Remember I-35W on its Anniversary

August 1st is the third anniversary of the horrific I-35W bridge collapse. On this day, we must remember the value of maintaining our infrastructure. We do not just fix our roads and bridges to provide jobs, but also to protect the lives of our loved ones. If there is one lesson to learn, it is that the collapse was preventable.

Many of you know me as a candidate for State Representative in Lakeville. I am also an engineer. My day job is solving problems. I am paid to make designs that experience few problems in the field. Every engineer knows that good practices lead to bulletproof solutions and cutting corners leads to unmitigated disaster.

The I-35W bridge was designed to carry twice the weight of the cars that would fit on its bridge deck. This is a common practice designed to provide safety. The real world does not leave room for error, so this was designed to save lives. In a rush to “save” money, our state cut corners with the bridge in every way possible. As a result, all taxpayers must pay more.

The size and weight of the bridge deck were increased, narrowing the safety margin. To save time and money transporting construction materials, the construction crew working on the bridge that day stored materials weighing as much as a Boeing 747 on the bridge deck. Corrosion of gusset plates went unchecked by URS bridge inspectors, who were contracted by the state for inspections in hopes that they would save taxpayers money over public employees. Although inspectors discovered gusset plate issues, they did not find it significant in 2003 that roller bearings had seized up, so the bridge could not relieve heat pressure by expanding. An internal URS memo stated, they would "not calculate the capacity of all the connections because that is too much work."

All issues I mentioned above were caused by one thing. Our state put low cost above good engineering practices. Today, software engineers drop their jaws at the idea of working for a large company that does not employ dedicated software testers, run nightly builds, or use source control tools. These practices became industry standards because the companies that use them may spend more up front, but they almost always make more money as a result. What Minnesota did to “cut costs” was the equivalent of a software company abandoning all of these crucial practices.

Our state cannot afford more rash decision making. Our mantra for bridges must be “no more collapses.” We need to maintain solid engineering practices even in the face of endless budget cuts. This means that we need to cut smarter, not harder.

Rising health care costs have been the greatest cause of government growth. This is where innovation can save money. Among other reforms, we can pool health insurance for teachers, state employees, and municipal employees. According to our governor’s budget agency, pooling K-12 teacher policies alone would save $200M per budget. My opponent voted against this.

As you vote this November, remember the collapse. Remember the words of Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”

P.S. I just discovered that my opponent was one of only five legislators to vote against the I-35W Bridge Victims Compensation Fund until the bitter end. I cannot believe she would play politics with something as fundamental as the livelihood of the families who survived the bridge victims. There was no taxpayer money to be saved by litigation!