LONGVIEW — Authorities reopened the Lewis and Clark Bridge between Longview and Rainier, Ore., that had been shut down for hours because of suspicious backpacks hanging from the Oregon side.
Oregon State Police say that authorities responded about 10:20 a.m. Monday to reports of a man lowering backpacks from the bridge over the Columbia River.
The bridge was closed for about 4 hours, as was traffic on the river, causing backups more than a mile long.
Police say the Oregon State Patrol Bomb Unit deployed a robot which was used to x-ray the bags but the results were inconclusive. The team then used a high pressure water cannon mounted on the robot to reveal the contents. Police say the bags contained clothing and miscellaneous personal property.