He immediately released all available design and inspection data, allowed reporters to duplicate thousands of documents and assisted in an investigation that ultimately determined bridge inspectors had been less than diligent in doing their jobs.

It has eliminated 14 of the 70 workers on bridge repair crews, 7 of the 49 bridge inspectors and 4 of the 14 overseers of road resurfacing projects.

He is a bridge inspector by trade.

The City Council's investigative unit joined forces with the Comptroller to take advantage of the city auditor's engineering staff to assess the performance of the bridge inspectors.

Hours in the Field For a five week-period, the investigators followed bridge inspectors who examined bridges in Manhattan and the Bronx.

The investigators blamed the Dinkins administration for failing to adequately supervise the city's bridge inspectors in determining whether they do their jobs.

Under the 1978 Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act, all city and state bridges must be inspected according to Federal procedures once every two years by trained bridge inspectors supervised by the state.

In 1984 Cooper joined the North Carolina Department of Transportation as an underwater bridge inspector.

Removing Loose Concrete After the soundings, he said, bridge inspectors certify that each location is safe.

The transportation aides included eight bridge inspectors.