I-35W Mississippi River bridge 1

I-35W Mississippi River bridge

Mississippi River Bridge

Bridge 9340 (1964–2007)

Official name Bridge 9340

Carries
8 lanes of I-35W
Crosses Mississippi River

Locale Minneapolis, Minnesota

Maintained by Minnesota DOT (Mn/DOT)

ID number 9340

Design Continuous truss bridge

Total length 1,907 ft (581.3 m)

Width 113.3 ft (34.5 m)

Height 115 ft (35.1 m)

Longest span 456 ft (139 m)

Clearance below 64 ft (19.5 m)

Construction begin 1964

Opened November 1967

Daily traffic [1]

140,000

Collapsed August 1, 2007

Coordinates [2]
44°58′44″N 93°14′42″W Coordinates: 44°58′44″N 93°14′42″W [2]

The I-35W Mississippi River bridge (officially known as Bridge 9340) was an eight-lane, steel truss arch bridge
that carried Interstate 35W across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. During the
evening rush hour on August 1, 2007, it suddenly collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145. The bridge was
Minnesota's fifth busiest,[3] carrying 140,000 vehicles daily. The NTSB cited a design flaw as the likely cause of the
collapse, and asserted that additional weight on the bridge at the time of the collapse contributed to the catastrophic
failure.
Immediately after the collapse, help came from mutual aid in the seven county Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan
area and emergency response personnel, charities, and volunteers. Within a few days of the collapse, the Minnesota
Department of Transportation (MnDOT) planned a replacement bridge, the I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge.
Construction was completed rapidly, and it opened on September 18, 2008.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 2

Location and site history

Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota's
largest city, the bridge connected the
Minneapolis neighborhoods of
Downtown East and Marcy-Holmes.
The south abutment was northeast of
the Metrodome, and the north abutment
was northwest of the University of
Minnesota East Bank campus. The
bridge was the southeastern boundary
of the "Mississippi Mile" downtown
riverfront parkland.[4] Downstream is
the 10th Avenue Bridge, once known as
the Cedar Avenue Bridge. Immediately
upstream is the lock and dam at Saint
Anthony Falls, where Minneapolis
Bridge location in red
began. The first bridge upstream is the
historic Stone Arch Bridge, built for the
Great Northern Railway and now used for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

The north foundation pier of the bridge was near a hydroelectric plant, razed in 1988. The south abutment was in an
area polluted by a coal-to-gas processing plant[5][6][7][8] and a facility for storing and processing petroleum products.
These uses effectively created a toxic waste site under the bridge, leading to a lawsuit and the removal of the
contaminated soil.[9][10][11] No relationship between these prior uses and the bridge failure has been claimed.

Design and construction

The bridge, officially designated "Bridge 9340", was designed by
Sverdrup & Parcel to 1961 AASHO (American Association of State
Highway Officials, now American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials) standard specifications. The construction
contracts, worth in total more than US$5.2 million at the time, went to
Hurcon Inc. and Industrial Construction Company, which built the
steel trusses and deck. Construction on the bridge began in 1964 and
the structure was completed and opened to traffic in 1967 during an era
of large-scale projects related to building the Twin Cities freeway 2005 photo showing the Stone Arch Bridge (right
foreground), I-35W bridge (behind it), and 10th
system.[12] When the bridge fell, it was still the most recent river
Avenue Bridge (behind that). At left is the
crossing built on a new site in Minneapolis.[13] After the building Southeast Steam Plant.
boom ebbed during the 1970s, infrastructure management shifted
toward inspection and maintenance.[14]

The bridge's fourteen spans extended 1,907 feet (580 m) long. The three main spans were of deck truss construction
while all but two of the eleven approach spans were steel multi-girder construction, the two exceptions being
concrete slab construction. The piers were not built in the navigation channel; instead, the center span of the bridge
consisted
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 3

of a single 458-foot (140 m) steel arched truss over the 390-foot

(119 m) channel. The two support piers for the main trusses, each with
two load-bearing concrete pylons at either side of the center main span,
were located on opposite banks of the river. The center span was
connected to the north and south approaches by shorter spans formed
by the same main trusses. Each was 266 feet (81 m) in length, and was
connected to the approach spans by a 38 foot (11.6 m) cantilever. The
two main trusses, one on either side, ranged in depth from 60 feet
(18.3 m) above their pier and concrete pylon supports, to 36 feet
I-35W bridge south end seen from West River
(11 m) at midspan on the central span and 30 feet (9 m) deep at the
Parkway
outer ends of the adjoining spans. At the top of the main trusses were
the deck trusses, 12 feet (3.6 m) in depth and integral with the main
trusses. The transverse deck beams, part of the deck truss, rested on top
of the main trusses. These deck beams supported longitudinal deck
stringers 27 inches (69 cm) in depth, and reinforced-concrete
pavement.[] The deck was 113 ft 4 in (34.5 m) in breadth and was split
longitudinally. It had transverse expansion joints at the centers and
ends of each of the three main spans. The roadway deck was
approximately 115 feet (35 m) above the water level.[15]

Black ice prevention system

On December 19, 1985, the temperature reached −30 °F (−34 °C). Cars
coming across the bridge experienced black ice and there was a major I-35W bridge (center left) west of the 10th
pile up on the bridge on the northbound side. In February and Avenue Bridge (center right), 2004
December 1996, the bridge was identified as the single most
treacherous cold-weather spot in the Twin Cities freeway system, because of the almost frictionless thin layer of
black ice that regularly formed when temperatures dropped below freezing. The bridge's proximity to Saint Anthony
Falls contributed significantly to the icing problem and the site was noted for frequent spinouts and collisions.[16][17]
By January 1999, Mn/DOT began testing magnesium chloride solutions and a mixture of magnesium chloride and a
corn-processing byproduct to see whether either would reduce the black ice that appeared on the bridge during the
winter months.[18] In October 1999, the state embedded temperature-activated nozzles in the bridge deck to spray the
bridge with potassium acetate solution to keep the area free of winter black ice.[19] The system came into operation
in 2000.[20][21] It has been raised as a possibility that the potassium acetate may have contributed to the collapse of
the 35W bridge.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 4

Maintenance and inspection

Since 1993, the bridge was inspected annually by Mn/DOT, although
no inspection report was completed in 2007, due to the construction
work. In the years prior to the collapse, several reports cited problems
with the bridge structure. In 1990, the federal government gave the
I-35W bridge a rating of "structurally deficient," citing significant
corrosion in its bearings. Approximately 75,000 other U.S. bridges had
this classification in 2007.
According to a 2001 study by the civil engineering department of the
University of Minnesota, cracking had been previously discovered in
the cross girders at the end of the approach spans. The main trusses
connected to these cross girders and resistance to motion at the
connection point bearings was leading to unanticipated out-of-plane
I-35W bridge (left) in 2006 distortion of the cross girders and subsequent stress cracking. The
situation was addressed prior to the study by drilling the cracks to
prevent further propagation and adding support struts to the cross girder to prevent further distortion. The report also
noted a concern about lack of redundancy in the main truss system, which meant the bridge had a greater risk of
collapse in the event of any single structural failure. Although the report concluded that the bridge should not have
any problems with fatigue cracking in the foreseeable future, the bridge instrumentation by strain gauges and
continuous structural health monitoring had been suggested.[]

In 2005, the bridge was again rated as "structurally deficient" and in possible
need of replacement, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's
National Bridge Inventory database.[22] Problems were noted in two subsequent
inspection reports. The inspection carried out June 15, 2006 found problems of
cracking and fatigue. On August 2, 2007, Governor Tim Pawlenty stated that the
bridge had been scheduled to be replaced in 2020.[23]

The bridge seen from below in 2006
The I-35W bridge ranked near the bottom of federal inspection ratings
nationwide. The scale used was a "sufficiency rating" which ranges from the
highest score, 100, to the lowest score, zero. In 2005 the bridge was given a
rating of 50, indicating that replacement may have been in order. Out of over
100,000 heavily used bridges, only about 4% scored below 50. On a separate
measure, the I-35W bridge was rated "structurally deficient," but was deemed to
have met "minimum tolerable limits to be left in place as it is."[24]

In December 2006, a steel reinforcement project was planned for the bridge. However, the project was canceled in
January 2007 in favor of periodic safety inspections, after it was revealed that drilling for the retrofitting would in
fact weaken the bridge. In internal Mn/DOT documents, bridge officials talked about the possibility of the bridge
collapsing and worried that it might have to be condemned.
The construction taking place in the weeks prior to the collapse included joint work and replacing lighting, concrete
and guard rails. At the time of the collapse, four of the eight lanes were closed for resurfacing,[25][26] and there were
575,000 pounds (261,000 kg) of construction supplies and equipment on the bridge.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 5

Collapse
At 6:05 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, with rush hour
bridge traffic moving slowly through the limited number of lanes, the
central span of the bridge suddenly gave way, followed by the
adjoining spans. The structure and deck collapsed into the river and
onto the riverbanks below, the south part toppling 81 feet (25 m)
eastward in the process. Approximately 100 vehicles were involved,
sending their occupants and 18[27] construction workers up to 115 feet
(35 m) down to the river or onto its banks. Northern sections fell into a Security camera images show the collapse in
rail yard, landing on three unoccupied and stationary freight train animation, looking north.
cars.[28]

Sequential images of the collapse were taken by an outdoor security

camera located at the parking lot entrance of the control facility for the
Lower Saint Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. The immediate aftermath
of the collapse was also captured by a Mn/DOT traffic camera that was
facing away from the bridge during the collapse itself.[29] The federal
government lead the investigation by immediately launching the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Its Chairman, Mark
Post-collapse
Rosenker along with a number of investigators arrived on scene only 9
hours after the collapse. He remained in Minneapolis for nearly one
week designated as the government's primary interface with federal,
state and local officials as well as briefing the press on the status of the
investigation.

Mayor R. T. Rybak and Governor Tim Pawlenty declared a state of

emergency for the city of Minneapolis and for the state of Minnesota
on August 2, 2007. Rybak's declaration was approved and extended
indefinitely by the Minneapolis City Council the next day. As of the
morning following the collapse, according to White House Press Cars that were on the bridge when it collapsed
Secretary Tony Snow, Minnesota had not requested a federal disaster remain on the wreckage. They were numbered as
declaration. President Bush pledged support during a visit to the site on part of the investigation.

August 4 with Minnesota elected officials and announced that United

States Secretary of Transportation (USDOT) Mary Peters would lead
the rebuilding effort. Rybak and Pawlenty gave the president detailed
requests for aid during a closed-door meeting. Local authorities were
assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) evidence team,
and by United States Navy divers who began arriving on August 5,
2007.

Victims
Mayor R. T. Rybak surveys the collapsed bridge
Only a few of the vehicles were submerged, but many people were
stranded on the collapsed sections of the bridge. Several involved vehicles caught fire, including a semi-truck, from
which its driver's body was later pulled. When fire crews arrived they had to route hoses from several blocks
away.[30][31]
A school bus carrying 63 children ended up resting precariously against the guardrail of the collapsed structure, near
the burning semi-trailer truck. The children were returning from a field trip to a water park as part of the Waite
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 6

House Neighborhood Center Day Camp based out of the Phillips community. Jeremy Hernandez, a 20-year-old staff
member on the bus, assisted many of the children by kicking out the rear emergency exit and escorting or carrying
them to safety. One youth worker was severely injured.
Thirteen people were killed.[32] Triage centers at the ends of the bridge routed 50 victims to area hospitals, some in
trucks, as ambulances were in short supply. Many of the injured had blunt trauma injuries. Those near the south end
were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC)—those near the north end, to the Fairview University
Medical Center and other hospitals. At least 22 children were injured. Thirteen children were treated at Children's
Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, five at HCMC and four or five at North Memorial Medical Center in
Robbinsdale, Minnesota. During the first 40 hours, 11 area hospitals treated 98 victims.[]
About 1,400 people gathered for an interfaith service of healing held at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral on August 5,
2007, when many of the victims were still missing. Among the presenters were representatives of the Jewish,
Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Native American and Hispanic communities, police, fire and emergency responders, the
governor, the mayor, a choir and several musicians.[33] Minnesotans held a minute of silence during National Night
Out, on August 7, 2007, at 6:05 pm. On August 8, 2007, the Twin Cities chapter of the American Red Cross lowered
the flags of the United States, the state of Minnesota and the American Red Cross in remembrance of the victims of
the tragedy. Gold Medal Park near the Guthrie Theater was a gathering place for those who wished to leave flowers
or remembrances for those who died. During an address to the city council on August 15, 2007, Rybak remembered
each of the victims and "the details of their lives."
The families of the deceased, the survivors, and the first responders who were directly impacted by the bridge
collapse—together estimated to be at least several hundred people—did not have United States disaster assistance for
individuals. Sandy Vargas, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, one of seven foundations that form
Minnesota Helps, believes the Minnesota Helps Bridge Disaster Fund cannot cover the uninsured medical costs for
the victims of the bridge collapse. The fund may be able to make small grants as a gesture of acknowledgment.
Pawlenty and his office, during the last week of November, announced a "$1 million plan" for the victims. State law
has limits that may limit awards to below that amount. No legislative action was needed for this step. "The
administration wanted approval from the Joint House-Senate Subcommittee on Claims as a sign of bipartisan
support" which it received. On May 2, 2008, the state of Minnesota reached a $38 million agreement to compensate
victims of the bridge collapse.

Rescue
Civilians immediately took part in the rescue efforts. Minneapolis and
Hennepin County received mutual aid from neighboring cities and
counties throughout the metropolitan area.[34] The Minneapolis Fire
Department (MFD) arrived in six minutes and responded quickly,
helping people who were trapped in their vehicles. They worked in
their rescue efforts quickly taking 81 minutes to triage and transport
145 patients with the help of Hennepin County Medical Center
(HCMC), North Memorial and Allina paramedics . By the next
University of Minnesota Police and Minnesota morning, they had shifted their focus to the recovery of bodies, with
State Patrol, day of the collapse
several vehicles known to be trapped under the debris and several
people still unaccounted for. Twenty divers organized by the Hennepin
County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) used side-scan sonar to locate vehicles submerged in the murky water. Their efforts
were hampered by debris and challenging currents. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) lowered
the river level by two feet (60 cm) downriver at Ford Dam to allow easier access to vehicles in the water.[35][36] Carl
Bolander & Sons, a Saint Paul-based earthworks and demolition company, brought in several cranes and other heavy
machinery to assist in clearing debris for rescue workers.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 7

The Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD) created the National Incident

Management System command center in the parking lot of the
American Red Cross and an adjacent printing company on the west
bank. The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) secured the area,
MFD managed the ground operations, and HCSO was in charge of the
water operation.[37] The city provided 75 firefighters and 75 law
enforcement units.

Rescue of victims stranded on the bridge was complete in three hours.

Ninety-three people were rescued from the
"We had a state bridge, in a county river, between two banks of a city. collapsed bridge. Minneapolis Fire Department
... But we didn't have one problem with any of these issues, because we boats on the Mississippi River took about twenty
knew who was in charge of the assets," said Rocco Forte, city people. The rescue lasted about three hours.

Emergency Preparedness Director. City, metropolitan area, county and

state employees at all levels knew their roles and had practiced them since the city received FEMA emergency
management training the year following 9/11.[38] Their rapid response time is also credited to the Minnesota and
United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investment in 800 MHz mobile radio communications that
was operating in Minneapolis and three of the responding counties, the city of Minneapolis collapsed-structures
rescue and dive team, and the Emergency Operations Center established at 6:20 p.m. in Minneapolis City Hall.

Recovery
Recovery of victims took over three weeks. At the request of the NTSB
Chairman Mark Rosenker, the Navy sent 17 divers and a five-person
command and control element from their Mobile Diving and Salvage
Unit (MDSU) 2 (TWO). Divers and Underwater Search Evidence
Response Team from the FBI joined the response efforts on August 7,
bringing with them "truck-loads" of specialized equipment including
FBI-provided side-scan sonar and two submarines. Not waiting for
daybreak, the Navy team was in the water at 2 a.m. The FBI teams had
United States Navy divers in the recovery planned to search with an unmanned submarine, but had to abandon
operation, diving from a U.S. Army Corps of
this plan after it was found to be too big to maneuver in the debris field
Engineers barge
and cloudy water. Minneapolis Police Captain Mike Martin stated that
"The public safety divers are trained up to a level where they can kind
of pick the low-hanging fruit. They can do the stuff that's easy. The bodies that are in the areas where they can sweep
shore to shore, the vehicles that they can get into and search that weren't crushed. They were able to remove some of
those. Now what we're looking at is the vehicles that are under the bridge deck and the structural pieces."[39][40]

Seventy-five local, state and federal agencies were involved in the

rescue and recovery including emergency personnel and volunteers
from the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Olmsted,
Ramsey, Scott, Washington, Winona and Wright in Minnesota and St.
Croix County, Wisconsin, St. Croix EMS & Rescue Dive Team, and
others standing by.[41] Federal assistance came from the United States
Department of Defense, DHS, USACE and the United States Coast
Guard. Adventure Divers of Minot, North Dakota is a private firm who
assisted local authorities.
Helicopter and airboat on the 10th Avenue Bridge
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 8

Local businesses donated wireless Internet, ice, drinks and meals for first responders.[42] The Salvation Army
canteens served food and water to rescue workers. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association provided chaplains. A
Mayo Clinic transport helicopter was standing by at Flying Cloud Airport. The Minnesota National Guard launched
a MEDEVAC helicopter and had up to 10,000 guard members ready to help.
As of August 8, 2007, more than 500 Red Cross volunteers and staff persons counseled 2,000 people with grief,
trauma, missing persons, and medical issues, and served 7,000 meals to first responders. Donations totalling
US$138,368 and received during the catastrophe covered the cost of Red Cross services but about $65,000 in
unexpected expenses were not covered.
Following the initial rescue, Mn/DOT retained Carl Bolander & Sons,
an earthworks and demolition contractor of Saint Paul, Minnesota to
remove the collapsed bridge and demolish the remaining spans that did
not fall. Divers left the water briefly on August 18 while the company's
crew used cranes, excavation drills and cutting torches to remove parts
of the bridge deck, beams and girders hoping to improve access for the
divers. After the last person's remains were pulled from the wreckage
on August 21, the company's crews began dismantling the bridge's
Col. Michael Chesney, Transportation Secretary remnants. Crews first removed the vehicles stranded on the bridge. By
Mary Peters, Hennepin County Sheriff Richard
August 18, 80 of the 88 stranded cars and trucks had been moved to the
Stanek
MPD impound lot where owners could claim their vehicles. Then
workers shifted to removing the bridge deck using cranes and
excavators equipped with hoe rams to break the concrete. Structural steel was then disassembled by cranes, and the
concrete piers were removed by excavators. NTSB officials asked demolition crews to use extreme care in removing
the bridge remnants to preserve as much of the bridge materials as possible. By the end of October 2007, the
demolition operation was substantially complete, enabling construction to begin on the new I-35W bridge on
November 1, 2007. Much of the bridge debris was temporarily stored at the nearby Bohemian Flats as part of the
ongoing investigation of the collapse; it was removed to a storage facility in Afton, Minnesota in the fall of 2010.
Federal officials plan to bring some of the bridge steel and concrete to the NTSB Material Laboratory in
Washington, D.C. for analysis into determining the cause of the collapse on behalf of FHWA, Mn/DOT and
Progressive Construction, Inc. NTSB also interviewed eyewitnesses.

Peters announced that USDOT had granted Minnesota US$5 million

the day following the collapse.[43] On August 10, Peters announced an
additional US$5 million "for Minneapolis", or "the state", "to
reimburse Minneapolis for increased transit operations to serve
commuters in the wake of last week’s bridge collapse". U.S. Congress
removed the US$100 million per-incident cap on emergency
appropriations. The United States House of Representatives and United
In the center Donald C. Winter former Secretary
States Senate each voted unanimously for US$250 million in of the Navy viewing the I-35W Bridge Collapse
emergency funding for Minnesota that President Bush signed into law site. To the left you can also see Governor Tim
on August 6. On August 10, 2007 Peters announced US$50 million in Pawlenty.

immediate emergency relief. The Associated Press clarified that the

US$50 million was a downpayment on the US$250 million that has yet to be approved by appropriations
committees.[44] Minnesota could use the immediate relief for "clean-up and recovery work, including clearing debris
and re-routing traffic, as well as for design work on a new bridge". "On behalf of Minnesota, we are grateful for all
of this help," Pawlenty said.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 9

Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board immediately began a
comprehensive investigation, which was expected to take up to
eighteen months to complete. Immediately following the collapse,
Governor Pawlenty and MnDOT announced that the Illinois-based
engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. had also
been selected to provide essential analysis that would parallel the
investigation being conducted by the National Transportation Safety
Board.[45] One week after the collapse, debris and vehicles were just
FBI evidence team and Hennepin County sheriff's
beginning to be moved to further the process of recovering victims.
deputies lowering sonar
Cameras and motion detectors were added to the site around the bridge
to ward off intruders who, officials said, were hindering the
investigation. Hennepin County Sheriff Richard W. Stanek stated, "We
are treating this as a crime scene at this point. There's no indication
there was any foul play involved, [but] it's a crime scene until we can
determine what was the cause of the collapse."

An employee of the NTSB had written his doctoral thesis on possible

failure scenarios of this specific bridge while he was a student at the
nearby University of Minnesota. That thesis, including his computer
model of the bridge for failure mode analysis, was used by the NTSB This image, from the National Transportation
to aid in their investigation.[46] The Federal Highway Administration Safety Board's Office of Research and
Engineering, shows a fracture in a gusset plate
(FHWA) built a computer model of the bridge at the Turner Fairbank
that played a key role in the collapse of the
Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia. NTSB investigators Interstate 35W bridge. (National Transportation
were particularly interested in learning why a part of the bridge's Safety Board photo)
southern end shifted eastward as it collapsed, but soon ruled that out as
a starting point, and shifted focus to the north end of the structure.

Officials with DHS said there was no indication that terrorism was
involved. Although officials emphasized that the cause of the collapse
had not yet been determined, Peters cautioned states to "remain
mindful of the extra weight construction projects place on bridges."
Within days, bridge inspections were stepped up throughout the United
States.

FHWA advised states to inspect the 700 U.S. bridges of similar

construction after a possible design flaw in the bridge was discovered, Picture taken in June 2003, released by the
related to large steel sheets called gusset plates which were used to National Transportation Safety Board, showing
connect girders together in the truss structure. Officials expressed bowed gusset plates

concern about many other bridges in the United States sharing the
same design and raised questions as to why such a flaw would not have been discovered in over 40 years of
inspections. This flaw was first discovered by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., an independent consulting firm
hired by MnDOT to investigate the cause of the collapse.

On January 15, 2008, the National Transportation Safety Board announced they had determined that the bridge's
design specified steel gusset plates that were undersized and inadequate to support the intended load of the bridge, a
load which had increased over time. This assertion was made based on an interim report which calculated the
Demand to Capacity ratio for the gusset plates. The NTSB recommended that similar bridge designs be reviewed for
this problem.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 10

"Although the Board's investigation is still on-going and no determination of probable cause has been
reached, interim findings in the investigation have revealed a safety issue that warrants attention," said
NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker. "During the wreckage recovery, investigators discovered that gusset
plates at eight different joint locations in the main center span were fractured. The Board, with
assistance from the FHWA, conducted a thorough review of the design of the bridge, with an emphasis
on the design of the gusset plates. This review discovered that the original design process of the I-35W
bridge led to a serious error in sizing some of the gusset plates in the main truss."
On March 17, 2008, the NTSB announced an update on the investigation. The announcement gave updates in the
areas of load capacity, design issues, computer analysis and modeling, digital image analysis, and analysis of the
undersized and corroded gusset plates. The investigation revealed that photos from a June 2003 inspection of the
bridge showed gusset plate bowing.[47][48]
On November 13, 2008, the NTSB released the findings of its investigation. The primary cause was the under-sized
gusset plates, at 0.5 inches (13 mm) thick. Contributing to that design or construction error was the fact that 2 inches
(51 mm) of concrete were added to the road surface over the years, increasing the dead load by 20%. Also
contributing was the extraordinary weight of construction equipment and material resting on the bridge just above its
weakest point at the time of the collapse. That load was estimated at 578,000 pounds (262,000 kg) consisting of
sand, water, and vehicles. The NTSB determined that corrosion was not a significant factor, but that inspectors did
not routinely check that safety features were functional.

Lawsuits
In August 2010, the last of the lawsuits against URS Corporation were settled for $52.4M to avoid prolonged
litigation. The cases were handled via a novel consortium of legal entities that worked on a pro-bono basis. URS had
performed fatigue analysis consulting on the bridge for the Mn/DOT.
As of August 1, 2011, the lawsuit brought by the state of Minnesota against Jacobs Engineering, the successor of
Sverdrup & Parcel, the firm that designed the bridge, was still pending.[49] In May 2012, the United States Supreme
Court turned down an appeal by Jacobs who argued too much time had passed since the 1960s design work, allowing
the state of Minnesota suit to proceed.

Impacts on business, traffic, and transportation funding

Closure sign on Interstate 35W
The collapse of the bridge affected river, rail, road, bicycle and
pedestrian, and air transit. Pool 1, created by Ford Dam, was closed to
river navigation between mile markers 847 and 854.5.[50][51] A rail
spur switched by the Minnesota Commercial Railway was blocked by
the collapse.[52] The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway bike path
was disrupted as well as two roads, West River Parkway and 2nd Street
SE. The 10th Avenue Bridge, which parallels this bridge about a block
downstream, was closed to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic until
August 31. The Federal Aviation Administration restricted pilots in the
3-nautical-mile (5.6 km) radius of the rescue and recovery.[53]

Thirty-five people lost their jobs when Aggregate Industries of Leicestershire, UK, a company that delivered
construction materials by barge, cut production in the area.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 11

Small businesses in metropolitan area counties that were harmed by the bridge
collapse could apply beginning August 27, 2007 for loans of up to US$1.5
million at 4% interest over up to 30 years from the U.S. Small Business
Administration. The agency's disaster declaration for Hennepin and contiguous
counties came two days after Pawlenty's request to the SBA on August 20,
2007.[54] Open for business and unsure they could repay loans, owners near the
collapse in some cases lost 25% or 50% of their income. Large retailers in a mall
of chain stores lost about the same. As of early January 2008, at least one
business closed, one announced it was closing, seven of eight SBA applications
had not been approved and merchants continued to explain how they are unable
to shoulder more debt.

Seventy percent of the traffic served by the bridge was downtown-bound.

Mn/DOT published detour information, and made real-time traffic information Day of the collapse
available for callers to 5-1-1. The designated alternate route in the area was
Trunk Highway 280, which was converted to a temporary freeway with all at-grade access points closed. Other
traffic was diverted to Interstates 694, 494, and 35E. The number of lanes was increased on several of the highways
by repainting traffic lines to eliminate wide shoulders, and by widening various "choke-points".

Extra Metro Transit buses were added from park-and-ride locations in the northern suburbs during the rush hours.
Abandoned vehicles on I-35W and 280 were towed immediately. On August 6, I-35W was opened to local traffic at
the access ramps on each side of the missing section; some on-ramps remained closed.
In the aftermath, pressure was exerted on the state legislature to increase the state fuel tax to provide adequate
maintenance funding for Mn/DOT. Ultimately the tax was increased by $0.055 per gallon via an override of
Governor Pawlenty's veto of the legislation.

Public events and media

The Minnesota Twins played their home game as scheduled, against
the Kansas City Royals at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome just
west of I-35W, on the evening of the accident. Public safety officials
told the team that postponing the game could hamper rescue and
recovery efforts, since a postponement would send up to 25,000 people
back into traffic only blocks from the collapsed bridge. Before the
game, a moment of silence was held for the victims of the collapse.
The Twins postponed their August 2 game as well as the traditional
Observers on the Stone Arch Bridge groundbreaking ceremonies for Target Field also located in downtown
Minneapolis. The Twins and Minnesota Vikings would honor the
victims of the collapse by placing a decal of a simulated I-35W shield sign with the date "8-1-07" on the backstop
wall within the Metrodome, which was always visible in the typical behind-the-pitcher viewpoint on televised
games. The decal would remain for the rest of the 2007 season.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 12

The collapse was of interest to national and international news

organizations. On the evening of the collapse, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox
News Channel stayed live with its coverage during the overnight hours,
along with local stations WCCO-AM (830) and KSTP (1500), with
most of the coverage in the opening hours coming via satellite from
Twin Cities news operations WCCO-TV, KSTP-TV, KMSP-TV,
KARE-TV and Minnesota Public Radio. National TV networks sent
CBS anchor Katie Couric, NBC's Brian Williams and Matt Lauer,
MSNBC's Contessa Brewer, ABC's Charlie Gibson, CNN's Soledad The disaster site was used as a backdrop by many
TV crews. Contessa Brewer is shown here,
O'Brien and Anderson Cooper, and Fox News' Greta Van Susteren and
reporting for MSNBC.
Shepard Smith to broadcast from the Twin Cities. U.S. news
organizations interested in national and local bridge safety made a
record number of requests for bridge information from Investigative Reporters and Editors, an organization which
maintains several databases of federal information. News media made more inquiries for National Bridge Inventory
data in the first 24 hours after the Minneapolis bridge collapse than for any previous data in the past 20 years.

Disaster declarations
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted on August 7, 2007 to request that Governor Pawlenty petition
President George W. Bush to declare the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County a major disaster area. About two
weeks later, Pawlenty requested major disaster designation on August 20. In a subsequent press release for a separate
disaster declaration that month, he said, "Ordinarily, preliminary damage assessments are completed before the
emergency disaster declaration is requested." During a press conference and briefing with Bush at the
Minneapolis/St.Paul Air Reserve Station base for the 934th Airlift Wing on Tuesday, August 21, Pawlenty estimated
the total cost of emergency response at over US$8 million including Hennepin County's cost at US$7.3 million for
rescue and recovery and US$1.2 million for other state agencies. He estimated the cost of the collapse to the state at
US$400,000 to US$1 million per day.
That day, Bush gave an emergency rather than major disaster declaration for the state of Minnesota, allowing local
and state agencies to recover costs incurred August 1 to 15 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA).[55] FEMA can provide payment as required for emergency protective measures (part of FEMA Category
B) at no less than 75% federal funding to Hennepin County, the designated county, up to the initial limit of US$5
million.[56] Pawlenty planned to ask that the date restriction and monetary cap be lifted. FEMA aid can compensate
the county for the saving of lives, protection of public safety and health, and lessening damage to improved property,
but not for the disaster-related needs of the victims nor for removing debris and restoration of the bridge and
riverfront nor many other categories of needs.
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 13

Replacement bridge
The replacement of the collapsed I-35W Mississippi River bridge
crosses the Mississippi River at the same location as the original
bridge, and carries north-south traffic on Interstate Highway 35W. It
was constructed on an accelerated schedule, because of the highway's
function as a vital link for carrying commuters and truck freight.
Mn/DOT announced on September 19, 2007, that Flatiron Constructors
and Manson Construction Company would build the replacement
bridge for USD $234 million. The I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge
was opened to the public on September 18, 2008, at 5 a.m.[57] A view from under the new bridge

References

Bibliography
• Cavanaugh, Patricia (October 2006). "Politics and Freeways: Building the Twin Cities Interstate System" [58]
(PDF). University of Minnesota.Wikipedia:Link rot
• Costello, Mary Charlotte (2002). Climbing the Mississippi River Bridge by Bridge, Volume Two: Minnesota.
Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. ISBN 0-9644518-2-4.
• "Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended, and Related Authorities" [59]
(PDF). Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security. June 2007.
Retrieved August 24, 2007.
• U.S. Coast Guard Response to I-35 Bridge Collapse (PDF)

Notes
[1] This map shows average daily traffic volumes for downtown Minneapolis. Trunk highway and Interstate volumes are from 2006.
[2] http:/ / tools. wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack. php?pagename=I-35W_Mississippi_River_bridge&
params=44_58_44_N_93_14_42_W_region:US_type:landmark
[3] Index map for Mn/DOT's 2006 traffic volumes; relevant maps showing the highest river bridge traffic volumes are Maps 2E, 3E, and 3F.
[4] Flanagan, Barbara. "Sheba the donkey is off Nicollet Island, but on pictorial map of it", Star Tribune, August 26, 1988, Section:News; page
3B
[5] Meersman, Tom. (April 28, 1993) Star Tribune Citizens board OKs NSP plan to burn tainted soil. Section News; Page 5B.
[6] Rebuffoni, Dean. (December 16, 1991) Star Tribune "Old plant site spawns environmental, legal mess. Now the questions is: Who will pay
for riverfront cleanup?" Section: news; Page 1B.
[7] Meersman, Tom. (March 23, 1993) Star Tribune Minnegasco has a legacy of waste — to burn. Section: News; Page 1B.
[8] Kane, Lucile M. (1966, revised 1987). The Falls of St. Anthony: The Waterfall That Built Minneapolis. Saint Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota
Historical Society.
[9] Meersman, Tom. (July 7, 1993) Star Tribune Minnegasco starts cleaning up riverside waste today. Section news; Page 3B.
[10] Meersman, Tom. (March 21, 1996) Star Tribune The environment. Digging up a new riverside. Minnegasco's cleanup of contaminants
along the Mississippi will clear the way for a north-south parkway link. Section: news; Page 3B.
[11] Ison, Chris. (March 21, 1999) Star Tribune New pollution-agency chief was at center of cleanup flap. Section news; Page 1B.
[12] Politics and Freeways: Building the Twin Cities Interstate System (http:/ / www. cura. umn. edu/ publications/ Freeways. pdf) Patricia
Cavanaugh University of Minnesota, pp. 1–2, October 2006
[13] Since then however several older bridges have been replaced.
[14] Learning from bridge failure: Collapses such as the I-35W in Minneapolis give engineers the best clues about what not to do. Let's hope the
lessons are remembered. (http:/ / www. latimes. com/ news/ opinion/ commentary/ la-oe-petroski4aug04,0,4564907.
story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions) by Henry Petroski. LA Times, op-ed, August 4, 2007.
[15] Sheets 1 and 86 of these plans (pp. 2 and 87of the .pdf) show a finished grade profile at an elevation of approximately 840 feet (256 m) over
the main span, which is 115 feet (35 m) over the pool elevation of 725 feet (221 m). This is consistent with a later inspection report, Bridge
Inspection Report Bridge No. 9340 (http:/ / www. dot. state. mn. us/ i35wbridge/ pdfs/ bridge_inspection_report_1974. pdf), published online
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 14

by Minnesota Department of Transportation in 2007. The Road Inventory Bridge Sheet (p. 4) shows a height of 132 feet (40 m) from river
bottom to superstructure and a river depth of 15 feet (5 m), correlating to a height of 117 feet (36 m) over the water.
[16] Blake, Laurie. (February 3, 1996) Star Tribune February deep freeze. Black ice makes I-35W bridge treacherous. (http:/ / www. highbeam.
com/ doc/ 1G1-62624323. html) Section: news; Page 10A.
[17] von Sternberg, Bob. (December 27, 1996) Star Tribune Minnesota is one big deep freeze. What is the sound of a cold record shattering? It's
the sound of silence from dead motors, of crumpling metal on icy roads, of resigned grumbling. But take heart — it will warm up. Section
News; page 1A.
[18] Blake, Laurie. (January 21, 1999) Star Tribune State hopes to speed up north-metro lane project. But it clashes with Met Council over
whether addition to interstate should be for car pools. Section news; Page 2B.
[19] Blake, Laurie. (October 19, 1999) Star Tribune I-35W bridge getting de-icer system. Unit will target ice before it can form. Section news;
Page 1A.
[20] Blake, Laurie. (January 13, 2000) Star Tribune Met Council will survey our citizens' travel habits. Study will include trip numbers and times,
speed of drivers and waits at ramp meters. Section news; Page 2B.
[21] Blake, Laurie. (February 3, 2000) Star Tribune Richfield may face traffic challenges; How will I-494 accommodate Best Buy's 5,000
commuters? Section news, page 2B.
[22] Associated Press (http:/ / apnews. myway. com/ article/ 20070802/ D8QOTC180. html), Hopes Dim in Minneapolis for Survivors, August 2,
2007, retrieved August 2, 2007
[23] RealClearPolitics - Articles - Interview With Minn. Gov Pawlenty (http:/ / www. realclearpolitics. com/ articles/ 2007/ 08/
interview_with_minn_gov_pawlen. html)
[24] Bill Dedman,
[25] Fifth Body Recovered After Bridge Collapse (http:/ / www. abcnews. go. com/ Technology/ story?id=3438334& page=1), ABC News,
August 3, 2007
[26] NTSB: Bridge Contractor Had Prior I-35W Experience (http:/ / enr. construction. com/ news/ transportation/ archives/ 070806c. asp),
Engineering News Record (enr.construction.com), 8/06/2007, By Tudor Van Hampton
[27] CNN.com article (http:/ / www. cnn. com/ 2007/ US/ 08/ 02/ bridge. witnesses. ap/ index. html)
[28] I-35W bridge collapses (http:/ / www. startribune. com/ 462/ story/ 1338294. html), Star Tribune, August 1, 2007.
[29] Camera captures bridge moments after collapse (http:/ / www. kare11. com/ news/ ts_article. aspx?storyid=261442) August 8, 2007
[30] Freeway bridge collapses into river during rush hour in Minneapolis (http:/ / www. startribune. com/ ), Minnesota Star Tribune, August 2,
2007.
[31] Paul Eickstadt (http:/ / minnesota. publicradio. org/ display/ web/ 2007/ 08/ 07/ eickstadtobit/ ), by Matt Peiken, Minnesota Public Radio,
August 7, 2007
[32] and linked biographical notes.
[33] and
[34] and
[35] Divers searching for victims in bridge collapse (http:/ / www. ocregister. com/ news/ class-wirep-bridge-1795186-bumper-people), Orange
County Register, August 1, 2007
[36] Jeff Horwich, Recovery effort cautious, deliberate (http:/ / minnesota. publicradio. org/ display/ web/ 2007/ 08/ 02/ rescue_efforts/ ),
Minnesota Public Radio, August 2, 2007, Retrieved August 2, 2007
[37] and
[38] and
[39] Navy divers join US bridge effort (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ 2/ hi/ americas/ 6936051. stm), BBC News, Last Updated: Tuesday, August 7,
2007, 22:01 GMT 23:01 UK
[40] Feds: Construction Equipment Weight May Be Factor (http:/ / wcco. com/ local/ local_story_219071829. html), WCCO.com, Aug 8, 2007
11:17 pm US/Central
[41] and
[42] and and
[43] and
[44] "(Stations: clarifies that the $50 million is downpayment on $250 million authorized by Congress)" in
[45] Bridge consultant helping federal probe | StarTribune.com (http:/ / www. startribune. com/ local/ 11827041. html)
[46] NTSB press conference, August 2, 2007
[47] Press Advisory (http:/ / www. ntsb. gov/ Pressrel/ 2008/ 080317. html)
[48] Old photos show flaws in steel of I-35W bridge (http:/ / www. startribune. com/ local/ 16927626. html) By TONY KENNEDY, Star
Tribune, Last update: March 23, 2008 - 1:51 PM
[49] [Frederick Melo, "Four years after I-35W bridge collapse, a community remembers disaster's victims" (http:/ / www. twincities. com/
ci_18593596?nclick_check=1), August 1, 2011
[50] Coast Guard Responds To Minnesota Interstate Bridge Collapse (http:/ / www. d8externalaffairs. com/ go/ doc/ 425/ 166625/ ), Press
Release, United States Coast Guard, August 1, 2007, retrieved August 2, 2007
[51] Verbal Confirmation of Correct Mile Markers from USCG Personnel (http:/ / www. uscg. mil/ d8/ Sector/ umr/ pa. html), United States
Coast Guard, August 3, 2007, retrieved August 3, 2007
I-35W Mississippi River bridge 15

[52] Amber Dulek, Bridge collapse unlikely to affect river traffic (http:/ / www. winonadailynews. com/ articles/ 2007/ 08/ 03/ news/ 02traffic.
txt), Winona Daily News, August 3, 2007, retrieved August 4, 2007
[53] and
[54] and
[55] and
[56] and
[57] Mn/DOT to open I-35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge to traffic at 5 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 (http:/ / www. dot. state. mn. us/ newsrels/ 08/ 09/
15-I35wbridge. html)
[58] http:/ / www. cura. umn. edu/ publications/ Freeways. pdf
[59] http:/ / www. fema. gov/ pdf/ about/ stafford_act. pdf

Further reading
• Patrick Nunnally, ed. The City, the River, The Bridge: Before and After the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
(University of Minnesota Press; 2011) 183 pages; studies by civil engineers, geographers, and others on the
events and aftermath of the collapse of the bridge
• Minmao Liao, Taichiro Okazaki. "A Computational Study of the I-35W Bridge Collapse." (http://www.cts.
umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2008) (University of Minnesota Center for
Transportation Studies; 2009) Report.

External links
• Collapse of I-35W Highway Bridge Minneapolis, Minnesota (http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2008/
HAR0803.pdf), Official report by the National Transportation Safety Board
• Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis (http://www.dot.state.mn.us/i35wbridge/index.html), Minnesota
Department of Transportation
• Scientific perspectives on the collapse (http://www.smm.org/buzz/topics/
35W_bridge_collapse_minneapolis) — from the Science Museum of Minnesota
• Minnesota Historical Society: 35W Bridge Resources (http://www.mnhs.org/library/bridge/)
• U.S. Bridge Information (http://www.dot.state.ia.us/subcommittee/default.aspx) - New AASHTO Bridge
Information Web Site
• NTSB Docket Management System for Bridge Collapse Investigation Documents (http://www.ntsb.gov/
dockets/Highway/HWY07MH024/default.htm)
• Radio breaking news and coverage (airchecks) of the 35W bridge collapse (http://radiotapes.com/
specialpostings.html#BridgeCollapse35W) From radiotapes.com.
• OxBlue Construction Camera and time-lapse footage of reconstruction (http://www.oxblue.com/pro/open/
flatironmanson/stanthony)
• 13 Seconds in August-- A project by the Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/local/12166286.html)
Article Sources and Contributors 16

Article Sources and Contributors

I-35W Mississippi River bridge  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=573960282  Contributors: 17Drew, 23skidoo, 293.xx.xxx.xx, 3Tigers, 3sticklerz, 5minutes, 97198, A
Nobody, A Raider Like Indiana, Aarondanhall, Abhayagarwal, AbigailAbernathy, Ace ETP, Ace Telephone, Adamv88, AdultSwim, Afaprof01, Agentsplanet, Ajfroggie, Aleichem, Alison,
Alistair1978, Alt.pured, Amerkab, Analogue Kid, Anetode, AngelOfSadness, Angr, Animum, AnonMoos, Anonylulz, Antandrus, Anthony R. Hansen, Apocman, Appraiser, Arbeit Sockenpuppe,
Arbor to SJ, ArnoldReinhold, Arzel, Asams10, AsherUSA, AskFranz, Astadtler, AxelBoldt, Axem Titanium, Ayecee, Baa, Badagnani, Badsongninja, Basar, Baseball Bugs, Battroid, Beaker342,
Before My Ken, Bellczar, Benna, Bevo, Bidgee, Bief, BigNate37, Blamed, Blecre39, Bleu`dove, BlongerBros, Blututh, Bobak, Bobamnertiopsis, Boccobrock, Bodmod, Bondkaka, Brandonrush,
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speller, ChrisGualtieri, Chriscombs, Chrishmt0423, Christy747, Chuck Sirloin, Ciko, Circeus, Cjcamilla, Cjohnson103, CliffC, Clindberg, Cloud 007, CobraBK, Collard, ConradPino,
Cooperalex2004, Copysan, Corvus cornix, CrazyC83, Crd721, Cyanidethistles, Cynicalman, Cyphase, D.M.N., DJEBIR, DMB, DOSGuy, Dailyvoid, Dale Arnett, DandyDan2007, Dane2007,
Daniel.Cardenas, Daredavil, Datrain021, Daveswagon, Davumaya, Dchristle, Dcljr, Deconstructhis, Delta x, Denimadept, DerHexer, Dharrell2000, Dhartung, DirtyB41, Dismas, Djg2006,
Dogcow, Doug, Dough4872, Downwards, Dragons flight, Dricherby, Duncan.france, Dw31415, EAderhold, ELinguist, Eco84, Ego White Tray, El C, Eleland, Elkman, Elonka,
Emeraldcityserendipity, EmiOfBrie, Engen055, Enzo Aquarius, Epbr123, Erendwyn, Eric, Eric Wester, Ericy, Estrategycom, Eóin, Falcon9x5, Fightingirish, Fireicefalcon, Fish and karate,
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Nygaard, Golbez, GoldRingChip, Goodnightmush, Goodshoped35110s, Gopherbone, Gordito666, GrahamHardy, Gregorydavid, Grendelkhan, Ground Zero, Group29, Guy34565, Gwen Gale,
Haeinous, Halcionne, Hanabi93, Haverberg, Hdt83, Heights, Heron, Hgrosser, Hiway71, Hmains, HokieRNB, HomerPaq, Hoof Hearted, Hooperbloob, Horst, HowardRob, Howcheng, Hugo999,
Hydrargyrum, Hydrogravity, Hypnosadist, I do not exist, ILike2BeAnonymous, IanManka, Igo4U, Illinois2011, Imasleepviking, Infrangible, Ingolfson, Inklein, Into The Fray, Iowaporsche,
Ipsherman, Iridescent, Isis4563, JSmith9579, Jackmnelson, Jadgate, Jamie0885, Jason ost, JayGatsby88, JayJay, Jayann, Jeffwassup, Jennavecia, Jesse Viviano, Jh4d, Jislan, Jivecat, Jla5133,
Jllm06, Joe7712345, John, Johncocksucka, Johnny Sumner, JonEastham, Jonathan Williams, Jonathan.s.kt, JoshEdgar, Joshua Scott, Jreferee, Justanother, Jvcdude, Jwbaumann, Jyril, JzG,
KRofidal, KUsam, Kaaphi, Kablammo, Kaihsu, Kazzandra, KeepOnTruckin, KelleyCook, KillerAsteroids, Kimmy78, Kingdon, Kitch, Kiwinanday, Kmccoy, Kmg90, Ktr101, Kuzwa, LaidOff,
LarRan, Lcarscad, Leekleys, Leonard G., Levineps, Lilac Soul, Lindzmarn, Lmcelhiney, Lpangelrob, Lquilter, Lucid, Luedhup2, Lufiend, Luna Santin, MER-C, MFNickster, MJBurrage,
Macaronima, Mace, Majorly, Malleus Fatuorum, Mardus, Mareklug, Marilee cts, Martinship, Masoninman, Matilda, Matjamoe, Matt Cook, MattButts, Mattaudio, Mattbuck, Max.goedjen,
Meadowsd, MeegsC, MeekSaffron, Mellawach, Menean01, Mercurialmusic, Mets501, Mgiganteus1, Mhking, Michael Devore, Michael Hardy, Michaelh2001, Middayexpress, Mieciu K,
Mientkiewicz5508, Miguel de Servet, MikeSammons007, Mildly Mad, Mill1627, Millionsandbillions, Miranda, Mitchberg, Mlaffs, Mmdolbow, Mnemnoch, Mnjrd330, Mnsotn, Mojo Hand,
Moncrief, Mondo6, Mopskatze, Mori Riyo, Morinus, Morriswa, MosheA, MplsNarco, Mproud, Mr Frosty, MrLincoln, Mrschimpf, Mschel, Mulad, Mwalcoff, Mxwake, Mysteryman557,
Mytwocents, NE2, NGerda, NHRHS2010, Natalie Erin, Natcase, NcSchu, Nerwen, Netclift, Neutralhomer, Neutrality, New World Man, Nickshanks, Night Tracks, Nightscream, Nil Einne,
Niteowl, Noahcs, Nodekeeper, Noliver, Nooblette1 o, Noobletteowns, NorthernThunder, Northfox, Ntmoe, Nwbeeson, Nwienk, Nyttend, O, Ocrasaroon, Octane, Ofsevit, Ogranut, Ohconfucius,
Omniman2017, Onorem, Ouzo, Oxymoron83, PBP, PHenry, PRRfan, Padwaxk88, Parkwells, Paruta, Paul Pogonyshev, Penguin boy93, Pepsidrinka, PerryPlanet, Persian Poet Gal,
Peterhoneyman, Phjellming, Piledhigheranddeeper, Piotrus, Plastikspork, Platypus222, Plavack, Plaws, PocklingtonDan, Portalian, Postdlf, President David Palmer, Professor water, Pschemp,
Quiddity, Quinsareth, Quintin3265, Quokly, Quota, R. S. Shaw, R27182818, RBBrittain, RPIRED, Random832, RattleMan, Raul654, Ravedave, Rdfox 76, Reaverdrop, Rehcsif, Retired
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Rtmag, Runningonbrains, Rushlow, Rxnd, S4xton, SEWilco, STELARANTON, Saget53, SallyForth123, Sandstein, Sarathena, Sasheena, Sawblade5, Scarian, Scarpy, Schulte, Schwiebert,
ScotchMB, Scott5114, SeanNovack, Seattlenow, Sgw1009, Shanoman, Shedlight, Sherurcij, Sift&Winnow, Simon Bar Sinister, Simon12, Simplicius, Sir, Sjhan81, Skywayman, Smith03,
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The359, TheMadjai, Theflyer, Theo F, Theoldsparkle, Threeafterthree, ThunderPower, Tiddly Tom, TimBilly1224, Titoxd, Tjsynkral, Toastyman, TomStar81, TomerTW, Tomisti, Tomj,
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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:I-35W.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W.svg  License: unknown  Contributors: Augiasstallputzer, Darbyeta, Ltljltlj, SPUI
File:I35W Bridge.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I35W_Bridge.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported  Contributors: Todd Murray
File:I 35W Bridge.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I_35W_Bridge.svg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported  Contributors: RTCNCA
File:Bridges-Mississippi-Southeast Steam Plant-Minneapolis.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bridges-Mississippi-Southeast_Steam_Plant-Minneapolis.jpg
 License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Mordac from Minneapolis, US
File:I-35W Bridge 2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W_Bridge_2.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported  Contributors: Elkman
File:I35WBridgeMinneapolisSatellite2004.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I35WBridgeMinneapolisSatellite2004.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: U.S.
Geological Survey
File:I-35WBridgeOverhead.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35WBridgeOverhead.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Clindberg, Infrogmation, OverlordQ,
Scott5114
File:I-35W Bridge - April, 2006.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W_Bridge_-_April,_2006.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Mareklug, 1 anonymous
edits
File:35wBridgecollapse.gif  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:35wBridgecollapse.gif  License: Public Domain  Contributors: U.S. Army Corps of Enginners. Gif animation
by The lorax at en.wikipedia Later versions were uploaded by Anetode at en.wikipedia.
Image:I35 Bridge Collapse 4crop.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I35_Bridge_Collapse_4crop.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0
 Contributors: Anetode, Clindberg, Xnatedawgx
File:I35W Collapse - Day 4 - Operations & Scene (95).jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I35W_Collapse_-_Day_4_-_Operations_&_Scene_(95).jpg  License: Public
Domain  Contributors: Kevin Rofidal, United States Coast Guard
File:I35W Collapse - Mayor RT Ryback surveys damage.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I35W_Collapse_-_Mayor_RT_Ryback_surveys_damage.jpg  License:
Public Domain  Contributors: Kevin Rofidal, United States Coast Guard
File:I-35W-collapse-police-Minneapolis-20070801.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W-collapse-police-Minneapolis-20070801.jpg  License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Mordac from Minneapolis, US
File:I-35W-rescue-Minneapolis-20070801.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W-rescue-Minneapolis-20070801.jpg  License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Eric from Minneapolis
File:I35 bridge collapsed divers.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I35_bridge_collapsed_divers.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: U.S. Navy photo by Mass
Communication Specialist Seaman Joshua Adam Nuzzo
File:I-35W collapse helicopter 20070801.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W_collapse_helicopter_20070801.JPG  License: Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported  Contributors: SEWilco's stringer 1
File:I-35W-officials-Minneapolis-20070810.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W-officials-Minneapolis-20070810.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors:
Appraiser, Innotata, Superm401, SusanLesch, Xnatedawgx
File:Donald C Winter Tours 35W Bridge Collapse site.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Donald_C_Winter_Tours_35W_Bridge_Collapse_site.jpg  License:
unknown  Contributors: FlickreviewR, JayJay, Materialscientist
File:I-35W-FBI and Hennepin County-Minneapolis.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W-FBI_and_Hennepin_County-Minneapolis.jpg  License: Public Domain
 Contributors: SusanLesch, Xnatedawgx
File:Gusset.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Gusset.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: NTSB
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 17

File:I-35W Mississippi River Bridge bowed gusset plates, 2003-06-12.jpg  Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W_Mississippi_River_Bridge_bowed_gusset_plates,_2003-06-12.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: unknown
File:35Wclosed.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:35Wclosed.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: Original uploader was Appraiser at
en.wikipedia
File:I-35W-bridge-Minneapolis-20070801.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W-bridge-Minneapolis-20070801.jpg  License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Eric from Minneapolis
File:I-35W-collapse-crowd-Minneapolis-20070801.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:I-35W-collapse-crowd-Minneapolis-20070801.jpg  License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Mordac from Minneapolis, US
File:TV crew at University Ave.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:TV_crew_at_University_Ave.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0
 Contributors: Mordac from Minneapolis, US
File:Under the 35W Bridge.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Under_the_35W_Bridge.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: Collin Anderson
from South Bend

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/