It took just 10 months to build the new Interstate 35W bridge, but two years after the collapse we have yet to clean up the wreckage from the old span. Twisted steel debris from the Aug. 1, 2007, tragedy lies in a girder graveyard behind cyclone fencing on Bohemian Flats parkland on West River Parkway.

Officials wisely decided not to hold a public ceremony today -- the second anniversary of the collapse -- saying relatives of the victims and others tied to the event wanted to move on with their lives. They should have that opportunity. So, too, should the entire community be able to reclaim Bohemian Flats and to drive along the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis without being reminded of the horror of August 2007, when 13 people lost their lives a few hundred yards upstream. The wreckage is more than an eyesore. For those who travel along or use the river, it's also an unnecessary reminder of a critical failure of our area's public infrastructure. It's time to move on.

It's not that well-intentioned public agencies haven't tried to clear the site. Earlier this year the Minnesota Department of Transportation asked a judge for legal protection so that it could remove the wreckage from the riverfront. Some of the parties involved in lawsuits related to the collapse want the bridge pieces kept in their current location, and they objected to MnDOT's request for court protection.

Hennepin County District Judge Deborah Hedlund denied MnDOT's request. "Given the number of claimants, potential amount of damages, and public interest, the court cannot find that obstructing the use of a city park constitutes good cause to issue a protective order," she said in her decision, which stopped short of prohibiting MnDOT from moving the remnants.

MnDOT wanted to move the wreckage to an Afton site, but some of the girders would have needed to be cut to fit on trucks. The department has also considered using barges to move the bridge parts, but without court protection department officials are wisely being cautious.

All of this leaves the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board -- and the public -- without complete access to Bohemian Flats. The Park Board is losing parking and other revenue, and it has not been able to use $470,000 in federal grants to build a picnic shelter and restrooms on the site.

No one is at fault here, but the greater public good is not being served. Preserving evidence in a way that allows courts to find the truth behind the collapse is a critical concern for plaintiffs, defendants and the community. But every effort should be made to seek a more balanced solution.

Here's a request to all of the parties involved in the 35W litigation: Work with MnDOT and state attorneys to negotiate an acceptable out-of-court plan to move the wreckage as carefully and as soon as possible. Minnesotans should never forget the events of Aug. 1, 2007, but they should be able to finish the cathartic work of cleaning up the disaster.