Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Linked to Design Flaw

A design flaw in steel plates contributed to the collapse of a bridge in Minneapolis last year that killed 13 people and injured more than 100, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing the National Transportation Safety Board.

NTSB is trying to prevent failures in 465 other U.S. bridges that are similar to the steel deck truss bridge in Minneapolis, Bloomberg said.

It recommended owners of the bridges ensure spans are designed properly before adding weight to them.

Sixteen plates that held the bridge’s s steel beams together should have been one inch thick, and the design instead called for only a half-inch, NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker said at a Washington news conference, Bloomberg said.