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I-35W Mississippi River bridge facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
I35W 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. It carried over 140,000 vehicles daily.

On August 1, 2007, during the evening rush hour, a major failure caused the bridge to fall down. The bridge collapse killed 13 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. 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.

Images for kids

  • I-35W Bridge 2

    South end of I-35W bridge as seen from West River Parkway

  • I35WBridgeMinneapolisSatellite2004

    I-35W bridge (center left) west of the 10th Avenue Bridge (center right), 2004

  • I-35W Bridge - April, 2006

    Bridge seen from below in 2006

  • 35wBridgecollapse

    Security camera images show the collapse in animation, looking north.

  • Image-I35W Collapse - Day 4 - Operations & Scene (95) edit

    Cars that were on the bridge when it collapsed remain in the wreckage. They were numbered as part of the investigation.

  • I35W Collapse - Mayor RT Ryback surveys damage

    Mayor R. T. Rybak surveys the collapsed bridge

  • I-35W-rescue-Minneapolis-20070801

    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.

  • I35 bridge collapsed divers

    United States Navy divers in the recovery operation, diving from a United States Army Corps of Engineers barge

  • I-35W collapse helicopter 20070801

    Helicopter and airboat on the 10th Avenue Bridge

  • I-35W-officials-Minneapolis-20070810

    Col. Michael Chesney, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, and Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek

  • Donald C Winter Tours 35W Bridge Collapse site

    In the center, Donald C. Winter, former Secretary of the Navy, views the I-35W bridge collapse site. To the left is Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

  • I-35W-FBI and Hennepin County-Minneapolis

    Bowed gusset plates, June 2003

  • 35Wclosed

    Closure sign on Interstate 35W

  • I-35W-bridge-Minneapolis-20070801

    A section of the collapsed bridge

  • I-35W-collapse-crowd-Minneapolis-20070801

    Observers on the Stone Arch Bridge

  • TV crew at University Ave

    The disaster site was used as a backdrop by TV crews. Contessa Brewer is shown here reporting for MSNBC.

  • Under the 35W Bridge

    A view of the pillars of the replacement Saint Anthony Falls bridge

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Puente I-35W del río Misisipi para niños

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I-35W Mississippi River bridge Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.