I-35W Mississippi River bridge
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (August 2007) |
I-35W Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The I-35W Bridge, May 2006 | |
| Coordinates | 44°58′44″N 93°14′42″W / 44.97889°N 93.24500°W |
| Carries | Eight lanes of Interstate 35W |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Maintained by | Minnesota Department of Transportation |
| ID number | 9340 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Deck-arch truss bridge |
| Total length | 1907 feet (581 m) |
| Width | 108 feet (33 m) |
| Longest span | 458 feet (140 m) |
| Clearance below | 64 feet (19.5 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Closed | August 1, 2007 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 141,000[1] |
| Location | |
 | |
The I-35W Bridge was a deck-arch truss bridge that spanned the Mississippi River between the Downtown East neighborhood and the University of Minnesota West neighborhood in Minneapolis in Hennepin County, in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area.[2] It was built in 1967 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and collapsed on August 1, 2007.[3]
The bridge
The I-35W bridge was notable for not having any piers in the water. Instead, the main support piers were located on the banks of the river, and were built of tubular-shaped concrete pillars. The main bridge deck was supported by a single 458 foot long steel arch[4] allowing for a wide, clear span across the river, making river navigation easier. Two sets of locks and dams just upriver of the bridge were constructed a few years earlier to allow passage past Saint Anthony Falls. Although not very decorative, the bridge was one of the widest bridges in the Twin Cities area and provided an important link for Interstate 35W traffic. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, 141,000 cars used the bridge per day[1] and was usually an eight-lane thoroughfare, carrying four lanes of traffic in each direction.[5]
As the bridge was subjected to Minnesota's cold weather in the winter, it acquired another unique feature when an anti-icing system was installed in 1999. When sensors detected temperatures conducive to icing conditions, nozzles built into the bridge sprayed potassium acetate on the road surface. A similar system was later installed on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.[6]
Collapse
On Wednesday, August 1, 2007, a large portion of the I-35W Bridge near University Avenue collapsed at 6:05 PM CDT during the evening rush hour, leaving multiple vehicles and pedestrians in the Mississippi River.[7][8] Several vehicles also caught fire.[9] As many as 50–100 vehicles were involved in the collapse.[10] There had been road construction going on for several weeks prior to the collapse[11][8] and was reduced to two lanes of traffic in each direction. Shortly before the incident, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) announced that it would reduce the bridge to one lane in each direction during the late evenings of July 31 and August 1.[12]
There have been multiple traumas, including critical injuries. There are seven reported fatalities, confirmed by Kristi Rollwagen, the deputy director of emergency preparedness for the city. [13] Other hospitals have also put resources in helping victims. Drivers were stranded on parts of the collapsed bridge that were not submerged.[14] Children, aged 4 to 14, who were riding a school bus that was on the bridge at the time of the collapse were all rescued.
The Department of Homeland Security said there was no reason to suspect that the collapse was the result of terrorist activity.[3] However, the cause of the collapse remains unknown. Radio reports say the I-beams sheared away.[citation needed] There is a 2001 Mn/DOT report indicating weakness at the joints of the steel that held the concrete deck above the river.[15] According to a witness on Fox News Channel who had driven onto the bridge prior to its collapse, there were holes on the road deck as repair of the bridge deck was in progress.
As of August 1st, 2007 8:28PM from SFGate.com, there have been 6 confirmed deaths.
See also
References
- MSP Bridges: 35W/Mississippi Bridge
- I 35W Bridge Facts
- Photos of collapse
- Costello, Mary Charlotte (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. ISBN 0-9644518-2-4.
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Notes
- ^ a b "2005 Traffic Volumes" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ Google Maps
- ^ a b "Minneapolis bridge collapses during rush hour". MSNBC. 2007-8-1. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "At Least 6 Dead in I35 Bridge Collapse". Wcco News. 2007-8-1.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "I-35W Mississippi River Crossing". John Weeks. 2007-8-1. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Mn/DOT Newsline". Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2001-12-05. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "I-35W Bridge Collapse Into Mississippi River". WCCO-TV. 2007-8-1. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b I-35W bridge collapses, Star Tribune, August 1, 2007.
- ^ "35W bridge collapses over Mississippi River, cars in the water". Pioneer Press. 2007-08-01. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ "35W bridge over Mississippi collapsed". 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. 2007-08-01. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ "35W Bridge Collapses". KARE11. 2007-8-1. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "I-35W will narrow to one lane in Minneapolis over two nights, July 31 and Aug. 1" (Press release). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ Minneapolis bridge collapses, MSNBC, August 1, 2007.
- ^ Freeway bridge collapses into river during rush hour in Minneapolis, Associated Press, August 1, 2007.
- ^ Fatigue Evaluation of the Deck Truss of Bridge 9340, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Report #MN/RC-2001-10, March 2001, retrieved from KSTP.com website
External links
Bridges of the Mississippi River | ||||
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