|
|
 |
 |
President Tours Site of Bridge Collapse
President Bush visited the site in Minneapolis where a bridge collapsed last week, falling into the Mississippi River. As many people deal with the horror and loss caused by the accident, others look for the cause.
Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota. The Mississippi River cuts through it. The bridge that fell stood 64 feet over the river and connected different parts of the city.
The 8-lane bridge was 40 years old. It was the most heavily used bridge in the entire state. Over 140 thousand cars passed over it every day, which may have been part of the problem. The bridge wasn't designed for the amount of cars that used it.
Ten years ago, it was described as structurally deficient after an inspection. This term doesn't mean that it's unsafe, though! It just meant the bridge had problems - like small cracks and rusted metal. The city was actually repairing some of these when the bridge fell.
Unfortunately, disaster struck and dozens of people were injured and at least five died. Now the government is collecting the pieces in order to figure out exactly what happened. Similar bridges in Minnesota and around the country are being inspected to make sure they are safe.
I'm Ben and that's what happened in our nation this week!
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
