The hopes of a new public-funded hockey arena for the Edmonton Oilers were tragically plunged into a deep coma yesterday, a victim of the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, MN. Sources say hundreds of highly elective infrastructure projects planned for the direct benefit of big businesses may have been injured in the bridge collapse. Hardest hit were cities divided by major rivers, cities experiencing booms whose budgets are already struggling to cope fast-rising labour costs, and cities where the quality of existing roads is already shoddy. “Sounds like a triple play,” said one Edmonton observer, who went on to add that early hints from the Minneapolis incident suggest that bridge repair and inspection is likely to become especially urgent in places which experience widely divergent thermal extremes. The new arena is survived by several scattered piles of brown envelopes and a confused but affable mayor.
Comments (5)
From your keyboard to God's flatpanel...
Imagine, tax dollars being spent on fixing potholes or finishing the Stony Plain / Anthony Henday interchange or extending the LRT to WEM or widening the Whitemud rather than yet another hockey arena!
Nah, no such luck, not in this town.
Posted by Alex VanderWoude | August 3, 2007 10:51 PM
Posted on August 3, 2007 22:51
Believe me, Shiraz has things well in hand.
Posted by Nathan S. | August 3, 2007 10:59 PM
Posted on August 3, 2007 22:59
I think you underestimate our mayor. He'll find a way to get his buddies some money.
Posted by Andy Grabia | August 4, 2007 1:55 PM
Posted on August 4, 2007 13:55
Yeah? And then what happens if the Walterdale Bridge plops into the river eight months into construction? I think you're the one underestimating the mayor.
Posted by Colby Cosh | August 4, 2007 5:02 PM
Posted on August 4, 2007 17:02
I spent 3 days driving around Minneapolis/St. Paul 28 months ago, and drove from Duluth to International Falls on Saturday. The public roadways in the Twin Cities would put hundreds of American cities to shame, along with every Canadian city I can think of. The investment I saw 3 days ago to improve highways in a relatively non-populated area of the state also suggests that Minnesota does not have a history of cutting corners on public roadways.
Minnesota does have a history of populist politicians however, and somewhat passionless fans for any professional team other than the purple Vikings, so I guess the Metrodome is going to have to last a while longer.
Posted by RGlasel | August 6, 2007 9:16 PM
Posted on August 6, 2007 21:16