Bush pledges quick rebuild aid

MINNEAPOLIS — President Bush pledged Saturday to cut red tape that could delay rebuilding a highway bridge that once arched over the Mississippi River but now lies crumbled in muddy water concealing some victims.

Bush, dogged by his administration's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina, toured the site of Wednesday's collapse, which sent dozens of cars sliding into the river from the Minneapolis span. The Interstate 35W bridge carried 141,000 vehicles a day.

At least five people died and about 100 others were injured; of those, 24 remained hospitalized Saturday, five in critical condition.

"Our message to the Twin Cities is, we want to get this bridge rebuilt as quick as possible," Bush said as he stood next to wreckage littered with abandoned vehicles. He offered no timetable for rebuilding the bridge, a project he put in the hands of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.

Divers continued searching for victims Saturday, pausing periodically so crews could remove debris in the way. Police released an official list of the eight people reported missing. Crews pulled a crushed car out of the water, but no bodies were found inside.

Late Saturday, the House approved $250 million to help repair the bridge. The Senate approved that amount Friday. Congress still would have to appropriate the money in future legislation. The government also is providing $5 million to help remove tons of debris and reroute traffic.

State transportation officials, meanwhile, said they hired the New York Parsons Brinckerhoff engineering firm as the consultant to review the transportation department's bridge-inspection protocols. Parsons also will assist in speedier inspections of Minnesota bridges.