Aerial photo from the south looking north-northwest of the bridge carrying I-35W over the Minnesota River in Burnsville, Minnesota. (Credit: Tyler Vigen/Wikipedia)

Bolander has won a $15m contract to remove debris from the 1,900ft (580m) bridge. But its cranes were not the first on site. By chance, a US Army Corps of Engineers 100 US ton barge, the Corps Crane Barge Wade, was working nearby on the Lower St. Anthony Falls lock and dam when the accident occurred, and has since helped dive teams.

Truck Crane Service, based in Eagan, Minnesota, was also on emergency call in the hours after the incident, but the emergency cranes were ultimately not necessary, said Truck Crane Service president Paul Doran.