The Department of Transportation will soon begin 24-hour monitoring of several Wisconsin bridges that are similar to the one that collapsed in Minneapolis last week.
The DOT will soon begin installing electronic monitoring devices on 15 deck-truss bridges across the state. Chief bridge engineer Finn Hubbard says the devices allow them to track how the bridges move, even if it's only fractions of an inch. He says the sensors will help spot any problems well in advance, so a tragedy similar to the one in Minnesota can be prevented.
The sensors can be monitored remotely, so Finn says the DOT can watch them 24-hours a day.
The devices are expected to cost up to $10,000 per bridge.