Governor calls for Utah bridge inspections after Minneapolis bridge collapse

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. today asked the Utah Department of Transportation to begin a review of about 200 Utah bridges that pose risks or that are heavily used, in the wake of a bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

Other governors around the nation also were asking their state transportation departments to review their bridge inspections.

In Minnesota, rescue workers halted their efforts this afternoon to search the waters of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis for dozens of people still missing in the wreckage of a collapsed highway bridge after strong currents blocked their work.

Four people are confirmed dead in the collapse, officials said. That figure is likely to rise as bodies of the missing, who are estimated to be at least 20 to about 30, are recovered from vehicles that fell into the river on Wednesday evening from the Interstate 35W bridge. The span, which was being resurfaced at the time, was filled with backed up rush-hour traffic when it gave way just after 6 p.m. Central time. Another 79 people were injured, officials said.

The Utah review will begin immediately, Huntsman said in a statement. An outside contractor will verify all the data collected.

"The well-being of Utah is my top priority," he said. "I hope all citizens will feel confident that the roads and bridges in Utah are safe for travel and well-maintained."

Every two years, UDOT does an inspection of the state's 2,700 bridges. The governor's review will focus on about 200 bridges that have high traffic, as well as those that cross over rivers or high mountain passes.

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Contributing: New York Times

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