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The report released Wednesday highlighted a number of bureaucratic tangles at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, which was responsible for the upkeep of the 40-year-old bridge.
But its key finding was on the money issue, where MnDOT has come under sharp criticism since the bridge fell Aug. 1, killing 13 people and injuring 145.
"Financial considerations, we believe, did play a part in the decision-making" regarding fixing the bridge, said Robert Stein, who oversaw the report prepared by the Gray Plant and Mooty law firm.
"Sometimes it's easier just to take the least expensive alternative or just commission another study," Stein said.
Tom Johnson, another attorney for the firm, told legislators the maintenance work wasn't sufficient. The bridge was rated in "serious to poor" condition for 17 consecutive years by the National Bridge Inventory Standards.
"The question for the Legislature is, do you want to have a bridge that remains in a poor condition over 17 years?" Johnson said.
A spokeswoman for MnDOT didn't immediately respond to a request for comment as a briefing on the report was underway.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation has found that some gussets — the plates that helped connect the girders of the steel-truss bridge — were too thin because of a design error and were a critical factor in the collapse. The NTSB probe, not yet finished, also said the weight of construction vehicles and materials was a factor.
The Legislature commissioned its own outside report to examine whether state policies or practices should be changed to avoid future tragedies.
The report's other main findings:
—MnDOT policies weren't followed in critical respects.
—Decision-making responsibility was "diffused and unclear."
—Information flow as "informal and incomplete."
—Expert advice was not effectively used.
—MnDOT's organizational structure "did not adequately address bridge conditions and safety."
