bridge collapse

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Bush Dismisses Gas Tax Hike for Bridge Repair

Prez blasts Congress, warns Iran over Iraq, asks Sarkozy to lunch

(Newser) - President Bush today rejected a gasoline tax increase that would raise money for bridge repairs across the country, saying Congress should reevaluate the way it allocates tax revenues now. In a wide-ranging press conference before departing for vacation in Maine, he continued to defend Alberto Gonzales and fielded numerous questions...

Feds Spot Bridge Support Flaw
Feds Spot Bridge Support Flaw

Feds Spot Bridge Support Flaw

Same metal plates are used by hundreds of other bridges

(Newser) - Federal experts investigating the Minneapolis bridge disaster have identified a structural flaw that may have led to the collapse, reports the New York Times. Investigators suspect that steel gusset plates used to connect the girders weren't strong enough to support the bridge right from the start. Federal authorities immediately warned...

Inspectors Highlighted Bridge Faults

Debris removal delayed as Navy, FBI divers comb wreckage

(Newser) - The I-35W bridge collapse followed 10 years' worth of warnings from bridge inspectors, who eventually recommended that the structure be replaced, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Experts disagree on the urgency with which the warnings were issued and should have been addressed, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty said yesterday that no...

Investigators Plan Bridge Reassembly

Jigsaw parts to be examined; search for victims continues

(Newser) - NTSB investigators will rebuild the wreckage of the I-35W bridge downriver, the Star Tribune reports. Safety officials will examine the twisted rubble piece by piece in an attempt to figure out what caused last week's devastating collapse. Investigators also hope to recover bodies still trapped in the debris.

Bridge Still a Threat Days After Collapse

Price tag for removing wreckage likely to approach $15M

(Newser) - A final report on the specifics of the Minneapolis bridge collapse will be delayed because of the continuing danger the wreckage poses to investigators, a federal official says, and local authorities project that the cleanup will cost as much as $15 million. The report will examine claims the bridge had...

McCain Blames Earmarks for Bridge Disaster

Pet projects diverted funds from transportation safety, says candidate

(Newser) - John McCain blasted fellow legislators yesterday for contributing to the Minnesota bridge collapse by spending billions of taxpayer dollars on pet projects rather than transportation safety. "Maybe if we had done it right, maybe some of that money would have gone to inspect those bridges and other bridges around...

Bush Inspects Bridge Collapse
Bush Inspects Bridge Collapse

Bush Inspects Bridge Collapse

President makes a visit to inspect collapsed bridge

(Newser) - President Bush got an aerial view of the collapsed highway bridge in Minneapolis today, as his Marine One helicapter circled the site several times to allow the commander in chief to  inspect the wreckage. He listened to briefings on plans for recovery, and met with victims' families.

Bridge Collapse Still a Mystery
Bridge Collapse Still a Mystery

Bridge Collapse Still a Mystery

Investigators examine site, computer models in quest to explain structural failure

(Newser) - State and private experts are investigating the wreckage of the I-35W bridge in search of a structural explanation for Wednesday's collapse, and sophisticated computer modeling is testing stress points. Time looks at bridges, seemingly indestructible structures that carry enormous volumes of traffic and can succumb to anything from corrosion to...

Hero Counselor Saves Kids From Bus on Bridge

He passes 52 trapped kids to volunteers

(Newser) - When a bus packed with kids returning from a field trip came to rest at a precarious angle on the collapsed I-35W bridge, dangling over the Mississippi River, counselor Jeremy Hernandez barely had time to think. "I knew we had to get them out of there," the 20-year-old...

Bridge Rated 'Structurally Deficient' in 2005

Hunt still on for missing

(Newser) - Federal engineers rated the Minneapolis bridge that plunged into the Mississippi as "structurally deficient" as far back as 1990 and as recently as 2005, citing significant corrosion in its bearings. But state officials opted for patchwork repairs and more inspections rather than a complete overhaul. "We thought we...

Feds Send $5M to Repair Bridge
Feds Send $5M to Repair Bridge

Feds Send $5M to Repair Bridge

(Newser) - The federal government released $5M to Minneapolis today to help with cleanup and rebuilding after the I-35W bridge collapsed yesterday. Minnesota's senators say they'll need $100M and 2 years to repair the bridge fully. "We in the federal government must respond, and respond robustly," President Bush said.

30 Missing in Bridge Collapse
30 Missing in Bridge Collapse

30 Missing in Bridge Collapse

Divers bid to recover bodies

(Newser) - As many as 30 people are still missing after yesterday’s fatal bridge collapse in Minneapolis, as divers search underwater for bodies trapped in cars, the AP reports. The divers are taking down license plate numbers of submerged vehicles to help identify the missing. Meanwhile, the official death toll dropped...

Toll Hits 7 in Bridge Collapse
Toll Hits 7 in Bridge Collapse

Toll Hits 7 in Bridge Collapse

'My car pointed straight down and we fell'

(Newser) - The death toll in the catastrophic bridge collapse over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis has hit 7, with other victims fighting for their lives, CNN reports. One bystander says cars were "completely crushed" after suddenly plunging into the river during rush hour Wednesday evening when the 40-year-old bridge gave...

6 Dead in Minn. Bridge Collapse
6 Dead in Minn. Bridge Collapse

6 Dead in Minn. Bridge Collapse

(Newser) - A four-lane bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed during the evening rush, killing at least 6 people and injuring dozens. Witnesses say there were up to 100 cars on the bridge at the time, and as many as 50 were hurled into the river and onto the banks;...

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