Longtime enemy of bridges & statues, pigeons took toll on failed Minn. freeway span
‘A lightweight enemy could have helped speed up rusting on the collapsed Minneapolis bridge: pigeons.
Experts say corrosive pigeon droppings caked on the bridge could have made steel beams rust faster. Investigators still haven’t pinpointed what caused the collapse, and haven’t said whether the birds had a part in the disaster that killed at least 13 people.
But inspectors in a late 1980s report noted a “coating of pigeon dung” on the bridge. Pigeons have long been a structural pest, because their dung can eat through concrete.’
Followup to Divers suspend Minneapolis search.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:19 am
Avoiding the next Minneapolis freeway tragedy can be as easy as the departments of transportations installing cost-effective technology to warn the pigeons from going anywhere near the bridges. These safe and environmental tools are available to pest-proof any property. Check out http://www.bird-x.com or call 800.662.5021