Finishing touches are being applied this week to Minnesota's new Interstate 35W Bridge ahead of it being opened to traffic little more than a year after the fatal collapse of its predecessor.

The original bridge collapsed in August 2007. The contractual completion date for its replacement is 24 December but it is set to open early, sometime between mid-September and mid-October.

This week's tasks include installing two 10m-high gateway elements at the median of the bridge to mark the crossing of the Mississippi River. Equipment for a sensor system which will monitor various aspects of the bridge is also being installed and tested this week.