Pre-Collapse Photos Show Bends on (Minneapolis)Bridge

[tekisui]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Old photos of the Interstate 35W bridge show two steel connecting plates were visibly bent as early as 2003 — four years before the span collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people.

Minnesota Department of Transportation officials declined to say when the state first knew about the bending in the pieces of steel, called gusset plates.

Two photos, part of a report issued earlier this month by the National Transportation Safety Board, reveal slight bends in gusset plates that hold beams together at two separate connecting points. The plates are in areas believed to be among the first points of failure when the span collapsed.

The NTSB's Office of Highway Safety confirmed that the bowing is part of the investigation into why the bridge collapsed Aug. 1, the Star Tribune newspaper reported Sunday.

NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker didn't comment on the photos, but has said the original design for the bridge specified steel for those and other gusset plates that was too thin.

NTSB spokesman Terry Williams told the Star Tribune the bowing is among "the many things that we are looking at as part of this investigation."

The newspaper said inspection records make no mention of repairs to the bending gusset plates.

more at link w/photos: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hzIKjkqgtegSS2txLpdxMQTnksfQD8VJAHL00

[sam sarrha]

1. the ReThug governor set back the inspections so work slow downs wouldn't make him look bad in the

next election.. they didn't want to raise the taxes to pay for the bridge work before the election also.. they wanted to do a cheap half ass ed patch.. not really fix it

they knew from previous tests there were serious problems

[ThatsMyBarack]

2. Wonder where * was having cake.

:eyes:

[malaise]

3. In the good old days

someone would be charged for negligence or at the very least they'd resign.

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. Kick.