Just so we're clear: We're the bad guys. On two recent occasions, we've written about the problems of the Interstate Bridge that spans the Mississippi River, connecting Winona with Wisconsin.

We've raised concerns that the process isn't getting done soon enough, that safety concerns seem to arise and that the Minnesota Department of Transportation is mired in bureaucracy.

For that we've been labeled fearmongers and told we've been unfair.

Still, all the angry bluster by MnDOT officials and other local leaders hasn't answered some very basic questions.

Take the bridge out of the equation for a moment (if that's possible).

For the past two weeks, anyone who's driven through the intersection of Main Street and Broadway in Winona has probably been stopped by flashing red lights at one time or another, the byproduct of a malfunctioning traffic signal.

By MnDOT's own estimate, there have been at least three crews that have visited from Rochester to fix the light on the fritz.

Apparently, there are only two people in district who can fix these lights.

The answer is to reset the stoplight, not so unlike rebooting a computer.

And yet on at least parts of seven days in the past two weeks, the light, at one of the busiest intersections in Winona, has literally gone on the blink. Again and again and again ... well, you get the point.

MnDOT says that if the light keeps on blinking, it will have to send for an expert in Owatonna, who might do something other than turn the light on and off.

The point that MnDOT has collectively failed to grasp in the conversation about roads, bridges and stoplights is that it hasn't exactly instilled a lot of confidence. When criticized, MnDOT tends to bristle. When questioned, it tends to give vague answers or is unable to respond.

We believe there are qualified, professional and capable engineers and MnDOT employees.

MnDOT has a public relations problem, though.

It's not that it isn't capable of fixing bridges, roads and stoplights. It's that it hasn't done a very good job explaining to the public how it's doing its job and how the process works.

When Winonans drive around, they see stoplights that don't work, a highway full of potholes and a bridge that seems to crumble at the mere sight of a hammer.

Why should the citizens have confidence in MnDOT?

By Darrell Ehrlick, editor, on behalf of the Winona Daily News editorial board, which also includes publisher Rusty Cunningham and deputy editor Jerome Christenson. To comment, call (507) 453-3507 or send e-mail to letters@winonadailynews.com.