On March 20, the Minnesota Department of Transportation closed the Highway 23 Division Street bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Cloud because bridge inspectors found bent gusset plates in four locations.

Acting transportation commissioner Robert McFarlin made the decision and held a news conference to announce the closing. That was a smart move in the wake of all the controversy surrounding the Interstate 35W Bridge and MnDOT.

On August 3, 2007, Gov. Tim Pawlenty ordered inspection of all state bridges after the I-35W Bridge collapsed. The St. Cloud bridge was inspected and found to be safe for operation. In January 2008, MnDOT conducted an engineering review of the original design plans according to new federal highway direction and found no deficiencies.

But on March 20, inspectors using ultrasound found the distortions in the gusset plates during a late afternoon visual inspection that was part of an ongoing, systematic review of 25 similar truss bridges in Minnesota. The Highway 23 bridge, a steel truss bridge built in 1957, carries four lanes of traffic with about 31,000 vehicles each day. It was scheduled for replacement in 2015, but after its closing, replacement will be on a fast track to the next two years.

At the news conference, McFarlin said, "The bridge will remain closed until it either can be repaired, or if repairs are not possible, until the bridge can be replaced." The department learned its lesson and took the conservative approach.

Since March 20, MnDOT bridge engineers met with University of Minnesota experts in steel structures to determine the feasibility of repairing the bridge. In addition, MnDOT is extending beyond the federal advisory to look at gusset plates and is recalculating gusset plate loads on all steel truss structures whether or not a project is scheduled. This scrutiny is needed not only on steel truss bridges but also on state and federal projects that are in dire need of repair.

MnDOT hopes to complete the scrutiny of all steel truss bridges by the end of June. During this time, MnDOT worked with St. Cloud city officials to reroute traffic around the bridge, a detour of six blocks, to keep people safe.

This case is a far cry from inspections before and responses after the I-35W Bridge collapsed. What kind of inspections did MnDOT and contract engineers perform on the bridge before August 1, 2007? Photographs from June 2003 that were taken by URS Inc., consultants that inspected and analyzed the bridge, indicated bent gusset plates, but MnDOT paid little attention and opted for minimal repairs.

U.S. senator Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, now will fight for federal funding for a new Highway 23 bridge if one is needed, she said. Of course it's needed. Minnesota must learn from its past experience, tear down the 50-year-old St. Cloud bridge and rebuild. The estimated cost, according to MnDOT, is $35 million maximum, a fraction of the I-35W Bridge reconstruction cost.

To repair this bridge is only a short-term solution, even according to MnDOT. The state has the funding to replace the bridge, McFarlin indicated, but any extra funding from federal sources would be welcomed when the state is in a deficit mode.

The Transportation Bill that passed in November will bring little relief and, with the overall downturn in this region's economy, who wouldn't want extra funding? Decisions on solutions will be made in the next few weeks.

Congress and Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-MN, want to question the National Transportation Safety Board about its investigation of the I-35W Bridge collapse through a public hearing, but the NTSB chair has opposed a public hearing.

The issue surfaced when the NTSB said gusset plate design and distortion were the reason for the I-35W Bridge collapse. Congressional members and legal teams, however, question the sole reason and wanted the hearing to show that the investigation was unbiased and thorough.

NTSB conducts hearings as part of its investigation during major disasters, and a hearing is needed in this disaster. Why are NTSB members afraid to hold a hearing? The chair said a hearing involves concerns that it would fan political debate that would delay the investigation and may sever a good relationship with MnDOT. The public, however, wants to know all the reasons the bridge fell and deserves to know all the facts.

It appears that the NTSB turned political to reassure those who continue to deny that nothing is wrong with American infrastructure. Tell that to the bridge victims' lawyers.