RANDALL CHASE
Associated Press Writer
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The account of an engineer who first noticed a problem with an interstate bridge is raising questions about the urgency with which officials responded.
Dave Charles tells The Associated Press on Thursday he was working near the bridge last week and noticed it appeared to be tilting. He said he sent emails with photos to an employee of the transportation department’s bridge unit at about 6 p.m. May 29. Charles says the official verified he’d received them.
The state transportation department has said it didn’t learn of the bridge trouble until Friday, May 30. An examination was done Monday and the bridge was closed.
When asked about the discrepancy, Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt told AP a low-level contact was made May 29 and relayed to senior management the next day.
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