The Federal Highway Administration is urging each state to inspect their bridges that are like the one that collapsed in Minneapolis. The 35W Bridge is a steel-deck truss bridge and over 750 such bridges exist around the United States. Mary Peters, the Transportation Secretary, sent out letters after the bridge collapse yesterday.
“Even though we don’t know what caused this collapse, we want states to immediately and thoroughly examine all similar spans out of an abundance of caution,” Peters said.
The bridge that collapsed during rush hour Wednesday evening was built in 1967, rose 64 feet above the river and stretched 1,900 feet across the water. It was built with a single 458-foot-long steel arch to avoid the need for piers that might interfere with river navigation.
The official death toll from the bridge collapse stands at four people. There are still some vehicles in the water and divers are working on recovering any victims.
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