On Aug. 1, 2007, the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring more than 140.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board later concluded a design flaw as the likely cause of the collapse. Investigators also cited additional weight from construction-related materials on the bridge when it collapsed as a contributing factor.
Minneapolis officials have dedicated a Remembrance Garden memorial honoring the 13 people who died and the injured.
August 6, 2007 - MnDOT gives traffic briefing on how well the metro traffic is moving on Monday after the bridge collapse. Highway 280 turned into primary detour, with exits/entrances blocked to turn it into a quasi-freeway. Todd Craymess of the traffic center comments.
August 6, 2007 - The families of eight people still listed as missing after the 35W bridge collapse continue to wait for news of their loved ones. At St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis hundreds of parishioners prayed Sunday for Christina Sacorafas, one of the missing. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Moylan reports.
August 6, 2007 - Underwater searchers expect help today from the FBI as they continue to look for victims of last week's Minneapolis bridge collapse. The FBI dive team could be the first of two units from the federal government to help. The Interstate-35W bridge went down last Wednesday, at least 8 people remain missing. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Steil reports.
August 6, 2007 - A helicopter made low passes over the collapsed section of the I-35 W today in an attempt to photograph evidence for the National Transportation Safety Board. The chopper hovered almost motionless in mid-air; meanwhile people on the Stone Arch Bridge just upstream got their own view of the wreckage. For thousands the pilgrimage to the scene began over the weekend when the Stone Arch Bridge re-opened to pedestrian traffic. Many are bringing binoculars, others bring cameras, still others bear flowers. Here's what some of them have to say.
August 6, 2007 - The wife of construction worker Greg Jolstad says she presumes her husband did not survive the fall of the Interstate 35W Bridge because she has not heard from him since the bridge collapsed last Wednesday. Lisa Jolstad says her husband was a homebody who loved gardening, sports and simple pleasures like grilling in the backyard with his family. Lisa Jolstad visited the Mississippi River accident site Saturday along with other victims' families. She says the visit helped her cope with the frustration of waiting for divers to recover his body. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
August 6, 2007 - Officials involved in the effort to recover bodies from the bridge collapse hope assistance from the US Navy and FBI will lead to closure for families of the 8 people who remain unaccounted for.Today marks the 5th day of the challenging search. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik has this report on the latest search efforts.
August 6, 2007 - Twin Cities motorists appear to be adapting to the loss of a section of major freeway, which was closed by the 35W bridge collapse. State officials say the Monday morning commute went better than expected, with drivers using alternate routes and new detours. Bus ridership also appeared to get a boost. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
August 6, 2007 - MnDOT says the 35W bridge was totally capable of carrying the some 140,000 a day that used it at the time of its collapse last week. At a briefing today, transportation officials wouldn't speculate on whether the amount of traffic somehow contributed to the failure of the bridge. However, the head of the University of Minnesota engineering department says increased traffic on a bridge experiencing fatigue will shorten its life span. When it collapsed, the 35W bridge was 40 years old, but its life span was predicted to be 50 years. Minnesota Public Radio's Sea Stachura reports.
August 6, 2007 - The Minnesota Department of Transportation is placing the process to rebuild the 35W bridge on an extremely fast track. MnDOT officials hope to open a new bridge by the end of next year. They want contractors interested in the job to contact them within the next few days. As they make plans to rebuild, state officials may be looking to incidents in other states for guidelines. Back in April, you might remember news of another interstate freeway collapse in California. When a tanker truck crashed and caught fire in a vital bay area interchange the heat caused the collapse of a stretch of Interstate 580 onto the highway below. Will Kempton is the director of Caltrans, the California Department of Transportation. He says that stretch of freeway was rebuilt well ahead of schedule.
August 6, 2007 - When President George W. Bush toured the collapsed bridge site on Saturday there was a young man at his side for much of the tour. His name is Gary Babineau, a 24-year-old construction worker from Blaine. He was heading north on 35W, driving home from a jobsite in Lakeville Wednesday night when the bridge deck plunged toward the Mississippi River, and took his truck with it. You may have pictures of that truck, it's been shown by many TV cameras, a bright blue Chevy pickup, sitting close to a school bus. When the drop ended, Babineau jumped out of that truck and headed for safety. Then he heard the cries of children in the school bus. That's when he snapped into action, and helped the kids get to safety.