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- August 2, 2007: I-35W bridge collapses in Minneapolis
- May, 2008: Mn/DOT officials reveal that the $175 million to $250 million Winona Interstate Bridge replacement project has been moved from 2017 to 2014.
- June 3, 2008: Bridge closed without warning to all traffic and pedestrians. Mn/DOT officials say repairs to corroded gusset plates are necessary, although later admit they’d known for years there were problems with the plates. The bridge remained closed to cars for 11 days.
- June 9-13, 2008: city of Winona provided emergency shuttle and ferry service to help people cross the river from Minnesota to Wisconsin while the bridge was closed, which cost about $200,000. After some hesitation, Mn/DOT provided $153,000 of the cost.
- mid-July 2008: more than $2 million in emergency bridge repair work begins. By late July, the bridge was reopened to truck traffic, but heavy trucks remained restricted and pedestrians and bicycle traffic remained banned. During repairs, the bridge was reduced to one lane of traffic.
- September 2008: a new wooden pedestrian lane was added, along with new fencing.
- December 2008: Mn/DOT officials tell the Winona City Council a preferred new bridge alignment will be selected early 2010, and timelines show the rehabilitation study is to be completed in January, 2010.
- February, 2009: traffic study shows Winona will need a four-lane crossing.
- October 2009: new bridge alignment options unveiled, including connections to Huff, Winona and Main streets.
- June 2010: Mn/DOT crews conduct more gusset plate repairs.
- August 2010: Mn/DOT officials meet at Levee Park with gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton (DFL), Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes (DFL), and Rep. Gene Pelowski (DFL) to discuss the bridge project. No new information was given, but Dayton did remark that the bridge was seriously inadequate, with Pelowski saying the state needed a governor who would invest in transportation.
- October 2010: alignment options for a new bridge are narrowed, removing the former Main Street option. Timelines suggest the rehabilitation study will be completed in early 2011.
- May 2010: Mn/DOT officials state Winona will get four lanes over the Mississippi River, regardless of whether the current structure can be rehabilitated. Officials alter the project timeline due to the Federal Highway Administration (FWA) requiring a more extensive rehabilitation study, indicating the study will take an extra year.
- August 2011: the rehabilitation study is still not complete, with Mn/DOT officials stating a preliminary study will be wrapped up in the fall. Follow-up work may be necessary to meet the requests of both the FWA and the State Historic Preservation Office, which may delay the completion of the rehabilitation study further. Additionally, Mn/DOT officials back off on plans for a four-lane crossing to meet projected future demands from traffic studies, stating they don’t know whether Winona will get four lanes if rehabilitation of the current bridge is feasible.
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