MnDOT closes floodbottom bridge in Carver

A MnDOT bridge inspection resulted in the state closure of a Carver bridge that had already been closed by the city.

An inspection of all state highway bridges was recently completed, following an order by Gov. Tim Pawlenty after the collapse of the Aug. 1 I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.

The bridge closed in Carver is the Municipal Street 18 bridge. Carver Mayor Jim Weygand believes the road to be the Ash Street bridge, which he said the city closed about four years ago.

The bridge crosses the levee in the city of Carver. “It’s not really a road. It’s in flood land that belongs to (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife, so there happens to be a bridge there,” Weygand said. “The bridge is in terrible shape.”

According to a MnDOT press release, bridge inspectors from MnDOT, local governments and consulting firms examined more than 4,000 bridges during a five-month inspection period, which included 3,875 bridges on the state trunk highway system and also 843 local bridges classified as structurally deficient.

Inspectors reported 17 findings that resulted in closing six bridges (including the bridge in Carver), adding load or lane restrictions on six bridges and making repairs on five more structures.

Duane Hill, MnDOT’s manager of the inspection program, said the inspections revealed few major discoveries. He said that bridge inspectors and bridge engineers will use this information to assess bridge performance and plan maintenance work for 2008. That number equals less than one tenth of 1 percent of the inspected bridges, according to a MnDOT press release.

Only two of the findings requiring immediate action involved state highway bridges.

A Highway 11 bridge in Kittson County was closed briefly until repairs were made on a beam that showed cracking. In Morrison County, a bridge on Highway 10 near Little Falls was also closed briefly for repair after inspectors discovered damage to a beam apparently caused when it was hit by a truck following the bridge’s previous inspection. MnDOT will resume its standard bridge inspection program next year. The agency inspects between one-half to two-thirds of state highway bridges each year.

Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau said the second phase of the inspection program that focuses on practices and procedures during inspections is under way by PB Americas, Inc., an engineering firm, with the goal of completion by late winter/early spring.The statewide inspection effort was done in cooperation with counties, cities and other local government units, Molnau stated, in a press release.

“MnDOT’s completion of the statewide inspections, analysis of the bridge inspection reports and the consultant’s findings will enable the department and local government units improve their inspection program and ensure safe use of all the state’s bridges,” Molnau said.