Illinois bridges' gusset plates inspected and found to be safe, state officials say

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois officials say all bridges getting ready for construction here are undergoing a special review to ensure they can handle the weight of extra construction materials.

Federal officials said Tuesday a design error involving support plates led to the collapse of the Minneapolis interstate bridge last year that killed 13 people and injured 100 others. Construction materials on the bridge the day it collapsed added about 300 tons.

Mike Claffey with the Illinois Department of Transportation says officials have closely inspected Illinois' 31 deck-truss bridges with those kind of support plates and found no reason to worry.

Claffey says I-DOT requires contractors and designers to calculate bridges' ability to handle extra weight from construction materials before work begins on them.