Emergency Response via the Web

• Two emergencies in August 2007 highlight the Internet as a dynamic communication tool

August 1st 2007 • Collapse of the

I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis

August 21st 2007 • Collapse of the

I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis

• Floods in Southeast Minnesota

Road Closure Alerts

• 511mn.org • mndot.gov

Detour Maps

I-35W Bridge Collapse Website

Focal point for: • Detour route updates• Original bridge facts

and documentation• News releases &

media briefings• Video of the collapse

Server Capacity was Doubled

Increased Web Traffic • Unique visitors

spiked to 349,913 in August 2007 (double over previous months)

Traffic & Transit Enhancements Metro highways

began to improve the flow of traffic

• In advance of the State Fair and

• New semester at the University of Minnesota

Statewide Bridge Inspections Governor ordered

statewide inspections of all fracture critical bridges

• Maps and inspection reports were added to the Website

Bridge Replacement Plans to replace the

collapsed bridge moved quickly

• Contractor selection• Bridge design

Posting More than Before Viewers wanted more

information and greater detail for:

• Bridge inspection reports

• Construction & maintenance contracts

High Resolution Photos• Aerial photos• Ground photos

Information for Legislators• Documentation from

legislative hearings• Funding documents• Economic impacts of

the collapse

Public Involvement• Public and legislative

open houses• Online comment form

(received 5-times more than written comments from open houses)

• Subscriptions for project updates by e-mail

• Weekly Sidewalk Superintendent Talks at the construction site

Internal Communication • Newsline for

employees and retirees

• Daily News Clips• Video Clips of

TV news

Summary• Website remained the

primary source of information

• Content was factual and straight-forward

• Responsive to public, legislative and media concerns

Best of 2007 Award