Indeed, there was some tension over whether the House and Senate would convene a formal conference committee to bridge the differences between their bills.
During a Wednesday news conference, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty described the bridge deficiencies as "minor" and said the state was told that the bridge's deck might need to be rehabilitated or replaced in 2020 or later.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the vehicle restrictions at a 3pm press conference Wednesday, prompted by a morning commute that brought widespread gridlock to Manhattan and spread back through all bridge crossings.