Grain shipments spared effects of Midwest bridge collapse

Grain shipments spared effects of Midwest bridge collapse A bridge on a major highway running through Minneapolis, Minn., collapsed into the Mississippi River Wednesday during evening rush hour, sending dozens of vehicles into the water and creating potential bottlenecks for truck-based freight movement in the area.
   But the bridge failure on Interstate 35 should not effect grain shipments for farmers because most barge traffic for grain loadings occurs downstream from the accident site, said Bob Zelenka, executive director of the Midwest Shippers Association, a marketing cooperative for agriculture interests.

Zelenka

   “In terms of grain there shouldn’t be much disruption,” he said when contacted at home last night.
   I-35 is a major north-south highway and its closure means commuters and motor carriers will have to divert to alternative routes, likely adding to congestion and delays moving through downtown Minneapolis. But Zelenka said there are plenty of other river crossings to handle the additional traffic.
   Zelenka, whose office is about eight blocks from the bridge, said he drove on I-35 in the opposite direction and wondered why there were so few cars sharing the same side of the highway until he turned on the radio when he neared home and heard the news.
   Four people are dead, 20 are missing and 62 are injured, according to reports from the scene.
   The 40-year-old bridge was undergoing resurfacing at the time, but the cause of the collapse is unknown. Department of Homeland Security officials said they do not believe terrorism was involved.