Open Letter to MNDOT

     Good morning! I was just curious which one of you genius' came up with the great idea to close 35W southbound to just one lane just as the Vikings game was letting out. Way to plan ahead. This must be the same group of crack scientists that decided to spend $478 million in federal transportation earmarks on mass transit and bike trails and not deficient bridges... oops.

UPDATE:

Here was the actual email I sent to MN DOT, word for word:

SUBJECT: Anyone Home?
"Just curious whose bright idea it was to wait until just after the Vikings game ended to close 35W southbound down to one lane? An entire metrodome full of people trying to get home at 11:30 at night and you close two lanes on the largest freeway in MN? I thought that was prety poor planning."

HERE WAS THE RESPONSE I JUST RECEIVED:

"Yeah, we are home. How about you? We generally do not plan lane closures to conicide with major events...and we didn't last night either. Apparently the Viking's fans who travel south of the Metrodome aren't very good drivers. The lane closures were for stalls and accidents. Next time try to send a civil e-mail.

-Kent Bernard"

     This is complete BULLSHIT! Was there maybe stall or an accident? Possibly, but I didn't see it; and even if I had, that DOES NOT warrant closing two of three lanes of a major thoroughfare for at least 6 miles. And if it was a simple stall out or accident, why were there several large "construction" trucks with flashing yellow lights and city workers all over the place? I actually passed by the truck driver moving cones from one lane to the other. Funny, I didn't see one police officer near these so called accidents. I'll respond with this and see what they say.

MY NEXT RESPONSE:

"I don't think my email was uncivil. A little snarky, yes, but not uncivil.

But still, even if what you say is the case, MNDOT now calls upon several large construction vehicles moving cones to close off two lanes of traffic for miles because a couple of cars stalled out? When did this procedure start happening? I actually watched the guys in a giant truck swerving from lane to lane, to move the cones from two lanes down to one; meanwhile, traffic is at a virtual standstill for miles. It just seems to me that they could've waited 30 minutes until most of the congestion had cleared before making a nightmare for travelers (espeically those of us not at the game), when they know a Vikings game is just letting out.

Sincerely,
Andrew"

Let's see what Kent says. Stay tuned...

AND MNDOT BACKS OFF...

"I am going to do a little more checking because everyone I spoke to said there was not construction activity last night on southbound I-35W south of downtown Minneapolis. Although I wouldn't put it past the contractor to do something without checking. Most highway construction projects in Minnesota are done by contractors with Mn/DOT oversight...and they occassionally do things that we do not know about or wouldn't approve of. If they did, I agree that it was poor planning, but it was not Mn/DOT."

MY RESPONSE:

"Thanks for the response and have a great labor day weekend!"

THE END