Bridge to Open this Week?

All signs point to a return of a major traffic artery this week:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and a host of other politicians will gather on the nearly completed bridge at 11 a.m. today to announce when the first cars will drive across, which could be as early as Tuesday. They'll also unveil details about the location and design of a memorial to the 13 people who died when the previous bridge collapsed on Aug. 1, 2007.

The completion of the bridge so early proves two main frustrations we have with Government. A) The system works . . when we really want it to. And B) if a financial carrot is big enough, work can get don e in a timely manner.

I suspect that they won't be popping champagne bottles for this one, considering the tragedy that got us to this point. But there is nothing wrong with controlled back slapping. Human ingenuity should be acknowledged and properly rewarded.

Personally, I just can't wait to have the West River Road bikeway restored for those Saturday afternoon workouts.

Flash

UPDATE: Thursday is the day!

Motorists can begin driving across the new Interstate 35W bridge at 5 a.m. Thursday, just over a year after the old one tragically collapsed into the Mississippi River and cut off a key Minneapolis artery.

Local, state and federal leaders gathered this morning on the replacement bridge to announce the completion of construction. They also explained plans for a permanent memorial to the 13 people killed in the August 1, 2007, disaster and the 145 who were injured.