Transportation chief Molnau cuts short her trip to Beijing

08/03/2007

When top leaders in Minnesota gathered at the site of the bridge collapse Thursday, one face was missing: Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau, who also serves as the state's transportation commissioner.


Patricia Lopez
Star Tribune
August 2, 2007


When top leaders in Minnesota gathered at the site of the bridge collapse Thursday, one face was missing: Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau, who also serves as the state's transportation commissioner.
Molnau had left Tuesday to Beijing for a two-day seminar sponsored by the China Urban Network, which brings together academics and experts on urban planning issues.

She was asked by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to return to Minnesota and was expected back Thursday evening.

Donna Lindberg, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Department, said Molnau was one of only two state elected officials at the conference and had been asked to talk about Minnesota's congestion planning.

Molnau also traveled to China in April 2006, when she led a business delegation to Shaanxi Province and in April 2004, when she went to discuss the state's intelligent transportation systems, Lindberg said.