MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Two firms cited by the state of Minnesota for culpability in a deadly 2007 bridge collapse have nonetheless received recent state contracts, documents show.
A review of recent contracts revealed that despite suing URS Corp. and Progressive Contractors Inc. over their roles in the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis that killed 13 people, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has given the firms $55 million for projects across the state in the last two years, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Sunday.
One project included work to pre-design other bridges, and at least one of the companies played a small part in building the I-35W replacement bridge, the newspaper said.
The state sued URS of San Francisco last week, claiming it failed to adequately inspect and analyze the bridge and to alert officials its steel gusset plates were under-designed and inadequate. MnDOT sued PCI earlier, saying it failed to inform state officials it was using heavy equipment on the bridge before it collapsed, the Star Tribune said.
MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said the agency wouldn't comment on the recent contracts because of its lawsuits against the companies.
