AMES, Iowa -- The collapse of an interstate bridge in Minneapolis on Wednesday shouldn't cause drivers to worry about crossing Iowa's bridges, said the director of the Bridge Engineering Center at Iowa State University.
"The probability of a major catastrophe is very, very low," said Terry Wipf, who's also the Pitt-Des Moines, Inc. Professor in Civil Engineering at Iowa State. "This is a very unique situation.
"People shouldn't be afraid."
Wipf and Brent Phares, the associate director of the bridge center and an adjunct assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, can answer questions about bridge safety and bridge engineering.
Wipf and Phares were part of an Iowa State team that helped the Iowa Department of Transportation monitor and evaluate three bridges as part of the Interstate 235 reconstruction project in Des Moines.
