I-35W Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis

At 6:05 P.M. on Wednesday, August 1, the I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis suddenly collapsed into a heap of rubble. Minneapolis instantly become the focal point of local and national news reports. In the hours after the bridge collapse, most of the people who were on the bridge were rescued or were able to swim to safety. Remarkably, fewer than 100 people were injured, and amazingly, perhaps only a dozen or so people lost their lives. Ironically, the design of the bridge probably saved lives, even as it collapsed into the Mississippi River.

Even as we attempt to understand this tragedy, stories of heroism and courage have emerged. One of these incidents involved a school bus carrying sixty day campers. The bus came perilously close to falling into the river, which might have resulted in numerous casualties. One of the camp counselors, 20-year-old Jeremy Hernandez, quickly evacuated the bus, and all of the children were rescued. Naturally, Jeremy was interviewed by local and national media. The rescue efforts are still underway, but the currents in the Mississippi River have made the rescue effort difficult.

The I-35W Bridge was finished forty years ago and was opened for use in the fall of 1967. You can see the bridge under construction in this 1967 photo. But why did the bridge collapse? Over the next several weeks and months, many investigations will undoubtedly take place. Although there has already been a great deal of speculation about the cause of the collapse, no one can know for sure at this juncture. Even though most of the commentary and news reporting about this tragedy has been respectful, it is most unfortunate that a few media types and politicians have begun politicizing the bridge collapse even before all of the victims have been recovered from the river.

I would be the first to acknowledge that the political climate in this country has been become very polarized in recent years, but one would think that self-proclaimed experts would restrain themselves from waxing eloquent at least until after we find out what happened to the I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Perhaps that's asking too much, but one can always hope.