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

References

  1. "I-35W Bridge Collapse Myths". Weeks, John A. III. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  2. "2006 Traffic Volumes" (PDF). The Minnesota DOT. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  3. Design Errors Factor in 2007 Bridge Collapse . USA Today. Report.