The Minnesota Department of Transportation says the Highway 61 bridge over the Mississippi River in Hastings is "functionally obsolete" in a release Thursday, meaning it was built to standards that do not meet current federal requirements.
While the deck and substructure received a "fair" rating, the superstructure of the bridge came out "poor" according to MnDOT which means "significant section loss occurred to the primary structural elements and rehabilitation is needed to address deficiancies."
Overall the bridge, which spans 514 feet and was built in 1950, received a rating of 38.1 on a 100 point scale making it eligible for federal funding. The I-35W bridge had received a 51 rating before it collapsed.
MnDOT officials insist they would close the bridge if it wasn't safe for traffic use.
According to the release, MnDOT plans for repairs on the Highway 61 bridge to begin in May 2008 and will take three-and-a-half months to complete.
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