Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Tuesday, June 10, 2008

MnDOT: Short-term bridge repair very possible

By Mark Sommerhauser / Winona Daily News

Short-term repairs to the barricaded Interstate Bridge, as opposed to immediate replacement, are “very possible,” a Minnesota Department of Transportation official said Monday.

Such a repair would involve reinforcing the bridge’s corroded gusset plates — a process that could take months, MnDOT engineer Nelrae Succio told lawmakers, business owners and residents who want to craft a long-term plan for the bridge.

Succio — speaking to organizers of an incipient community bridge coalition — said repairs would restore the bridge to its full load-bearing capacity for more than “a few years.”

“We’re hoping the repair is something we can put in place,” Succio said. “We’re very hopeful that the replacement would take place as scheduled.”

Before the closure, MnDOT had planned to replace the structure in 2017.

If repairs move ahead, it’s not clear if the bridge would be opened to car or foot traffic while work is done, said Succio, chief engineer for MnDOT’s District 6.

MnDOT engineers won’t announce final bridge plans until later this week, after engineers have finished analyzing results of an inspection that concluded last Thursday, Succio said. State officials closed the bridge last Tuesday after inspectors found at least five badly corroded gussets on its trusses, particularly on the Wisconsin-side approach span.

On Monday, the community bridge coalition, led by Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona, began to hatch short- and long-term plans to address the bridge issue. Winona County commissioner Dwayne Voegeli and Winona City Council member Debbie White are co-chairing the coalition, which plans to meet again next week at a time and date to be determined.

The coalition eventually could make a recommendation to MnDOT on how and where to build a new Interstate Bridge. Before it does so, the group wants to survey business owners and residents in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

For Fountain City resident Jeanne Franz, the sooner officials can resolve the bridge problem, the better.

Franz, a WSU professor, and her husband recently bought a home in Winona that required major remodeling before they could move in. Then came the bridge closure, which left the couple stranded across the river before being able to move in.

Franz hopes the coalition can push for a short-term fix to the issue.

“Our house in Fountain City is pretty much worthless at this point,” Franz said. “I’d be interested in trying to find out some kind of a solution.”

Contact Mark Sommerhauser at (507) 453-3514 or msommerhauser@winonadailynews.com