Bush travels to bridge site

MINNEAPOLIS— President Bush used a tour of the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge Saturday to pledge responsibility for rebuilding the ruined structure, which he described as a "main artery of life" for residents of Minnesota's Twin Cities.

Standing in front of the crumpled concrete and twisted metal girders that once spanned the Mississippi River, Bush promised to "cut through" the bureaucracy and "see if we can't get this bridge rebuilt in a way that not only expedites the flow of traffic, but in a way that can stand the test of time."

"I make no promises on the timetable," Bush said. "I do promise that Mary Peters, the secretary of transportation, is going to be in charge of this project. I do promise she's going to listen to the local authorities to find out what the folks here need. I do promise that when she sees roadblocks and hurdles in the way of getting the job done, she'll do everything she can to eliminate them."

Peters has already requested an investigation into the federal bridge inspection program, and she told reporters Saturday that her department's inspector general would look at the prioritization of funds for bridge repairs. The Minnesota bridge had been classified as "structurally deficient" by the federal government since 1990.

Divers spent a third fruitless day searching for victims of a deadly bridge collapse, finding no bodies inside a crushed car pulled earlier Saturday from the murky Mississippi River waters. They planned to return to work today with sonar equipment to scan areas upriver and downriver.

The number of dead officially stands at five, and at least eight victims are believed trapped in the wreckage.

A detailed examination of the wreckage around the southern end of the bridge led investigators to conclude "that is probably not where the event began," said Mark Rosenker, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. The southern end shifted 81 feet during the collapse.

As a result, he said, investigators will use a helicopter mounted with a high-resolution camera — equipment like that used by Hollywood film crews — to look for points where the metal was cut, sheared or pulled on the northern end.

Rosenker also announced that the FBI had completed mapping the debris field, which will allow the state transportation department to begin removing cars from the fallen bridge's deck, as well as the deck itself.