[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12455-12456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 238--RECOGNIZING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND HONORING 
  THE VICTIMS OF THE COLLAPSE OF THE INTERSTATE 35W MISSISSIPPI RIVER 
                                 BRIDGE

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. Franken) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 238

       Whereas, on August 1, 2007, the Interstate 35W Mississippi 
     River bridge (referred to in this preamble as the ``I-35W 
     bridge'') collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145 
     people;
       Whereas the I-35W bridge was one of the busiest bridges in 
     the State of Minnesota, carrying more than 140,000 vehicles 
     each day;

[[Page 12456]]

       Whereas first responders and commuters collectively 
     responded quickly and effectively to provide help and ensure 
     safety;
       Whereas, during the first 2 hours after the I-35W bridge 
     collapsed, the Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center 
     received and processed more than 500 calls, 51 of which came 
     directly from the scene of the disaster;
       Whereas, after the collapse, there was a bipartisan effort 
     to pass legislation that provided emergency funding to 
     replace the I-35W bridge;
       Whereas construction of the Interstate 35W Saint Anthony 
     Falls bridge (referred to in this preamble as the ``new I-35W 
     bridge'') to replace the I-35W bridge began on November 1, 
     2007;
       Whereas the new I-35W bridge opened to traffic on September 
     18, 2008, which was 3 months ahead of schedule;
       Whereas residents, businesses, community members, and local 
     government officials contributed to the design of the new I-
     35W bridge;
       Whereas the new I-35W bridge--
       (1) has a 100-year lifespan;
       (2) is 189 feet wide; and
       (3) accommodates 10 lanes of traffic;

       Whereas the new I-35W bridge won the America's 
     Transportation Awards Grand Prize on October 30, 2009; and
       Whereas, on September 11, 2009, the new I-35W bridge was 
     named one of the 10 best transportation projects in the 
     United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the 10th anniversary of the tragic 
     Interstate 35W Mississippi River bridge collapse;
       (2) honors the victims of the bridge collapse and their 
     families;
       (3) commemorates the bravery and commitment of the public 
     safety personnel that effectively responded to the collapse; 
     and
       (4) acknowledges the successful community-wide effort to 
     design, plan, and construct the Interstate 35W Saint Anthony 
     Falls bridge.

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