The I-35W Bridge Collapsed 9 Years Ago Today

It was during rush hour on Wednesday, August 1st nine years ago when the unthinkable happened: the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis.

The bridge over the Mississippi River gave way, plunging nine cars into the murky waters and demolishing nearly 50 vehicles. 13 people lost their lives and over 145 others were injured in the catastrophe.

The bridge, which this WCCO story said carried near 140,000 cars a day, ultimately was found to have a defective design when it was constructed back back in the 60's and a gusset plate gave way, leading to the bridge's collapse into the Mississippi.

I remember that day distinctly. I was living up in Eau Claire and had just gotten back earlier that day from a vacation. A buddy and I had gone to the baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in New York and had road-tripped our way back home, stopping at several cities (and catching several baseball games) along the way back home.

I remember heading across what I thought looked like a somewhat rusty, rickety bridge somewhere in Illinois -- Rockford, maybe? -- and noting that it looked old, outdated and possibly even unsafe. Little did I know that a horrible tragedy regarding the safety of a bridge right here in Minnesota would unfold only hours later, and on a bridge on which I'd travelled across many times.

In the days and weeks after, I remember thinking about the collapse whenever I crossed any bridge anywhere. Were they safe? Were they going to collapse too? While nine years has passed and the collapse isn't on the top of my mind anymore these days, I still think of that horrible tragedy sometimes when I'm crossing a bridge. And, of course, anytime we cross that new I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.

What were you doing when the collapse happened-- and did it affect you like it did me?