Bridge Economics and Cost-Benefit Analysis

SCSU economist King Banion wraps up a series of posts he's written on the tragic Minneapolis bridge collapse arguing that we simply can't make every bridge perfect and must undertake rational cost-benefit analyses to allocate scarce resources. It's the kind of callous argument you'd expect from a man who would risk human life for the enjoyment of unmelted ice ...

Collapsed I-35 Bridge Rated Deficient Years Ago, Mirrors National Problem

The span of I-35 bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis last night was rated structurally deficient two years ago, Dan Browning reports in the Star Tribune. The highway bridge that collapsed into the Mississippi River on Wednesday was rated as "structurally deficient" two years ago and possibly in need of replacement. That rating was contained in the U.S. Department of Transportation's National ...

Minneapolis Highway Bridge Collapses

The I-35 bridge which crosses the Mississippi River near the University of Minnesota collapsed during rush hour. A freeway bridge spanning the Mississippi River collapsed during evening rush hour Wednesday, sending many cars into the water. Tons of concrete collapsed and there were injuries, authorities said. Survivors were being carried up the riverbank. Some people were stranded on parts of the bridge ...