Can the new bridge stand the heat?

35W bridge design
A rendering of the new I-35W bridge design, which will be built by Flatiron Construction.
Image courtesy of MnDOT

The Star Tribune reported Thursday that National Transportation Safety Board investigators are looking into the role heat may have played in the I-35W bridge collapse.

Engineers design bridges to be able to accommodate seasonal weather extremes by allowing them to contract and expand. But the paper reported that a system of roller bearings that allowed the I-35W bridge to move with temperature changes wasn't working correctly.

Linda Figg is the lead designer of the I-35W bridge replacement project and CEO of FIGG Engineering Group. She spoke with All Things Considered host Tom Crann about how the new I-35W bridge will be designed to withstand Minnesota's extreme winters and summers.

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