ST. PAUL, Minn. – The new Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis will be finished ahead of schedule, according to Minnesota Department of Transportation officials.
“I am pleased to announce that the I-35W Bridge project will be complete sometime between mid-September and mid-October, more than two months ahead of schedule,” said Tom Sorel, transportation commissioner. “The project is already more than 70 percent complete.”
Sorel said crews have worked around the clock since the project began last fall and although the past winter was cold, there was relatively little snow, which allowed work to continue throughout the season.
“Restoring this vital river crossing earlier than planned will allow 140,000 motorists to return to their normal route,” said Sorel. “The early re-opening may also save as much as $40 million in travel costs to the public.”
A Mn/DOT study concluded that road-user costs due to the unavailability of the river crossing are approximately $400,000 per day.
Crews have completed work on the south side approach spans of the bridge and have begun to install pre-cast concrete segments that will make up the main spans that cross the river. Crews also have been rebuilding the I-35W roadway on the north and south sides of the bridge.
The contract calls for completion of the bridge by Dec. 24, 2008 and allows for an incentive payment of $2 million for every 10 days the project is completed before then, up to a maximum of $20 million for completion 100 days early. The contract also provides a $7 million incentive if the contractor makes no claims. Funding for the incentives was anticipated and will not add additional expense to the project.
The federal government is paying $234 million to build the bridge, $12 million in right-of-way costs, and $27 million in potential incentives. The city of Minneapolis is paying for a pedestrian tunnel and the state is paying the $4.8 million cost of making the bridge ready for light rail.
Flatiron-Manson, a joint venture, is the contractor on the project.
There is also information available on the I-35W project Web site or by calling the I-35W Bridge Hotline at 612/236-6901.
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