Bridge Rebuilding Lessons From Los Angeles

The folks in Minneapolis are a long way from rebuilding anything, but when they do, they could take some lessons from the aftermath of the Northridge Earthquake in Los Angeles. Four freeway bridges collapsed in the quake, including two on the Santa Monica Freeway, a main artery from the coast near the airport and east through the L.A. Basin. The stretch where the bridges came down handled some 341,000 vehicles per day and having them out of action created a serious kink in the traffic flow.

Those bridges were back in place with full traffic flow only 85 days after the earthquake. Granted, there wasn't much mystery why the bridges fell, so a lengthy investigation wasn't necessary. We also were not burdened with the kind of recovery process they'll have to deal with in Minneapolis, since they will no only need to remove the bridge debris, but many cars and other objects as well as demolishing much of what's left. Their process will necessarily take much longer.

So how did L.A. finish the job so quickly? First of all, Governor Pete Wilson immediately suspended a number of rules and regulations regarding the state contracting process. Had he not done that, it might have been months before contracts could have been issued. Instead, it took only 20 days. Wilson explained his decision this way:

We were rebuilding the roads and bridges within 24 hours of the earthquake. I issued an executive order suspending all statutes and regulations related to state contracting.…My goal was to reopen I-10 within 6 months, and every other road within a year. Each contract included an incentive if the work was late, we charged a fine and if it was completed early, we paid a bonus and the motorists in Los Angeles were happy each time we did. We waived the requirements for lengthy environmental and permitting reviews for strict replacement work cutting 18 to 24 months off the construction schedule.

I cut the rules impeding recovery in other areas as well: Suspended several trucking rules...suspended overtime rules to give employers more flexibility in setting work schedules and reducing congestion during normal commute hours... expedited permitting of reconstruction projects by waiving many of the procedural requirements, and putting staff from all state and local permitting agencies into one building.

The contract for the Santa Monica Freeway went to a colorful contractor named CC Myers. Myers bid $14.9 million with the work to be done within 140 days (the maximum allowed by the contract). Within the contract were provisions giving the contractor significant bonuses for each day the project was completed ahead of schedule. Myers knew that and knew he could get the job done early if he planned it right.

Myers was a tornado during the rebuilding process. This report describes his activities:

CC Myers' plan for the Santa Monica freeway was to work around the clock and to make time the key focus of the company's construction strategy. For instance, when the railroads informed CC Myers that the delivery of steel beams needed to rebuild the I-10 bridges would take three weeks to arrive, Myers chartered his own trains to carry supplies from Arkansas and Texas to Los Angeles at the cost of $119,000. To speed construction, Myers rebuilt the two fallen Santa Monica bridges simultaneously with the work and flow of materials moving continuously rather than staggered. Workers were put on 12-hour shifts and crews worked around the clock, seven days a week. Work continued regardless of weather, and Caltrans' inspectors were available around the clock to approve on-going work and to monitor safety. Work crews were heavily staffed, with two superintendents per bridge project ensuring that there were supervisors available around the clock. Myers hired 228 carpenters instead of the usual 65 for this size project. He hired 134 iron workers instead of a more typical 15. A more-expensive, fast-drying concrete was used to speed project completion.

Workers were pushed hard, and that showed in their faces and in their pocket books. Iron workers complained of fatigue from the daily overtime work, so CC Myers hired more. But workers were both excited and well-remunerated for their hard work.

Money's a great motivator. The freeway was opened in only 66 days and Myers took home an extra $14.5 million in bonuses. L.A. drivers knew it was worth every penny to get that freeway open again.

Can they do something similar in Minnesota? They have a Republican governor who hopefully will not be intimidated by the unions or others who would impose ridiculous restrictions on the process. They have a much bigger job ahead given the size of the spans involved and the amount of work that will need to happen before they can even begin, but I hope they'll take a good look at what was done in Los Angeles and apply what they can. Minneapolis needs that bridge back.