BETTENDORF-- Two I-74 bridge construction workers were rescued after falling into the Mississippi River.
Officials with Iowa Department of Transportation say between February 6 and 7, 2019 two workers on barges fell into the river. In both cases, the contractor promptly implemented safety protocols, and the workers were quickly rescued by the crew on site. There were no serious injuries.
To ensure the safety of the workers, the contractor shut down most operations for the remainder of that week. Work has resumed this week.
IDOT officials released the following statement about safety protocols:
"Lunda, in coordination with the Iowa DOT, has safety protocols in place to ensure incidents are handled promptly and appropriately. A safety manager is on site daily. All construction workers on site receive extensive safety training and participate in regular “man overboard” drills. When put into practice, the safety protocols have been successful and serious injuries have been avoided."