More problems with Mississippi River Bridge

Just two years after a bridge in southern Minnesota was shut down for repairs, transportation officials found similar problems.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation said it found corrosion in several gusset plates in the Mississippi River Bridge at Winona. Those are the same structural components that bridge's sudden close June 3, 2008.

Officials are restricting weight limits until Tuesday's repairs. State troopers will guard each entrance.

Department spokeswoman Jessica Wiens says the problem is not minor, but it's not as severe as two years ago.

A more extensive inspection of the 70-year-old bridge is planned for later this month. It's scheduled for a replacement or major overhaul in four years.

Under-designed and corroded gusset plates were determined to be a major cause of the I-35W bridge collapse.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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