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Investigators Plan Bridge Reassembly

Jigsaw parts to be examined; search for victims continues

By Heather McPherson,  Newser User

Posted Aug 6, 2007 4:46 PM CDT

(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.

A 100-ton crane is already on its way towards the scene, and more heavy machinery is expected to arrive later today, but officials are expecting a final inquiry into the collapse won't be finished for a year and a half. The enormous jigsaw pieces of the collapsed structure are being removed from the Mississippi River slowly, because of the delicacy of the search for victims and the threat of further accidents.

A crane arrives at the site of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 in Minneapolis, Minn. Officials have said they plan to use heavy equipment later Monday to begin clearing the debris. But before the delicate task of removing the tons of concrete and steel could begin,...
A crane arrives at the site of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 in Minneapolis, Minn. Officials have said they plan to use heavy equipment later Monday to begin clearing the debris....   (Associated Press)
Bridge inspector Scott Harris, right, and crane operator Andy Dubay inspect the Back River Bridge, on Route 127 over the Back River connecting Arrowsic and Georgetown, Maine, Monday, Aug. 6, 2007. The Dept. of Transportation is inspecting the state's deck truss bridges that are similar in design to the bridge...
Bridge inspector Scott Harris, right, and crane operator Andy Dubay inspect the Back River Bridge, on Route 127 over the Back River connecting Arrowsic and Georgetown, Maine, Monday, Aug. 6, 2007. The...   (Associated Press)
Bridge safety inspector Terry J. Potts, consulting for PennDOT, conducts a regularly scheduled inspection of an Interstate 95 bridge over Castor Avenue in Philadelphia, Monday, Aug. 6, 2007. With the collapse of a major highway bridge in Minnesota on Wednesday, the safety of the country's highway and bridge network is...
Bridge safety inspector Terry J. Potts, consulting for PennDOT, conducts a regularly scheduled inspection of an Interstate 95 bridge over Castor Avenue in Philadelphia, Monday, Aug. 6, 2007. With the...   (Associated Press)
Bridge inspector Scott Harris, right, and crane operator Andy Dubay inspect the Back River Bridge, on Route 127 over the Back River connecting Arrowsic and Georgetown, Maine, Monday, Aug. 6, 2007. The Dept. of Transportation is inspecting the state's deck truss bridges that are similar in design to the bridge...
Bridge inspector Scott Harris, right, and crane operator Andy Dubay inspect the Back River Bridge, on Route 127 over the Back River connecting Arrowsic and Georgetown, Maine, Monday, Aug. 6, 2007. The...   (Associated Press)
A bicyclist passes by heavier than usual traffic coming into Minneapolis on the Hennepin Ave. bridge during the morning rush hour Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 in Minneapolis. Since the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed Wednesday, heavier then normal traffic has been seen on other routes. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
A bicyclist passes by heavier than usual traffic coming into Minneapolis on the Hennepin Ave. bridge during the morning rush hour Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 in Minneapolis. Since the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed...   (Associated Press)
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