ST. PAUL (AP) - Minnesota's legal battle over the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge has ended with an $8.9 million settlement involving a California design firm.

A Minnesota Department of Transportation spokeswoman says a final check from Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. arrived Tuesday.

The settlement was reached in mid-October but not publicized. The Associated Press learned of the settlement through a disclosure of pending cases the state makes ahead of bond sales.

Jacobs, which acquired the original design company, previously argued too much time had passed between the bridge's construction in the 1960s and the collapse in 2007. But state courts and the U.S. Supreme Court let the case go forward.

The collapse killed 13 and injured 145 more.

Court papers say Jacobs agreed to the settlement to avoid protracted litigation and more legal expenses.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

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