By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwmu/local-kwmu-622823.mp3
Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri Senate has unanimously passed a bill that will speed up the bidding process on a massive bridge repair project.
It comes nearly a month after the collapse of the I-35 West Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
Republican Bill Stouffer of Saline County sponsored the bill in the Senate. These are bridges that have been neglected because we've been taking care of the larger bridges, and those needs that affect a large majority of the population, but we have to upgrade our infrastructure, said Stouffer.
More than 800 bridges are slated to be repaired over a 5 year span as part of the project.
The winning contractors won't be paid until after the repairs are finished and they'll have to maintain the bridges for the next 25 years.
The bill now goes to the governor.