Prelim Design Picked for Minn. Bridge

Martiga Lohn
AP

MINNEAPOLIS -

State officials are moving swiftly to replace the collapsed Mississippi River bridge and already have picked a preliminary design for the new span, an official said Monday.

Highway officials typically would select several design choices, but not this time, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lucy Kender said.

"In this one, there's only one that has been developed," she said.

Kender would not give any details of the design. She said public comment on the proposed 10-lane bridge will begin this week.

The official death toll from the Aug. 1 collapse of the Interstate 35W span rose to nine with the recovery of another body Sunday.

The bridge that broke up and fell into the river was one of the state's busiest, and officials have set a goal of opening a replacement by the end of 2008.

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