I-35W Mississippi River bridge

The bridge in 2006

The I-35W Mississippi River bridge was an eight-lane steel arch bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1967. It was the third busiest bridge in Minnesota.^[1] It carried over 140,000 vehicles daily.^[2]

On August 1, 2007, during the evening rush hour, a major failure caused the bridge to fall down. The bridge collapse killed 13 people and injured at least 145 more people. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said a problem with the design probably caused the bridge to fall. They said a too-thin steel plate ripped along a line of rivets. Also, additional weight at the time due to ongoing rehabilitation construction led to the major failure that caused the bridge to fall into the Mississippi River.^[3] It later was replaced with the I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge which opened in September 2008. The new bridge that opened in 2008 carries 10 lanes.

I-35W Mississippi River Bridge Media

Map showing August 1, 2007 Failed I-35W bridge over Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Collapsed bridge indicated by red.
I-35W bridge structure before collapse
South end of I-35W bridge as seen from West River Parkway
I-35W bridge (center left) west of the 10th Avenue Bridge (center right), 2004
Bridge seen from below in 2006
Security camera images show the collapse in animation, looking north.
Vehicles that were on the bridge when it collapsed remain in the wreckage. They were numbered as part of the investigation.
Mayor R. T. Rybak surveys the collapsed bridge
Ninety-three people were rescued from the collapsed bridge. Minneapolis Fire Department boats on the Mississippi River took about twenty people. The rescue lasted about three hours.
United States Navy divers in the recovery operation, diving from a United States Army Corps of Engineers barge