EARLY STAGES OF 35W BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION

Just one year ago today the unthinkable happened in Minneapolis.  The 35W bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed taking many cars to the depths of the river with it.  Disbelief showed on the faces of local residents.  Emergency call operators found the messages they were hearing hard to believe.  Lives were forever changed, some through loss, and others through survival. 

Minnesotans showed their tenacity in this tragedy.  There was no looting.  There was no pillaging.  Complete strangers risked their lives to help those who were trapped, some at the risk of their own lives.  People from all walks of life worked side by side, the attorneys in training beside the blue collar construction guys.  There was a goal:  save as many as possible by doing whatever it took to get the job done.  They all pitched together showing problem solving skills, cooperation, heroism, and Minnesota's ability to bounce back.

The tragedy was, and is, real, but I am proud of the way Minnesotans rallied to the cause and started the road to recovery on the day the road collapsed.