Crews say I-35W bridge may be completed in days

I for one will miss interstate 280

Does anybody know if they will take 94 back down to 3 lanes? I hope they keep it at 4.

Pork and earmarks in action. Congrats to all.

Desktop Tech wrote:

Does anybody know if they will take 94 back down to 3 lanes? I hope they keep it at 4.

I would venture it will return to it's original configuration. There is a need for the shoulder for snow removal and emergency stopping.

Desktop Tech wrote:

Does anybody know if they will take 94 back down to 3 lanes? I hope they keep it at 4.

I don't think it meets standard freeway code-shoulders wide enough, lanes wide enough. I don't know for sure, though. You'd think we'd know about this by now.....never mind.

Google This wrote:

Pork and earmarks in action. Congrats to all.

What an uninformed post. It's called capitaliism you fool. Hard work, and allot of it.
As well, this is probably the safest bridge ever built. I am sure every nut bolt and weld has been checked over, and over.
I guess we could have saved the taxpayers millions if we did not rebuild it. Everyone sems to be adjusted to the bridge not being there.

See what results incentives create.

Had this been in Russia or China, the first hole would just be getting finished for the footings.

Joe Minnesotian wrote:

See what results incentives create.
Had this been in Russia or China, the first hole would just be getting finished for the footings.

Or Louisiana.

coridog wrote:

<quoted text>
What an uninformed post. It's called capitaliism you fool. Hard work, and allot of it.
As well, this is probably the safest bridge ever built. I am sure every nut bolt and weld has been checked over, and over.
I guess we could have saved the taxpayers millions if we did not rebuild it. Everyone sems to be adjusted to the bridge not being there.

Safest bridge, how would you know?

Your response does not make any sense do you even know what an earmark is?

The bridge replacement is an earmark. It is a special appropriation (not in a competitive process) for federal funds.

If money is the incentive to get things done right then we need to pay teachers and phama executives a lot more. Our standing in education is slipping but our standing in health slipping faster.

Who knew this benefit of paying double?

Desktop Tech wrote:

Does anybody know if they will take 94 back down to 3 lanes? I hope they keep it at 4.

They have to bring it back down to 3 lanes. Federal Highway monies was used when they created the 4th lane. One of the conditions of the federal monies was that it can only be used for temporary lanes, not permanent improvements.

Google This wrote:

<quoted text>
Safest bridge, how would you know?
Your response does not make any sense do you even know what an earmark is?
The bridge replacement is an earmark. It is a special appropriation (not in a competitive process) for federal funds.
If money is the incentive to get things done right then we need to pay teachers and phama executives a lot more. Our standing in education is slipping but our standing in health slipping faster.

Don't know what a 'phama' is, but the reason the bridge builders will (rpresumably) get a bonus is because they first acomplished something. So yes, pay the productive educators more, and get rid of the unproductive ones..now if the MEA would only sign on to that...

Madman wrote:

Who knew this benefit of paying double?

Most anyone who drives; the total cost of being stuck in traffic is collectively far more than the added incentives were to the price of the bridge.

I went to the Twins game last night and the bridge looked ready to drive on.

Barry Who wrote:

<quoted text>
Don't know what a 'phama' is, but the reason the bridge builders will (rpresumably) get a bonus is because they first acomplished something. So yes, pay the productive educators more, and get rid of the unproductive ones..now if the MEA would only sign on to that...

Should have been more explicit phama is a trade group for pharmaceutical executives,

In the case of the bridge, just like in the education system it is management that signs on to incentives. Then when workers meet the goal, bonuses are given out. If school districts were to give out bonuses to good teachers (which I wish they would) many conservatives and the MEA would be up in arms.

My reply was based on (what I interpeted)the eariler poster belief that capitalism means we pay people based on what we believe their worth to be and that the bridge was not a earmark.

I rather have a better education and health care system and if incentives and better pay if the way to go, I am for it.

There was a story last week that 94 would stay at 4 lanes. As for who knew that the bridge builders were getting bonuses for finishing early, it was reported when the contract was awarded last fall.

Barry Who wrote:

<quoted text>
Most anyone who drives; the total cost of being stuck in traffic is collectively far more than the added incentives were to the price of the bridge.

If it is so expensive then why don't you live closer to work. You have seen some benefit living far from work. What makes your or others time so special?

Joe Minnesotian wrote:

See what results incentives create.
Had this been in Russia or China, the first hole would just be getting finished for the footings.

Hey moron, as you might recall China (the disguised capitalist country) is kicking our **** in economic growth. So I would hardly say China (the same China that is expected to build up to 50,000 skyscrapers in the next 20 years (the equivalent of 10 New York's)). SO THINK before you dispense insults against the 2008 Olympics winners in total golds.

Barry Who wrote:

<quoted text>
Most anyone who drives; the total cost of being stuck in traffic is collectively far more than the added incentives were to the price of the bridge.

I was referring to the vastly higher "winning" bid -- NOT the incentives.

If the local contractors were given THAT much money, they would finish early too -- and there would be luxury boxes and a fitness center, too.

If the 20million plus incentive is based off of how much money it would save us and our economy to have the bridge built faster, I'm all for it. But if safety shortcuts were in anyway taken so rich executives and a few key people can pocket the millions, then I am very upset about this. I just can't help but wonder if something cheap was thrown together.