Interstate bridge that collapsed during storm in California desert passed inspection in March

Transportation officials say a bridge along California's Interstate 10 that collapsed during a storm passed inspection earlier this year.

Will Shuck with the California Department of Transportation said Monday that inspectors found no safety issues during an inspection on March 17.

The bridge, which spans a desert gully, was built in 1967. It collapsed Sunday during heavy rains, indefinitely severing a major artery between Southern California and Arizona.

The National Weather Service says rain fell at a rate of 1.5 inches an hour before floodwaters washed the bridge out. A total of 6.7 inches fell Sunday near Desert Center, California.

Inspectors planned to assess all bridges along a 30-mile stretch of the interstate after a second bridge showed signs of damage following the storm.