Have changes brought a new day at MnDOT?

An interactive map of bridges that are "structurally deficient," "functionally obsolete" or have gusset plates like those on the I-35W bridge. One year after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has new leaders, new money and a newfound decisiveness when it comes to fixing potentially unsafe bridges. For much of the past year, it also has tried to focus all eyes on the new bridge that will soon open at the site of last August's tragedy, giving frequent updates on the bridge's ahead-of-schedule progress. MnDOT came under unprecedented criticism after the collapse, with legislative investigations repeatedly raising questions about whether it was letting the state's transportation network fall apart. Lawmakers ultimately took the agency's future into their own hands, removing Lt. Gov.... [read full story]