Lafayette Bridge deemed OK so far

Last update: September 7, 2007 - 11:40 PM

An inspection of the Lafayette Bridge in St. Paul has thus far uncovered nothing "giving us any cause for concern," a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) spokesman said Friday.

Crews should complete their work by Wednesday, said spokesman Kent Barnard.

The bridge, a part of Hwy. 52 that carries 81,000 vehicles a day, spans the Mississippi River east of downtown St. Paul, and was last inspected in June. This week's return to the bridge came at the direction of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who asked that bridges be reinspected across the state, he said.

He added MnDOT is not anticipating finding any structural problems with the Lafayette Bridge. While work continues, traffic is being restricted to a single lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays in the direction that is being inspected.

Like the 35W bridge, the Lafayette was already deemed "fracture-critical," meaning that if one part fails the whole bridge could fall.

ANTHONY LONETREE

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