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Today in History: Interstate 35W Bridge Collapse Claims 13 Lives

8/1/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On August 1, 2007, the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis collapsed during evening rush hour, resulting in 13 fatalities and 145 injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board attributed the disaster to a design flaw involving an excessively thin gusset plate, compounded by the bridge's heavy load at the time of failure.

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Story summary

On August 1, 2007, the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis collapsed during evening rush hour, resulting in 13 fatalities and 145 injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board attributed the disaster to a design flaw involving an excessively thin gusset plate, compounded by the bridge's heavy load at the time of failure.