[meyer]

Im betting one of those supports in the river gave way, and that pulled down the entire span, including the sections over land.

Quite possible. It doesn't look like there was a modular approach to the structure. If one support goes, the whole thing is pulled down with it. It's all tied together.

Plus, I suspect that there's plenty of rusty fasteners there.

[Solson]

Structural safety engineer on Channel 5. Surface reconstruction was simply a deck overlay. IT does appear that there may have been a significant number of construction workers on the bridge. Says something had to be weakened in the superstructure - the beams supporting the bridge.

There was some minor cracking in the structural steel in an inspection in 2006!!!!!