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 7, 2007 - Midday’s Gary Eichten talks with Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek about the I-35W bridge search and recovery efforts. The police officials also answer listener questions.
August 7, 2007 - An update on the traffic situation, and the latest on what the Minnesota Department of Transportation's plans are for replacing the I-35W bridge. Missing weapons in Iraq may be helping the insurgency. The GAO, an investigative arm of Congress, says 30 percent of weapons given to Iraqi forces are now missing. Previous government audits also have found small arms might be falling into the hands of insurgents.
August 8, 2007 - Remarkably most of the people who were on the 35W bridge last Wednesday evening survived the collapse. But at least five people didn't and eight others are still listed as missing. Over this past week Minnesota Public Radio has had a chance to talk with many of the victim's relatives, friends and colleagues. They shared deeply personal memories about the people they lost, some that made them laugh and some that made them fight back tears. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson compiled a few of these reflections and has this remembrance.
August 8, 2007 - As some family members have begun to bury their loved ones who died in last week's I-35W bridge collapse, still others wait to learn the fate of those who remain lost. The recovery mission continues with teams of Navy salvage divers who have joined the effort to find more victims. For the people who watched the tragedy unfold on their television sets, last night's National Night Out get together in Minneapolis proved to be a way for some residents living by the river to express their grief and hopes for healing the city. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
August 8, 2007 - Cell phone communication near downtown Minneapolis jammed within moments of the bridge collapse. Rescuers and law enforcement officers sprang into action but needed street maps, ongoing traffic information and a way to monitor the site. The resulting communications demands put the city of Minneapolis' fledgling wireless network to the test. Within an hour of the disaster, the head of USI Wireless, the company responsible for the network, opened the system to free access and got an effort going to install additional access points around the bridge site that weren't already covered. The number of wireless users in that part of the city jumped six fold overnight. Future Tense's Art Hughes reports.
August 8, 2007 - The State of Minnesota does not plan on wasting any time replacing the bridge that collapsed a week ago. Officials have already closed the deadline for bids on the new bridge construction and will narrow their choices down to three players by Friday. The hope is to have a new bridge in place by the end of 2008. The schedule may seem impossibly fast. But observers in the bridge industry say the timeline is reasonable due to advancements in technology and materials.Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter has more.
August 8, 2007 - Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar is proposing a $25 billion program to repair or replace deficient bridges throughout the nation. Standing up river from the site of the 35W bridge collapse, Oberstar outlined a plan he said was aimed at preventing similar tragedies. The 8th District Democrat says increasing the federal gas tax by five cents a gallon over three years would help establish a new trust fund dedicated to bridge projects. Oberstar says his proposal would also improve bridge inspection requirements.
August 8, 2007 - A former National Transportation Safety Board investigator says the agency is likely to conclude that no single problem caused the collapse of the 35W bridge in Minneapolis. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Moylan reports.
August 8, 2007 - After a disaster cities rely heavily on the training of their emergency workers, and the leadership of their managers. Midmorning focuses on the immediate challenges of managing a disaster.
August 8, 2007 - A week after the I-35W bridge collapsed, Midday marks the occasion with a special one-hour broadcast featuring the latest on the investigation and the stories of the survivors. MPR’s Lorna Benson provides a remembrance of the 13 victims…Sherry Engebretsen; Artemio Trinidad-Mena; Julia Blackhawk; Patrick Holmes; Peter Hausmann; Paul Eickstadt; Greg Jolstad; Scott Sathers; Christina Sacorafas; Sadiya Sahal and two-year-old daughter Hannah; Vera Peck and her 20-year-old son Richard Chit.