Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Issues Statement On Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

August 2, 2007 -- HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today issued the following statement regarding the collapse of an interstate bridge in Minneapolis:

“We extend our sympathy to the families who lost loved ones in the tragedy in Minnesota and our prayers to those who were injured. Obviously, as Governor Pawlenty said, this is a tragedy of historic proportions for the state of Minnesota and all of us empathize with the victims and their families.

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“What happened in Minnesota is something that has to give us pause in Pennsylvania and every state in the union.

“Obviously, it is our hope that all of us can learn something from whatever the cause was of this incident. There is no way to prejudge it. This bridge was over 40 years old, but it wasn’t old in terms of the life of some bridges. It is not clear what the cause was and none of us should jump to conclusions.

“Since I have been governor, we have dramatically increased the money we spend on bridge repairs. Residents can rest assured that Pennsylvania has an aggressive bridge inspection and repair program and, based on what we learn about this bridge disaster, we’ll evaluate whether changes need to be made to our current, aggressive inspection process.”

Source: Pennsylvania Governor