At the height of rush hour on August 1, 2007 a bridge carrying eight lanes of I-35W traffic over the Mississippi River suddenly collapsed, sending cars and trucks plunging into the water below.

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The Minneapolis Bridge Collapse that Sounded the Alarm on US Infrastructure

Thirteen people died and 145 were injured in one of the worst bridge accidents in years.

This video examines the Minneapolis collapse and its effect on decaying bridges across the nation. Using archival footage, and interviews with survivors and those who investigated the accident, the video details what caused it to fall as well as the long-standing history of problems with the I-35W bridge.

Since the accident, states around the country are spending more money than ever to repair or replace bridges with serious problems, but transportation engineers say it’s still not enough. Last year’s collapse of another interstate bridge north of Seattle was a reminder of just how far the nation has to go to address the condition of our bridges.

TranscriptLesson Plan

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