One Of The Worst Disasters In U.S. History Happened Right Here In Minnesota

For the most part, Minnesota doesn’t make the national news too often. If we do, it’s usually about our heavy snowfall or our frigid temperatures. But there have occasionally been events that gripped the nation for their severity. One of the most memorable was the 2007 I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. This tragic event had lasting effects for many people in the area, and it remains one of the worst bridge failure disasters ever.

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Forty years later, it was the third-busiest bridge in Minnesota. Its eight lanes carried about 140,000 cars across the Mississippi River each day.

Kevin Rofidal/Wikimedia Commons

With many cars slowly crossing the bridge in heavy traffic, a section of the bridge collapsed. A span of the central part of the bridge collapsed first, followed by others that were connected to it. Most of the bridge fell into the Mississippi River, with other parts landing on the riverbanks or in a nearby rail yard.

An investigation late revealed that parts of the bridge were not adequate to support the weight it carried daily. The construction that was taking place on the bridge at the time made the issue worse

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A total of 111 cars and trucks were part of the disaster. A few vehicles fell into the river, but most stayed on the collapsed section of road. First responders rushed to the scene to put out fires that broke out as a result of the collapse, and to rescue those stuck on the river.

Still, dozens of people were rushed to area hospitals. In total, 13 people were killed in the tragedy. It was a day that none in the Twin Cities - or in Minnesota - will forget.

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Because it was a main artery for commuters and freight traffic, the bridge needed to be rebuilt quickly. The new span officially opened on September 18, 2008, several months ahead of schedule. Now called the I-35 Saint Anthony Falls bridge, it carries 10 lanes of traffic across the Mississippi every day. The design won many awards.

Despite these awards, the memory of the bridge collapse and its victim still lingers. Four years after the tragedy, the 35W Bridge Remembrance Garden opened to commemorate the 13 victims and 171 survivors of the even.

The 35W bridge collapse is one of the worst bridge disasters in U.S. history and will likely be remembered for years to come. The event found its way into the collective memory of all Minnesotans who were around when it happened. If you have any memories of the tragedy that you’d like to share, feel free to leave them in the comment section below.