The gusset plates were part of the bridge’s original design.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), with the assistance of federal funds, hopes to complete the replacement bridge by Christmas 2008.
“Crews will be working day and night on both sides of the river, seven days a week, until the piers are complete sometime in March,” according to Mn/DOT’s website.
The bridge, which crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, normally carries more than 140,000 vehicles per day, and the loss of the bridge is costing $400,000 per day in lost revenue, increased commute expenses, and burden on surrounding roads, Mn/DOT’s website indicates.
The federal government will provide more than $300 million toward the rebuild project, according to the Wall Street Journal. Discussions in Congress to increase the gasoline tax are presently being considered.
However, the Safety Board emphasized that no other steel truss bridges are known to have gusset plate inadequacies.
“The Safety Board has issued this recommendation...to ensure that the original design calculations for other bridges of this type have been made correctly,” said Mark Rosenker, Safety Board chair.
A final report indicating the cause of the bridge collapse will be provided by the end of 2008.
Calls to step up infrastructure spending will likely grow, according to the Wall Street Journal. A report by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission said the country would need to spend $225 billion annually over the next 50 years to fix current deficits and address future transportation needs. Currently the nation spends less than 40% of that figure annually.
