MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 4 The interstate highway bridge across the Mississippi River that collapsed should be replaced by the end of next year, Minnesota officials said Saturday.
The death toll from Wednesday's failure of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis appears to be smaller than feared. By Saturday afternoon, divers had recovered no more bodies, leaving the list of confirmed dead at five while eight others were missing, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
The bridge came down at rush hour with cars jamming the roadway. But most drivers managed to escape unharmed or with comparatively minor injuries.
At a news media briefing Saturday, Bob McFarlin, assistant state commissioner of transportation, said the bridge would be rebuilt "as quickly as possible." The state hopes to begin soliciting bids for the new bridge next week.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
