A 'working theory' on collapse

'Working theory' blames design, weight for I-35W bridge collapse

Excerpt:

Federal transportation officials today sought to clarify the status of their investigation of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, a day after Transportation Secretary Mary Peters described a "working theory" of a poorly designed gusset plate and a heavy load of construction materials.

Peters' remarks came during a round-table discussion at the White House Transportation Legislative Leaders Summit in Washington, prompting a Minnesota lawmaker to scribble "Wow" in his notes.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the Aug. 1 collapse, which killed 13 and injured about 100. An answer is expected to take 12 to 18 months. The stakes are high - the probe could show whether the state failed to adequately maintain or repair the structure.

State Sen. Steve Murphy said he heard Peters say the NTSB's finding won't be lack of inspections or maintenance, and jotted that down in his notes.

"I almost fell out of my chair, and I say that because I know how much money we spend on maintenance," said Murphy, a Democrat from Red Wing who oversees transportation budgets. "I know how far behind we are on actually fixing the stuff that needs to be taken care of to keep the public safe."

Peters' spokesman said she didn't say anything the NTSB hasn't already made public. The board flagged gusset plates and construction weight a week after the bridge failure, and Peters warned transportation officials nationwide to check construction loads on bridges.

Comment: Compare: The Straw that Broke and Problems with the gusset joints.