Bridge collapses a long part of US history
Parts of the 1.6-mile, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed into the Patapsco Riveron Tuesday after it was struck by a large cargo ship.
The bridge is not the first to have collapsed in the past 100 years. Here’s a look at bridge collapses in recent U.S. history:
1967: Point Pleasant Bridge in West Virginia
The Point Pleasant Bridge, colloquially known as the Silver Bridge for its aluminum paint, collapsed during heavy rush-hour traffic on Dec. 15, 1967.
The 2,200-foot suspension bridge carried U.S 35 and spanned the Ohio River, connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio. Forty-six people died in the collapse; the bodies of two were never found.
An investigation found the collapse was caused by a failure of one eyebar chain that had been noted in a preliminary report 10 months earlier.
The collapse led to federal regulations on the inspection of bridges and an increased emphasis on bridge safety through the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968, which established a National Bridge Inspection Program.
1980: Sunshine Skyway bridge in Florida
In 1980, Florida’s Sunshine Skyway bridge collapsed after it was struck by a ship. Thirty-five motorists and bus passengers were killed.
A 1,200-foot chunk of the bridge, which connected St. Petersburg and Bradenton, collapsed after the massive Summit Venture freighter slammed into one of its central support piers.
When a section of the bridge fell into Tampa Bay, it took a truck, seven cars and a Greyhound bus with it.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported the crash happened during an intense thunderstorm, with winds reaching 80 mph. There was heavy rain, and visibility was near zero, according to local historians who made a documentary film about the collapse.
After the collapse, the freighter remained stuck beneath the bridge, with part of the roadway on its bow. Photos from the time show how one motorist was able to stop his car just inches from where the bridge fell into the water.
1993: Big Bayou Canot Bridge in Alabama
On Sept. 22, 1993, barges pushed by a towboat collided with the Big Bayou Canot Bridge near Mobile, Alabama. Just eight minutes later, an Amtrak passenger train derailed from the bridge. Fortyseven people were killed 103 were injured.
The towboat pushing the barge had made a wrong turn on the Mobile River and entered the Big Bayou Canot. In heavy fog, the towboat’s pilot, Willie Odom, struck the bridge, which forced the end of the bridge span out of alignment by about 3 feet and kinked the track.
2002: 1-40 bridge in Oklahoma
The Interstate 40 bridge, which spanned the Arkansas River just southeast of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, collapsed on May 26, 2002, after a barge struck a pier supporting the bridge.
The captain of the barge’s towboat reportedly lost consciousness, and the barge lost control and crashed into the pier support.
A section of the bridge collapsed, and 14 people were killed.
Victims and families settled a lawsuit with the towboat company, Magnolia Marine Transport Co., in May 2003 for an undisclosed amount.
2007: I-35W bridge in Minnesota
The Interstate 35W Mississippi River bridge, also known as Bridge 940, spanned the Mississippi River just downstream from Minneapolis.
At the time, it was the third-busiest bridge in Minnesota, carrying about 140,000 vehicles a day.
It collapsed into the Mississippi River during the evening rush hour on Aug. 1, 2007, killing 13 people and injuring 145.
Several reports had cited problems with the bridge, and in 2005 it was given a rating of “structurally deficient” and possibly in need of replacement, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Construction had been taking place on the bridge weeks before, including joint work and replacement of lighting, concrete and guard rails.
According to an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, the collapse was probably the result of a design flaw from thin steel gusset plates that helped connect steel beams.