Report: Bridge inspectors raised concerns beginning in 1996

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- State engineers recommended in 2000 that the Interstate 35W bridge that collapsed last week be replaced or redecked, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday.

That 2000 recommendation followed reports beginning four years earlier that raised concerns about the bridge, Star Tribune reporter Pat Doyle said Wednesday on CNN's "American Morning."

Engineers were so concerned, "They ended some reports with exclamation points," Doyle said.

The bridge was undergoing minor resurfacing when it collapsed and was not scheduled to be replaced until 2015 at the earliest, Doyle said.

The Star Tribune reporter said that two years ago a consultant hired by the Minnesota Department of Transportation recommended that steel plates be used to reinforce the bridge superstructure.

"MnDOT opted for what they refer to as a more efficient or most cost-efficient alternative to that which is essentially inspecting the bridge," Doyle said.

Five people were killed when the eight-lane bridge plunged 60 feet into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour August 1. Eight people are missing. Watch "traffic cam" video of the chaos moments after the bridge collapse »

Divers from the FBI stopped using the larger of two submersibles because the unmanned submarine could not navigate the wreckage, Special Agent Paul McCabe said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. The divers will continue to use a camera-equipped, shoe box-size submersible in the search for victims, the AP reported.

The victims probably are trapped in the bridge wreckage because unhindered bodies would have floated to the surface within 24 hours, officials said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, residents observed a minute of silence at 6:05 p.m., the moment when the I-35W bridge collapsed.

The silence ended a minute later when the city's places of worship began tolling their bells. The Minneapolis City Hall and Courthouse clock tower's bells also tolled.

Public mourning continued Wednesday, exactly one week after the collapse.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at the state Capitol from sunrise to sunset. "We pray for the recovery of the injured and ask all Minnesotans to help comfort the families and friends of the victims who are suffering unimaginable pain," Pawlenty said in his proclamation. See photos of bridge memorials »

A newly released video shows the chaotic moments just after the disaster.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic camera was pointed away from the bridge when it collapsed, but it showed traffic traveling toward the span suddenly coming to a halt as drivers realized something was terribly wrong.

Moments later, the camera swung around until it showed a vast gap where the bridge had stood minutes before. Panicked drivers just feet away from the drop can be seen jumping out of their cars and running away.

Minneapolis police Capt. Mike Martin said 16 people have been arrested at the disaster scene, including two on Tuesday, mostly on charges related to trespassing near the bridge, which is considered a death-scene investigation site. E-mail to a friend

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