Police are investigating how a Caterpillar backhoe loader ended up on the new Liberty Memorial Bridge.

Bismarck Police Lt. Randy Ziegler said someone reported the backhoe was on a west-bound lane of the bridge at 4:53 a.m. Monday and didn't appear to belong there. The rear window of the backhoe had been broken out, and the machine may have been hotwired to have been driven to that point, Ziegler said.

The Caterpillar, which belongs to Strata Corp., had been parked on the 1400 block of West Main Avenue, Ziegler said. He said someone working security in the area said the backhoe had not been on the bridge at 4 a.m.

The $45,000 machine had $2,000 damage to its equipment ignition panel and $500 damage to a window, Ziegler said.

- JennyMichael