BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) _ A column under construction collapsed on a new bridge Thursday, sending nine workers plunging into the Bay of St. Louis. One worker died and another was missing.
Eight workers were taken to area hospitals following the accident on the U.S. 90 bridge, a two-mile span that was built to replace one that was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and partially opened to traffic last month.
Alger Pennamn, 51, of Jackson, was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, said Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove. The others were in stable condition, according to hospital officials.Workers were pouring concrete on the north side of the bridge when a column form failed and fell, according to Lisa Siegel, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Transportation."The whole column went into the water," she said.
The Coast Guard dispatched two rescue helicopters and a 25-foot boat to join the search for the missing worker, said Petty Officer Tom Atkeson. Officials suspected the worker was trapped under debris in the water.
The workers involved in the accident were employed by Granite Archer Western, the contractor in charge of building the new bridge. Company spokesman Dan Galvin wouldn't release any additional information about the missing or injured workers.
The $267 million bridge, which connects Bay St. Louis with Pass Christian to the east, is scheduled to be completed in November.
- GoErie.com, Friday, June 15th, 2007
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