The sudden collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, however, brings home in a truly shocking manner the realization that no man-made structure is immune from the daily degradation of materials from exposure to the elements. Imagine the gut reaction of MnDOT engineers and administrators upon hearing the news of the bridge collapse!

About the time LASN editors were in Minneapolis last year for the ASLA Show, MnDOT was considering bolting steel plates to the bridge supports to buttress fatigued metal. Dan Dorgan, the state’s top bridge engineer told the Minneapolis media there was enough money in the agency’s budget to affect those repairs, but MnDOT opted not to, fearing that drilling thousands of holes for the bolts would weaken the bridge. Instead, they began a bridge inspection, interrupted this summer by road repairs on the bridge.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty reports MnDOT inspections convinced officials the bridge wouldn’t need to be replaced or overhauled until 2020. The governor?EUR??,,????'???s office will hire an independent consultant to examine MnDOT inspection practices.