NAPA, Calif. (AP) -- Part of a bridge under construction collapsed Wednesday, killing one worker and injuring seven others, three of them critically, authorities said.
Several workers were adjusting jacks under the bridge between two supports when a 100-foot section containing eight steel beams and several tons of wood fell about 40 feet, officials said.
The new section was being raised into position to the bridge deck, where it was to be filled with concrete, when ``something went wrong,'' said Barry Martin, spokesman for the Napa Transportation Management Plan, a city transportation agency.
The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating.
Two workers were injured as they ``rode the collapse to the ground,'' said Darren Drake of the Napa Fire Department. One worker standing below died.
Emergency crews rescued several workers from the rubble, and one was flown to a hospital by helicopter, authorities said.
The injured included a California Department of Transportation inspector and six workers from private construction firms, Martin said.
The pile of debris was too unstable to pull out the dead man by nightfall Wednesday, Drake said. No identities were released.
The bridge has been under construction since April. It's next to the Maxwell Bridge, which carries traffic over the Napa River and connects the city's south end with the San Francisco Bay area.
The $40 million replacement project was designed to relieve a traffic bottleneck and improve flood safety in the area, as well as give boats higher clearance.
Worker Charles Jennings said he was on the west side of the bridge when the collapse occurred on the other side.
``I heard a terrible rumble, saw the bridge go down, and I got out of there,'' he said.
