The deadly collapse of a Minnesota freeway is now having implications across the country and right here in Florida.
Federal officials told all states to immediately inspect bridges of similar design. Gov. Charlie Crist ordered a report on all bridges throughout the state.
Officials found 12 vehicles in the murky Mississippi River after all eight lanes of the Interstate 35 west bridge plunged into the water Wednesday.
The official death toll stands at four, but authorities say there are trapped bodies.
Getting the vehicles out is expected to take several days and involve moving around very large, heavy pieces of debris. Poor visibility and a strong current are hampering search teams.
News 13 talked to some travelers who landed at Orlando International Airport from Minneapolis Wednesday night who use that bridge just about every day.
"Actually, if it was not for this vacation, I would have been -- who knows, I probably would have been on that bridge, because I usually work until 3 or 4 o'clock and rush hour usually by the time I get home it's about 7 or 8 o'clock. It's a pretty busy bridge during rush hour," said Michael Neufville, of Minneapolis.
"I was pretty surprised, but the bridge was under construction and it had been under construction for some time. It's pretty surprising it would fall in like that. It's pretty scary," said Kim Soler, of Minneapolis.
The passengers News 13 talked to, said they heard about the collapse at the airport in Minneapolis just minutes before boarding.
Accident Brings Bad Memories For Tampa Bay Area
The bridge disaster in Minnesota is bringing back bad memories for some people in the Tampa Bay area.
On May 9, 1980, a freighter collided with a pier of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge during a storm.
The impact sent over 1,200 feet of the southbound side of the bridge plummeting into Tampa Bay. Six cars and a Greyhound bus fell 150 feet, killing 35 people.
One man survived and sued the company that owned the ship. They settled for $175,000.
Central Florida Bridges Checked Frequently
The bridge collapse in Minnesota has many people wondering about the safety of our area bridges.
Out of 800 bridges in Central Florida, the Department of Transportation said six are deemed structurally deficient, or not up to code.
The first three are in Brevard County and are part of the Melbourne Causeway over the Indian River. The steel on three of bridges is corroding. It is scheduled to be replaced starting in 2009.
The other two bridges over the Sebastian River are not up to code because the piling the bridge sits on is also corroding. Those two bridges are scheduled to be replaced this fall.
The sixth bridge is in Flagler County on State Road 11. It's over little Haw Creek just north of 304. The bridge is deteriorating, and is scheduled for replacement this fall as well.
"I feel like having six that are in this category out of the 800 is very good,” Ron Meade said. “Even those bridges [are] very safe and it can still carry the full traffic, it is just that they are ready to be replaced."
The DOT said it inspects these bridges once a year, at the very least.