has a and a human face.
At least five dead in Minnesota and a search, rescue and repair effort costs may easily top $1 billion on this one bridge failure alone.
Failing to address the transportation needs in Minnesota and across the country is no longer an option.
