House takes up Oberstar's bridge bill
by The Associated Press
 
WASHINGTON -- The House has begun debating legislation by Congressman Jim Oberstar aimed at improving the safety of the nation's bridges -- nearly a year after the deadly Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat who chairs the House Transportation Committee, initially sought a 5-cent-a-gallon gas tax increase to fund $25 billion worth of bridge repairs over three years. But he had to abandon that plan after failing to win political support for it.

Among other things, the bill would authorize an additional $1 billion to rebuild structurally deficient bridges on the national highway system. States would have to come up with plans to fix such bridges. The bridge that fell in Minneapolis last August 1 had been labeled structurally deficient.

A vote on the bill isn't expected until Thursday.