Minnesota Dept. of Transportation officials have issued an urgent request for proposals for design-build teams interested in replacing Minneapolis’ I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River, the 40-year-old bridge that collapsed on August 1.

A design-build contract could be awarded as soon as early September, according to a news alert by Engineering News Record. On Friday, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters vowed that money will not be an issue for rebuilding the bridge.

Selecting a team on such short notice “is unlike any process that we have ever followed before,” said Bob McFarlin, MNDOT’s assistant commissioner. The contract will take into account qualifications, unlike typical low-bid projects the state usually procures, he said.

The agency already has selected Parsons Brinckerhoff to examine its inspection protocols and help speed up emergency inspections for the state’s ongoing bridge sweep.