The eight-lane bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, MN collapsed during rush-hour traffic, sending 120 vehicles plummeting. After the official investigation, it was revealed that a flaw in the structural design of the 40-year old bridge was the cause of the collapse. People and vehicles fell either into the river, onto the banks, or onto the multiple surfaces of the broken bridge. Subsequently, federal and local governments have increased bridge safety in hopes of preventing another such occurrence.—(FEMA)
Date of event: August 1, 2007
Impact:
- 13 fatalities
- 121 injured
- Estimated economic loss and rebuild cost: nearly $500 million
Related Resources:
- Highway Accident Report Collapse of I-35W Highway Bridge Minneapolis, Minnesota August 1, 2007
- P.L. 110-56: An Act to authorize additional funds for emergency repairs and reconstruction of the Interstate I-35 bridge located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that collapsed on August 1, 2007, to waive the $100,000,000 limitation on emergency relief funds for those emergency repairs and reconstruction, and for other purposes
- Collapse: A Case Study of the Minneapolis I-35W Bridge Disaster with Exercises
HSDL Search: I-35 Bridge Collapse
Photo: (Credit: Clindberg/Flikr user) The scene at the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge, the first morning after its collapse.