A series of errors by contractors and consultants on the California bullet train venture caused support cables to fail on the massive bridge, triggering a stop work order and further delaying a project already years behind schedule, The Times has learned.

The bridge is longer than two football fields and is needed to shuttle vehicles over the future bullet train right of way and existing BNSF freight tracks in Madera County.

Authorities have yet to finalize a plan to repair the bridge. Late last year, crews installed temporary steel supports to prevent it from collapsing.

Hundreds of pages of documents obtained by The Times under a public records request show the steel supports snapped as a result of neglect, work damage, miscommunications and possible design problems.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.