A three-way bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota is shown collapsed into the Mississippi River, Aug. 1, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    LOS ANGELES, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cities across the United States are scrambling to double-check safety of bridges after the collapse of a Minneapolis bridge into the Mississippi River, killing at least five people and leaving about 100 injured.

    In Los Angeles, city council members Friday introduced a motion asking the Bureau of Engineering and the Public Works Department to provide an update on the city's bridge-renovation program.

    Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich also planned to ask his colleagues next week to have county road engineers "redouble their efforts" to look at area bridges in light of Wednesday's tragedy in Minneapolis.

    "We are confident with our bridges, but we're asking them to take one more look, to be vigilant in their inspection and maintaining practices," said a spokesman for Antonovich.

    Los Angeles officials said there are two bridges in the city similar in design to the Minnesota bridge, and both are scheduled for replacement.

    Each of the 500 bridges in Los Angeles is inspected every two years to assess safety, ability to accommodate traffic and structural integrity, according to the city's Board of Public Works President Cynthia Ruiz.

    Ruiz said the city is responsible for inspecting 66 of the bridges, with California state transportation agency Caltrans responsible for the remaining 434.

    Caltrans officials earlier on Thursday began emergency structural inspections of 69 bridges across the state, many of them among the nearly 3,000 bridges that have been classified as "structurally deficient," the same rating held by the collapsed Minneapolis bridge.

    Engineering experts warned that with many of California's bridges 40 to 70 years old, it is likely the state will suffer failures of its own at some point.

Expert: quarter of U.S. bridges overused

A freeway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed Wednesday, killing at least five people and plunging cars and tons of concrete into the water below. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Nearly a quarter of roughly 600,000 major bridges in the U.S. carried more traffic than they were designed to bear, an expert was quoted by the CNN as saying Friday.

    The remarks were made two days after the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minn., collapsed into the Mississippi River during rush hour Wednesday, killing at least five people and injuring 79 others. Eight people are still missing. Full story 

U.S. bridge collapse death toll rises to 5

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers in Minneapolis, Minn., have found the fifth body two days after a freeway bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River below, the CNN reported Friday.

    Authorities said the toll is expected to climb as they piece through wreckage in the water. Full story

U.S. bridge collapse kills 4, injuring 79

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Four people were confirmed dead and at least 79 others injured when an eight-lane freeway bridge in Minneapolis, Minn., collapsed into the Mississippi River below Wednesday, according to updated casualty figures.

    Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan said 20 to 30 people are still missing. Full story

Bridge collapses into Mississippi River in Minneapolis, killing 3

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A freeway bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed Wednesday, killing at least three people and plunging cars and chunks of concrete into the Mississippi River below, CNN reported.

    Television footage showed that the central section of the eight-lane bridge caved in, leaving some survivors and cars stranded on parts that are not completely submerged. Full story