Mn/DOT will observe Aug. 1, which marks one year since the collapse of Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, as a quiet day of remembrance.

“Work on the I-35W bridge rebuilding project will cease between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.out of respect for the bridge victims and their families,” said Commissioner Tom Sorel, who recorded a message that will be broadcast to employees statewide at 10 a.m. on Friday.

In addition, the Metro District will commemorate the day with a gathering at the Waters Edge building in Roseville at 2 p.m.

“This will be a time of reflection and a renewal of our dedication to public service,” according to Sue Mulvihill, Operations Division assistant director.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Mayor R.T. Rybak have announced two public events that will be held on Aug. 1 in Minneapolis to remember the victims of the bridge collapse and honor the rescue workers and others who responded that day. 

An Interfaith Prayer and Memorial Service will be held at the Basilica of Saint Mary at 11 a.m. The service will include songs and prayers representing diverse faiths, as well as reflections from government and religious leaders.

The public also is invited to gather at Gold Medal Park on the Mississippi River for an outdoor memorial ceremony, starting at 4:30 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., a public procession led by first responders and community leaders will walk to the Stone Arch Bridge.   

At 6:05 p.m.—the time that the bridge collapsed—a moment of silence will be observed, ending with the ringing of bells across the city and state.

See Mn/DOT’s Web site for a timeline of the bridge collapse and recovery events, as well as information about bridge inspections, repairs and replacement, the investigation into the collapse and the future of Minnesota bridges.

See Newsline’s archives beginning Aug. 8, 2007 for a series of articles covering the department’s response in the days, weeks and months after the collpase.

By Craig Wilkins

The state law that requires drivers on multi-lane highways to move one lane away from emergency vehicles on the roadway or shoulder now will include road repair equipment as well, beginning Aug. 1.

The law was named in honor of State Patrol officer Ted Foss, who was killed in 2000 by an errant driver during a traffic stop on Interstate 90 in Winona County.

State officials said the change is needed because of the increasing number of crashes that involve highway workers performing construction, maintenance or emergency repair work.

“The law requires motorists to move at least one lane away from emergency vehicles with emergency lights activated,” said State Patrol Lt. Mark Peterson. “Motorists who cannot safely move over should safely reduce their speed. Failure to take these actions can result in a traffic ticket.”

In one recent incident on I-94 near Monticello, a truck driver veered into an inside lane where pothole repair work was underway.  

The truck passed by two Mn/DOT guard vehicles before it crashed into a pickup truck and an SUV. Fortunately, the truck went into the ditch before it could reach workers on the ground.

There were no injuries reported.

“That was a close call; we’ve had too many close calls and actual crashes in recent years,” said Bob Winter, Mn/DOT’s Operations Division director.

In the last three years, the State Patrol has issued more than 1,000 “Move Over” citations.

“Law enforcement, emergency responders and road crews serve to keep roads safe for the motoring public,” Peterson said. “It's the responsibility of motorists to pay attention to ensure the safety of those performing what are often life-saving duties on the state’s highways.”

In his 40 years with Mn/DOT, Roger Wiskow has dealt with a lot of highway spills—beef quarters, cheese, live cattle, liquid nitrogen, you name it.

Once a tanker full of hot paving oil Wiskow had ordered rolled right in front of his truck station in St. Charles.

But he had never experienced an overturned truckload of bees, hives and honey.

The flatbed truck flipped July 22 on Interstate 90 east of St. Charles while trying to pass another truck.

The cargo apparently shifted when the truck hit the median, Wiskow said, and tipped the heavily loaded vehicle over.  

Wiskow supervises truck stations in St. Charles, Rushford, Wilson and Winona in District 6.

There were no injuries except for bee stings suffered by people who tried to rescue the driver, law enforcement officers who responded and a group of motorcyclists passing through the area.  

The cyclists stopped because of the crash, but quickly raced away when attacked by the massive bee swarm, Wiskow said.  

The driver, a bee keeper, managed to crawl out of the truck to a point upwind of the bee swarm to get medical help.

Wiskow, who was away from the shop when the incident occurred, said maintenance workers at St. Charles used loaders to clear debris, including smashed hives and other beekeeping gear, from the roadway.

A beekeeper was called to the scene to use smoke to subdue the bees, said Kristine Hernandez, a district public affairs coordinator.

She said, however, that strong winds dispersed the smoke.

Officials determined the swarming bees to be a hazard and decided they had to be destroyed.

Firefighters used a spray of water mixed with a small amount of detergent to kill the estimated 4.2 million bees the truck had carried.

Several firefighters also suffered bee stings.

By Lisa Yang

A standing ovation with loud applause was heard as Ike McCrary, founder of Mn/DOT’s Seeds Program, got up from his seat and stepped to the podium to speak at the annual Seeds Program event on July 29.

“If you don’t stop, you’ll have me crying,” McCrary said.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Seeds Program this year, the people who created the program in 1993 were invited to share what their thoughts and aspirations were for the program.               

Two of those special guests were McCrary, first Seeds Program manager, and former Mn/DOT Commissioner Jim Denn.

McCrary, who retired from Mn/DOT in 1996, was asked by Denn in the early 1990s to create a program that would help Mn/DOT grow its own group of students who also could have opportunities to be hired and placed at Mn/DOT once they graduate.

“We wanted people with the best talent,” Denn said. “We also wanted people who reflected our community, and to find those people, I knew that Ike was the right person for the right job.”

There are currently 56 students in the Seeds Program, which has a 71 percent placement rate. Twenty-seven percent of minority employees at Mn/DOT are past or current Seeds students. In addition, 36 percent of Mn/DOT’s minority engineers are past Seeds Program students.

Two new programs connected with Seeds Program are being piloted this year, said Emma Corrie, former Seeds program manager.

Mn/DOT partnered with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development on a program called Seeds Pathways to help students with disabilities get internships and jobs at Mn/DOT. There are 10 students in that program this year. Seeds received $108,000 from DEED Rehabilitation Services and DEED Pathways to Employment to pilot the Seeds Pathways program.

Mn/DOT also partnered with the city of Minneapolis on a program called Summer Seeds to help students get a head start during their last year in high school by working for Mn/DOT in the areas of their interest. There are six students in that program this year. Although the students gain their experiences at Mn/DOT, the city of Minneapolis’ EMERGE StreetWerks program pays the students.

“Don’t let the Seeds Program die,” McCrary said.

“It took a lot of people to get a program like this going, and because of Seeds, more programs are being created just like it.”

Commissioner Tom Sorel also spoke at the Seeds event.

“I always talk about 21st century solutions for 21st century problems,” Sorel said. “You are our future leaders who will come up with new solutions. With Seeds, we will continue to move towards the future successfully.”

For more information:

• Mn/DOT Seeds Program: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/hr/seeds
• EMERGE StreetWerks: http://www.emerge-mn.org/ventures.html
• DEED Rehabilitation Services: http://www.deed.state.mn.us/rehab/
• DEED Pathways to Employement: http://www.deed.state.mn.us/pte/

By Commissioner Tom Sorel

On Aug. 1, 2007, Minnesota suffered a tragedy of historic proportions when the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed. Our hearts continue to go out to the victims, families and others affected by the collapse. We recognize that the tragedy, although local, affected the entire nation as the safety of the nation’s bridges was questioned and placed in a spotlight never before experienced.

Much has happened in this past year in Minnesota and across the country. We all await the final report from the National Transportation Safety Board on the cause of the collapse. Their findings likely will have nationwide impact in ensuring bridge safety.

Mn/DOT, and everyone in the transportation community, is dedicated to ensuring such a disaster never occurs again.

Much already has been done to help restore confidence in the safety of Minnesota ’s infrastructure through inspection programs, gusset plate reviews and funding plans, and most notably, the reconstruction of the new I-35W bridge.

We have witnessed an unprecedented spirit of cooperation to respond to and recover from this disaster. Minnesota and the nation rallied together to restore confidence, repair hearts and rebuild a bridge. We are grateful to all levels of government for their coordination and cooperation.

The accelerated rebuilding of the new I-35W bridge is evidence of this unprecedented cooperation.

As we look toward the opening of the new bridge, we remember with respect the events of one year ago, the 13 people whose lives were lost, the many injured and their families.

We will try to demonstrate how a resilient state and nation can indeed recover from such a tragedy.

Editor’s note: Commissioner Sorel’s message also appeared in “Bridging the Gap: Restoring and Rebuilding the Nation’s Bridges,” published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in July 2008.