Bush Pledges To Cut Red Tape To Rebuild Collapsed Bridge

By PAUL LEWIS The Washington Post

Published: Aug 5, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS - President Bush used a tour of the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge Saturday to pledge responsibility for rebuilding the ruined structure, which he described as a "main artery of life" for residents of Minnesota's Twin Cities.

Standing in front of the crumpled concrete and twisted metal girders that once spanned the Mississippi River, Bush promised to "cut through" the bureaucracy and "see if we can't get this bridge rebuilt in a way that not only expedites the flow of traffic, but in a way that can stand the test of time."

"I make no promises on the timetable," Bush said. "I do promise that Mary Peters, the secretary of transportation, is going to be in charge of this project. I do promise she's going to listen to the local authorities to find out what the folks here need. I do promise that when she sees roadblocks and hurdles in the way of getting the job done, she'll do everything she can to eliminate them."

Peters has requested an investigation into the federal bridge inspection program, and she told reporters Saturday that her department's inspector general would look at prioritizing money for bridge repairs.

The Minnesota bridge had been classified as "structurally deficient" by the federal government since 1990.

Bush first toured the bridge site by air, his Marine One helicopter circling several times as Minnesota's Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty explained the scene to the president, officials said.

Upon landing, Bush surveyed the ruins from a pier at a nearby lock. As he spoke to two Army Corps of Engineers lock workers who saw the bridge come down, the Mississippi River was disturbed by only the occasional air bubbles of two submerged divers, searching for bodies in the wreckage of vehicles.

The president offered prayers to the families of those killed at the bridge from those who "wonder about whether they'll ever see a loved one again." He then struck an optimistic note, suggesting "a better life" can come from such terrible tragedies.

Those touched by the incident are "committed to turning something ugly into something good," Bush said, and he voiced his conviction that "it's going to happen."