The new Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis is big and strong, and it was built on budget and in record time. Yet while we marvel at what has been accomplished, we must also remember the lives that were abruptly changed a year ago.

When the former I-35W bridge collapsed on Aug. 1, 2007, it brought down some 200 people with it. Thirteen people died and many, many more were injured. The victims were African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, Native-American and more. They came from all corners of the Twin Cities, the state and even the world.

In the weeks and months after the collapse, hundreds of workers descended upon the site of this tragedy to rebuild the bridge. During peak construction times, there was the equivalent of 600 full-time workers on the project. Those workers, cross-cultural too, represent the diversity of this state and the finest of the Minnesota building trades.

That's as it should be. At the Minnesota Department of Transportation, we encourage our contractors to subcontract with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms, firms owned by women and minorities, as well as to hire diverse employees to work. The profile of the workers on state projects ought to reflect the people that we serve.

Now, 11 months later, I can confirm that Mn/DOT and its partners have met and exceeded our DBE and minority participation goals in the rebuilding of the bridge.

Flatiron, Mn/DOT's contractor, exceeded the DBE participation goal of 10 percent, and is expected to achieve over 12.5 percent DBE utilization. A total of 20 DBE firms worked on the project. The businesses were diverse in ethnicity, gender and economic size. The contracts varied in size from under $10,000 to over $10,000,000, and they involved a wide variety of work that included trucking, steel erection, utilities installation and much, much more.  The project also exceeded the State minority employment goal of 11%, achieving a 14.7% minority workforce. 

Three months earlier than scheduled, we have a new bridge in which all Minnesotans can be proud. Not only does it fully meet quality and durability standards, the bridge represents what can be done by a diverse workforce united in purpose and commitment.
 
The project's legacy is a bridge that will last for 100 years and provide the momentum to carry into the future Mn/DOT's commitment to fair employment and contracting practices.

Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel